Do you think this is too optimistic?

[beenthru6]

They are estimating that it will be 12 to 16 weeks before people will be allowed to return "home". Considering the amount of devastation to the infrastructure all around and inside of NO, I am thinking this is not a realistic projection. Does anyone actually think they can have NO safe enough for people to return in this amount of time? Maybe I am underestimating the resolve of the people who will do this work. I don't know, I just think it sounds a little too optimistic.

[Courtnay Mccullers]

They are estimating that it will be 12 to 16 weeks before people will be allowed to return "home". Considering the amount of devastation to the infrastructure all around and inside of NO, I am thinking this is not a realistic projection. Does anyone actually think they can have NO safe enough for people to return in this amount of time? Maybe I am underestimating the resolve of the people who will do this work. I don't know, I just think it sounds a little too optimistic.

i think it is realistic, or maybe even pessimistic. right now the place is filthy. and yes, the infrastructure has sustained massive damage.

but right now, the real problem is the flooding. once they can figure out a way to get the water out, their will be MASSIVE aid ready to come in to New Orleans and probably in a matter of what I would think... maybe 6 weeks, the most basic of infrastucture (roads, water, power) would be up to at least parts of the city.

it's just can they ever figure out how to get this water out.

[djtil]

no, it sounds about right.......it wont be ideal in 3 to 4 months but it will be time for people to get in to help with the work and to clean up their businesses and homes.

[smashmode]

Many of these buildings will have to be destroyed..the water will weaken the structures to the point where they would have to be taken down.

[djtil]

it's just can they ever figure out how to get this water out.

this isnt an unknown...they know how to get the water out...but they have to get the canal wall breaches fixed first....then the pumping will begin.

the high lake levels will make things more difficult for the next few days due to runoff from the rain.

after that pumping should start lower water levels at the rate of a foot or 2 per day.

based on all and assuming no heavy rain events i would look for the water to be out in 2 weeks.

[Courtnay Mccullers]

it's just can they ever figure out how to get this water out.

this isnt an unknown...they know how to get the water out...but they have to get the canal wall breaches fixed first....then the pumping will begin.

the high lake levels will make things more difficult for the next few days due to runoff from the rain.

after that pumping should start lower water levels at the rate of a foot or 2 per day.

based on all and assuming no heavy rain events i would look for the water to be out in 2 weeks.

i'm not exactly sold out on this completely. where would they be umping the water? back out into lake ponchy? like you said, the high water level will make it impossible to pump for some time, because there are hundreds of millions of gallons of water in the city (maybe billions? i don't know). pumping it out will force the lake level to rise. a lot.

i'm not so sure the water level is going to recede anytime soon. i mean... parts of slidell are under water... and it's not under sea level. the lake level is just so high... all of the water has not returned to the Gulf where it belongs.

it might be more than just pumping water out of New Orleans into the lake. The water might have to be forced out of the lake into the Gulf... and out of the lower parishes and into the gulf.

[artist]

before this became reality I had heard it would be months to be able to pump it out - and that is IF they can due to toxicity now.

[jasons2k]

saw something last night they may have to intentionally break the river levees to let the water flow out; pumping along will not solve the problem. The problem with that solution is that is creates a whole new one.

unfortunately, it was either the Governor or Mary Landrieu this AM who said New Orleans is quickly drowning into a "black hole"

[alicia-w]

i realize that a large portion of the damaged structures will have to be demolished during the rebuilding phases, but what do they do with all the stuff???? where does all the storm debris and construction debris go?

[BReb]

I learned today from someone with first-hand knowledge of the situation that one of the huge luxury hotels next to the Superdome (I think it is the Hyatt) has been determined to be structurally unsound and will eventually be demolished.

This is very telling to me as far as what might be left of NOLA after this is all over, if a top-flight building with steel superstructure is going to be demolished.

[oneness]

i realize that a large portion of the damaged structures will have to be demolished during the rebuilding phases, but what do they do with all the stuff???? where does all the storm debris and construction debris go?

Fill in the 'bowl' with it? (joking, sorry)

[solarflare]

12 to 16 weeks is entirely too optomistic IMHO.
It took much longer than that to clean up the debris here in south/central Fl last year from much less damage.
Once the water level between NO and Ponch have more or less stabilized, and the flow is equalized, work can begin to patch the levees. The patches will certainly only be temporary. Then the slow process of pumping out the water can begin.
Then comes the assessment about how to deal with the debris and toxic residue and rebuilding of the infrastructure. Just how much of the beautiful old city can be rebuilt is still a question. I think we all know now that NO will never be the same.
The oil industry will crank up again very soon. Some businesses will come back up as services are restored. Gotta get the $ flowing ASAP.
My thinking is that it will be years rather than months before the city can function with any real normalcy for people.

[blueeyes_austin]

I learned today from someone with first-hand knowledge of the situation that one of the huge luxury hotels next to the Superdome (I think it is the Hyatt) has been determined to be structurally unsound and will eventually be demolished.

This is very telling to me as far as what might be left of NOLA after this is all over, if a top-flight building with steel superstructure is going to be demolished.

Wow. Was it wind damage that did it, or water damage?

[blueeyes_austin]

i realize that a large portion of the damaged structures will have to be demolished during the rebuilding phases, but what do they do with all the stuff???? where does all the storm debris and construction debris go?

Fill in the 'bowl' with it? (joking, sorry)

Probably not a joke, I'd say. Seems to me like you're going to need demarcate part of the old New Orleans as a waste dump and truck everything there.

[gtalum]

12 to 16 weeks is entirely too optomistic IMHO.
It took much longer than that to clean up the debris here in south/central Fl last year from much less damage....

...My thinking is that it will be years rather than months before the city can function with any real normalcy for people.

they didn't say 12-16 weeks before things are back to normal. They said 12-16 weeks before people will be allowed to return home. I think that's probably accurate or a bit long. Everything looks horrible right now. But once they plug the levies, I think things will start to look more positive as they drain the water. It looks worse now simply because things get worse by the day. Once they start making positive progress, things will move along quickly enough to surprise all of us.

[sunny]

i realize that a large portion of the damaged structures will have to be demolished during the rebuilding phases, but what do they do with all the stuff???? where does all the storm debris and construction debris go?

Fill in the 'bowl' with it? (joking, sorry)

Wow. Such compassion. Thanks a lot.

[Cookiely]

I feel like New Orleans from a financial aspect will not be rebuilt in the same place. I think there will be a NEW "New Orleans", one that's above sea level.

[otowntiger]

My question is what do all the people do who had jobs there do? Say for instance you are an office worker in one of the downtown high rises and you evacuated to Houston. You have no family close by to stay with, you have no job, your home is probably gone and it will be 3 months before you can even come back. What if you are like the average American (these days) that doesn't have the recommended 3 months of savings to live on, what the heck do you do? I'm sure that similar circumstances apply to a lot of people from N.O. What a tragedy and how very much life changing! These types of people are hard working, proud people and are not used to depending on others, particularly the gov't for hand- outs to survive, but that is what they face. My heart goes out to them.

[sunny]

My question is what do all the people do who had jobs there do? Say for instance you are an office worker in one of the downtown high rises and you evacuated to Houston. You have no family close by to stay with, you have no job, your home is probably gone and it will be 3 months before you can even come back. What if you are like the average American (these days) that doesn't have the recommended 3 months of savings to live on, what the heck do you do? I'm sure that similar circumstances apply to a lot of people. What a tragedy and how very much life changing! These types of people are hard working, proud people and are not used to depending on others, particularly the gov't for hand outs to survive, but that is what they are looking at. My heart goes out to them.

You do what I am doing at this very moment - you pray. I am in that exact situation. I don't know when I will be able to go back to work to earn my living. It is not looking good at this point. So you pray.

[Kelarie]

i realize that a large portion of the damaged structures will have to be demolished during the rebuilding phases, but what do they do with all the stuff???? where does all the storm debris and construction debris go?

Into landfills...all materials have to be disposed of properly. And because of the probability of contamination, the materials might have to be disposed of in a hazardous landfill. Now, here is the hard part. Trying to find enough places that are going to be willing to take that much stuff. All of that material when it is loaded will have to manifested. Someone will have to pay to dispose of it. There will have be testing done on it - that is if they want to show that it is not hazardous.

This is my type of work. There are alot of ways this could go.