http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,210605,00.html
NEW ORLEANS — The head of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers conceded Saturday that despite aggressive efforts to repair the levee system in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, it was unclear whether the it could hold up to a sizable hurricane this year.
Lt. General Carl Strock, the commander of the Corps, said the agency was carefully tracking Tropical Storm Ernesto, which was spinning in the Caribbean and projected to reach hurricane strength by Tuesday.
BREAKING NEWS: U.S. Army Corps: New Orleans Levees May Not H
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Wx_Warrior
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Evil Jeremy
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Incompetence my friends... incompetence. If I shared with all of you the many stories of the Corps' incompetence, it would take you about 30 minutes to read. Last week, they couldn't even get the new floodgates to close because they allowed concrete to jamb the wall tracks. Not just a little concrete either... about 1-2 feet of concrete. They then used underwater jackhammers to remove the concrete. All that did was damage the tracks, and now they cant get a watertight seal. Believe me, the Corps is an embarrasment to our country. Lets just hope their encompetece doesn't get exposed again.
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HurriCat
TSmith274 wrote:Incompetence my friends... incompetence. If I shared with all of you the many stories of the Corps' incompetence, it would take you about 30 minutes to read. Last week, they couldn't even get the new floodgates to close because they allowed concrete to jamb the wall tracks. Not just a little concrete either... about 1-2 feet of concrete. They then used underwater jackhammers to remove the concrete. All that did was damage the tracks, and now they cant get a watertight seal. Believe me, the Corps is an embarrasment to our country. Lets just hope their encompetece doesn't get exposed again.
Indeed - (see bold words above). Drive on out there and show them and us how to do it right, eh? I think they are doing their best, since so many people are determined to live BELOW SEA LEVEL right on the coast. They are trying to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear - or SOME part of the pig, anyways.
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EverythingIsEverything
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Lindaloo wrote:Doing their best? They admitted they messed up HurriCat. It is not up to you or anyone to judge where people live. It is what it is.
No reaason to sugar coat it, living in an area below sea level near the coast isn't the best thing to do, even if one chooses to, we all have the capability to choose, but does it make it the right choice...
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Oh man, the grammar police are on the loose. Look, the discussion is not about the wisdom of living in New Orleans. People are going to do it, myself included, whether you like it or not.
The theme of this thread is about the incompetence of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. This is not even debatable. Look, I know it's hard to admit our faults as proud Americans. But if the country as a whole decides that it is beyond the realm of our capabilities to protect New Orleans, and that the place should be abandoned and all inhabitants banished to other cities, then why not just relinquish your rights to this territory down here? If we are nothing but a money pit full of foolish people, what value are we to you? If this is how you truly feel, I'd suggest you flood your representatives with letters pleading to sell us, or just let us go. Go ahead... see how many takers are out there that might be interested in controlling the main artery for goods and energy supplying the most powerful country on the globe. See how many takers you get with the selling point of controlling 1/3 of the energy supply of the United States. We'd be self-sufficient in the energy sector, and we could sell our oil to you instead of you just taking it as you do now. See how attractive it may be to an outside party to place tariffs on goods you export via the Mississippi river. Bottom line is this... if you do not have the spine or the abilities to secure our existence, you need to let us know your intentions and get out of the way.
Sorry for the blunt nature of this post. It's nothing personal. These are simply the thoughts that go through the mind of a New Orleanian when our existence is questioned.
The theme of this thread is about the incompetence of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. This is not even debatable. Look, I know it's hard to admit our faults as proud Americans. But if the country as a whole decides that it is beyond the realm of our capabilities to protect New Orleans, and that the place should be abandoned and all inhabitants banished to other cities, then why not just relinquish your rights to this territory down here? If we are nothing but a money pit full of foolish people, what value are we to you? If this is how you truly feel, I'd suggest you flood your representatives with letters pleading to sell us, or just let us go. Go ahead... see how many takers are out there that might be interested in controlling the main artery for goods and energy supplying the most powerful country on the globe. See how many takers you get with the selling point of controlling 1/3 of the energy supply of the United States. We'd be self-sufficient in the energy sector, and we could sell our oil to you instead of you just taking it as you do now. See how attractive it may be to an outside party to place tariffs on goods you export via the Mississippi river. Bottom line is this... if you do not have the spine or the abilities to secure our existence, you need to let us know your intentions and get out of the way.
Sorry for the blunt nature of this post. It's nothing personal. These are simply the thoughts that go through the mind of a New Orleanian when our existence is questioned.
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Audrey2Katrina
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Indeed - (see bold words above).
Indeed, there is such a thing as a "jamb" and it relates to columnar gates/doors. What's the big deal with worrying about someone's spelling? I use a wireless keyboard that misses keystrokes all the time, but that ISN'T what this topic is about now, is it? And if I had a dollar everytime some, for lack of a more fitting description, individual, just HAD to pass the snide comment about "living below sea level," I'd be set for life. Maybe we should just shut down New Orleans altogether, and that would close a few other items as well. Of course, its being the hub of the biggest port system in the nation, the largest handler and supplier of seafood, and conduit through which a HUGE chunk of the nation's economy gets processed just MIGHT affect the cost of living for some of those who are so quick to pass comments about where others choose to live.
/rant
Back on topic, you are completely correct TSmith, their INCOMPETENCE is positively mind-boggling. For obvious reasons I can't even get into how much money that was supposed to be spent on our levee systems got diverted--suffice it to say that wherever one chooses to live, there are elements of risk involved; and when one is dealing with the aftermath of a catastrophe of this magnitude the last thing one needs is a series of droll witticisms that accomplish little more than to pour salt into the wound.
A2K
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I'd also like to add that I do have some license to say the things I've said, as I am 3 months from finishing my civil engineering degree. Then, it's on to a construction management degree, which should take me about a year to complete.
So, you never know... I may be working directly on the levees in New Orleans at some point in the near future. That's my goal... I'd like to get personally involved in the levee project over the next couple decades.
I'm only giving my own opinion, and recycling the opinions of my professors. There is truth to my claims.
As for my keystrokes... hey we all have typos from time to time. But I did find it amusing that this person highlighted the word "jamb". We're not talking about jelly here.
So, you never know... I may be working directly on the levees in New Orleans at some point in the near future. That's my goal... I'd like to get personally involved in the levee project over the next couple decades.
I'm only giving my own opinion, and recycling the opinions of my professors. There is truth to my claims.
As for my keystrokes... hey we all have typos from time to time. But I did find it amusing that this person highlighted the word "jamb". We're not talking about jelly here.
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DanKellFla
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Evil Jeremy wrote:great. is it really that hard to fix the Levees?
Actually, yes. It is even harder to make them right in the first place. A large levee system is like a chain, only as strong as its weakest part. But a levee has a non-relenting force of water pressure and gravity working on it all the time. A levee is not just a pile of dirt that is placed down and forgotton about. (hopefully) It is like a machine that needs constant maintenence and inspection.
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Audrey2Katrina
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Here's the equation you can use to figure it out.
1.) Take the estimated time they tell you it'll take.
2.) Double that.
3.) Triple the cost the estimated.
4.) Add an additional year or two because of cost overrides.
5.) Add another couple of years because of delays consequent to cost overrides and some of the half-assed work like at the gates that wouldn't close.
And then you'll be within 3-5 years of when it might actually be done.
A2K
1.) Take the estimated time they tell you it'll take.
2.) Double that.
3.) Triple the cost the estimated.
4.) Add an additional year or two because of cost overrides.
5.) Add another couple of years because of delays consequent to cost overrides and some of the half-assed work like at the gates that wouldn't close.
And then you'll be within 3-5 years of when it might actually be done.
A2K
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EverythingIsEverything wrote:Lindaloo wrote:Doing their best? They admitted they messed up HurriCat. It is not up to you or anyone to judge where people live. It is what it is.
No reaason to sugar coat it, living in an area below sea level near the coast isn't the best thing to do, even if one chooses to, we all have the capability to choose, but does it make it the right choice...
Judging by your location (Virginia Beach) your statement has me laughing here. LOL!!
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