Still trying to fix breach

[jasons2k]

From NOLA.com:

Crews frantically work to fix breach

Tuesday, 8:55 p.m.

The state Department of Transportation and Development and the Army Corps of Engineers worked into the night to plug a 500-foot breach in the 17th Street Canal
which has flooded Lakeview, West End, Bucktown and large swaths of East Jefferson.

Mark Lambert, chief spokesman for the agency, said that a convoy of trucks carrying 108 15,000-pound concrete barriers – like those used as highway construction dividers -- was en route to the site Tuesday night.

Once there, Lambert said, helicopters which hook up the barriers, and drop them into the hole in the canal.

Lambert said another 50 sandbags, each weighing 3,000 pounds, are also being maneuvered into place to stop the breach.

“That’s 800 tons of concrete,’’ Lambert said. “What we are trying to do is just stop the water from going into the city.’’

Lambert did not say how the state is addressing another breach in the Industrial Canal.

[jpigott]

just heard on MSNBC they are going to attempt to sink a grain barge where the 17th st. canal connects to the lake that may stop 90% of the flow into the canal while at the same time addressing the levy breach

[Matt-hurricanewatcher]

I think the energy in time should be for getting the people out of there. There is no way short of sinking a ship or bombing a building to plug it.

[N2FSU]

"ALL RESIDENTS ON THE EAST BANK OF ORLEANS AND JEFFERSON REMAINING IN THE METRO AREA ARE BEING TOLD TO EVACUATE AS EFFORTS TO SANDBAG THE LEVEE BREAK HAVE ENDED. THE PUMPS IN THAT AREA ARE EXPECTED TO FAIL SOON AND 9 FEET OF WATER IS EXPECTED IN THE ENTIRE EAST BANK. WITHIN THE NEXT 12-15 HOURS****

This is on the web page of WWLTV from New Orleans

http://www.wwltv.com

[inotherwords]

just heard on MSNBC they are going to attempt to sink a grain barge where the 17th st. canal connects to the lake that may stop 90% of the flow into the canal while at the same time addressing the levy breach

Oh, now that's a good idea. I hadn't thought about closing off the canal entrance. Probably easier to do this than to fix the breached area. This will also mean that the other weak areas of the levee along this canal might not go. Smart move, hope it works. Beats the heck out of sandbags.

[jasons2k]

The other thread just said pump has now failed. I dunno what to think any more.

[jpigott]

sounds like the situation is very fluid - bottom line however is this - the pumps have failed, so either they find some way to stem the flow of water pouring in thru the breach or an additional 9ft of water is coming into the area