Army corps of engineers Final rpt from 9-30-05

[Dick Pache]

9:30 a.m., September 4, 2005
Corps update on the New Orleans Recovery Efforts and Flood Fight.
At the 17th Street Canal, the Corps of Engineers first attempt to stop water from entering through the breach was to fill in the breach itself and keep the canal mouth open for access and drainage. When breach repairs were first attempted, Lake Pontchartrain was still several feet above normal level. Rapidly sealing the mouth of the canal would have trapped elevated flood water inside the city.
It was not possible to immediately get floating equipment or land vehicles in place to seal the breach so coordination immediately began for air operations to drop fill material bags into the breach. Marine based equipment was simultaneously located and moved to plug the breach and cut off the canal from the lake.
During detailed survey of the damaged levee, engineers discovered other still intact but potentially weakened sections. During this period, the lake fell to normal levels so no further gravity drainage back out of the city was possible. Because of this, and the relatively slow process of filling the large levee breach, engineers decided to change strategies and use marine equipment to drive sheet piling at the mouth of the 17th Street canal to seal off the entire canal from the lake.
Both operations were executed in parallel through yesterday when we achieved final closure of the canal mouth with sheet piling. The final piling was not driven until the Corps was confident that the lake had fallen to a normal level and water was not trapped inside the city that would otherwise drain out by gravity.
With the mouth of the canal sealed, the sheet piling prevents lake water from getting to the levee breach. Since no additional water can get through the breach it is no longer necessary to seal the breach itself. The next step is to get existing pumps working, and to bring in additional pumps to drain the surrounding city and the canal. Once the canal is drained permanent repairs will be made to the levee.
With the 17th street canal sealed against further flooding, the priority effort is to seal the London Street canal and other areas where gravity drainage is no longer possible.
Five pumps ordered yesterday are being delivered piecemeal to a staging area in St. Rose, where they will be partially assembled and deployed to the 17th Street Canal and London Avenue Canal for final assembly and startup. The first of the deliveries was yesterday afternoon, and the remainder were expected throughout the night and into today.
Four more pumps are being loaned to the Corps by St. Charles Parish and have been deployed to the 17th Street Canal for final assembly.
Arrangements have also been made to acquire two large mobile generators to power the pumps at Pump Stations #6 on the 17th Street Canal and Pump Station #7 on the Orleans Avenue Canal.
Navigation Status
The Corps of Engineers is working to arrange the salvage of two objects found in the bar channel at the mouth of Southwest Pass of the Mississippi River. Southwest Pass is the channel used by ocean-going ships. The bar channel is a navigation passage dredged in open water of otherwise insufficient depth.
The obstructions have not been identified. Fortunately they are more than 40 feet beneath the surface. This depth means that river traffic may continue at the current restrictions, which permit only vessels drawing 35 feet of water or less.
The obstructions were found by a survey vessel of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The obstructions are located a little more than one-half mile from the end of the Southwest Pass jetty.

[Dick Pache]

05 September 2005


Up-date on the New Orleans Flood Fight
Vicksburg, MS., 5 September 2005 – Positive news reported overnight on the work by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in closing off the breaches at the 17th Street Canal, London Canal and IHC.
“The primary focus today is to assess the pumps within the city and to work to get some of those started today,” said Greg Breerwood, deputy district engineer for Project Management, managing the flood fight from the New Orleans emergency operation center located in Vicksburg, MS. “We’ll want to start those pumps slowly to watch the impacts on the system, trying to ensure no damage as the system begins to sustain the increase in flow.”
Over the last several days, water has continued to flow slowly out of the city aiding in the flood fight; however access to several of the sights have required the Corps and its contractors to overcome major hurdles. Progress has been sufficient to allow the contractors to be in position to completely close the breach at 17th Street, and the breach at the London Street Canal has been completely closed.
“We also made breaches in the St. Bernard and Plaquermines Parrishes to assist in lowering water levels in those neighborhoods,” Breerwood said. We are also moving additional pumps into the area to start the un-watering mission of the city. Safety and Caution will be the focus today to ensure we limit the risk of further damage.
“It’s a mission we are looking forward to getting underway.”
There still remains the challenge of raising the bridges over the Industrial Canal to commence waterborne operations, but we have several barges inhibiting that work. Security and safety of the contractor workforce is a major concern as well as civil unrest prohibited the crews from remaining in the area.
Navigation along the Mississippi River has also been opened to vessels under 39-foot draft.

The current information is:

Un-watering of the City:

17th Street Canal – Dropped over 200 Blackhawk and Chinook sand bags. Approximately 125 sandbags have broken the surface of the water. Staged 3 ea 42” mobile pumps and placed 2 ea 42” and 2 ea 30” pumps at the sheet pile closure. Sewer & water board, electric utility and 249th Prime Power Engineer Battalion completing pump house inspection.

London Avenue Canal – mouth of canal is closed except for gap left to allow reverse flow. Contractor validated an approach route to the 17th street bridge for access. Will start 24 hour op in Mirabeau Bridge breach using sand bags dropped from Chinooks.

KATRINA
2-2-2

Pumps -
a. St. Charles-- All pumps are Green
b. St. Bernard Parish – 5 pump stations are operable, 2 are demolished, 1 undetermined.
c. Plaquemines Parish – Once pumping station is pumping.
d. Orleans Parish – Coordinating with Orleans Sewer and Water Board to determine status.

Plaquemines Parish – First mechanical breach of a levee was done today at Bohemia (mile 45 MS River) on the lower east bank. Breach is 35 feet wide, expanding to 200 feet. Six feet of flood water is trapped inside levee is now draining out. The Memphis District Grading Unit Reached Mississippi River Mile 60 preparing for a second breach.

Mississippi River Gulf Outlet Canal – Contractor arrived at MRGO to perform breach along the Hurricane Protection Levee. Ground inspection showed only 1 foot of head difference so no breaches are needed along the MRGO.

Chalmette – Contractor mobilized marsh buggies to reach along the Verette Return Levee Canal. Contractor is preparing to breach approximately 200 feet of levee in each location.

New Orleans East – Reconnaissance of two sections of hurricane protection levee showed one foot difference of interior and exterior water elevations so no breaches will be required. The Levee Board reports all 30\" drainage sluice gates are open and operational.

Questions regarding this news release can be referred to the Mississippi Valley Division Emergency Media Operations Center at 601-631-7979 or 5856.

-30-

[Dick Pache]

Today’s Corps’ efforts – Sep. 5, 2005 ???
Vicksburg, Miss., Sept. 5, 2005 - - The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mississippi Valley Division, is spearheading the Corps’ Task Force Hope, the Corps’ response and recovery efforts for hurricane Katrina. The Corps’ Brig. Gen. Robert Crear is the Task Force Hope commander.
The Corps is providing relief and response support under four primary authorities:
1. Support to FEMA as the lead agency for FEMA’s Emergency Support Function #3 in accordance with the National Response Plan.
2. Flood fighting under Corps authorities with Public Law 84-99.
3. Restoring and maintaining inland waterway and deep draft port navigation.
4. Preparing to support the Joint Task Force Katrina.

Support to FEMA. The Corps is executing missions in the areas of: ice and water delivery to regional warehouses, emergency power assessment and generation; debris removal; emergency roofing repair; temporary housing, and un-watering of the city of New Orleans.

The total value of mission assignments to date is more than $2.5 million. A total of 885 Corps military and civilian personnel are in support of FEMA missions. To date, the Corps has provided 3,009,600 liters of water and 81,440,000 pounds of ice.

The Corps’ 249th Engineer Battalion (Prime Power) has 43 soldiers deployed and has completed 153 required assessments and is currently working 215 required assessments. This has resulting in a need for 54 generators, 17 of which have been confirmed installed.

Flood Fighting - The Corps is in the process of assisting the levee boards and the City of New Orleans in repair of breaches in the flood protection system in the City of New Orleans. Five of the 13 sub-basins in New Orleans have significant flooding. Flooding is from a combination of levee breaching, levee overtopping, and failure of storm pumps.

Status of breaches: The sheet piling closure is completed at the 17th Street Canal less a 40 foot gap for drainage and pumping. Closure operations continue at the 400 foot breach site with approximately 60 feet remaining with completion anticipated on Sep. 5.

London Ave - Breach 1 of 600 feet – a partial survey has been completed. The London Ave – Breach 2 of 350 feet) – sand bagging operations began on Sep. 4. Estimates are for approximately 30 days to accomplish closure via air-delivered sandbags. The proposed alternative is to close using sheet piling as with 17th Street Canal.

The rock closure work at Lake Pontchartrain is to be draped with geo-textile fabric to reduce permeability. A number of deliberate breaches were initiated on Sep. 4 in New Orleans Parish and Plaquemines Parish to begin un-watering. Contractors are mobilizing to continue deliberate breaching and begin pumping operations.

Navigation - The Corps, in conjunction with the Coast Guard, is performing surveys of deep draft ports and the inland navigation system in the Gulf Coast area. The Lower Mississippi River is limited to daylight only 39 foot draft. The Gulf Intracostal Waterway is closed for 70 miles east of Harvey Lock. The Inner-Harbor Navigation Canal is closed due to obstruction.

Baptiste Collette Channel: Awaiting placement of aids to navigation before the Coast Guard opens the channel. The Corps’ Dredge Jadwin is dredging the Baptiste Collette Channel to 16-foot, but the channel can support most barge traffic currently. The Dredge Jadwin is also supporting survey efforts in the area.

The Corps is surveying Port Fuorchon, a strategic offshore oil support port. Port Fourchon sustained significant damage. Numerous sunken vessels were reported to be in and adjacent to the channel.

Support to JTF Katrina: The Corps’ Brig. Gen. Bruce Berwick is in place and has begun coordination with all elements.

The Corps’ significant activities in the next 24 hours: Sep. 6, 2005
Support to FEMA: The Corps will continue planning for integration of its national ice procurement mission with the Department of Defense logistics tasking from FEMA. Supply of water is the priority.

The Corps will continue generator assessments and installation in Florida, Mississippi and Louisiana. Emphasis will be on critical facilities such as hospitals and pumping stations.

The Corps will continue detailed planning for the Corps’ emergency roofing and debris removal missions. We will continue to support FEMA Housing Task Force in planning for the temporary housing mission and deploying USACE members of the FEMA housing assessment strike force.

Flood Fighting: In conjunction with state and local agencies, the Corps anticipates closure of the 17th Street Canal Breach. 220 large sand bags have been placed in the breach. The Corps will continue to assist state and local agencies in closure of the London Avenue Canal breaches.
The Corps will continue movement of contractor equipment to initiate controlled breaching of levees and pumping of flooded areas to begin un-watering of flooded areas.

Navigation: The Corps will continue to assist the Coast Guard in surveys and initiate dredging as required. Corps’ dredges will initiate dredging of shoal areas, as required. The Corps is planning a mission to dredge Galveston Harbor to allow access for cruise ships to provide housing for displaced personnel.

Support to JTF Katrina - The Corps will continue coordination with FEMA and military assets.

The Army Corps of Engineers Public Affairs point-of-contact is John Rickey at 601-631-7979 or cell 601-529-4205.














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Talking Points
Q&A
Q&As on Unwatering New Orleans
Q&A 9-1-05

[Dick Pache]

U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers
News Release
Release No. PA-09-01
For Immediate Release: September 3, 2005
Contact: Connie Gillette: 202-761-1809
Constance.S.Gillette@hq02.usace.army.mil
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Hurricane Relief Support
and Levee Repair
Background Information
The breaches that have occurred on the levees surrounding New Orleans are
located on the 17th Street Canal Levee and London Avenue Canal Levee.
The 17th Street Canal Levees and London Avenue Canal Levees are completed
segments of the Lake Ponchartrain and Vicinity Hurricane Protection
Project. Although other portions of the Lake Ponchartrain project are pending,
these two segments were complete, and no modifications or improvements
to these segments were pending, proposed, or remain unfunded.
Three major pending projects are in various stages of development: two hurricane
protection projects -- the West Bank and Vicinity project and the remaining
portions of the Lake Ponchartrain project, and the Southeast Louisiana flood
damage reduction project.
Even if these three projects in development were completed and in place, they
would not have prevented the breach and the flooding caused by the breach. Like
the levee that was breached, the hurricane protection projects were designed to
withstand forces of a hurricane that has a .5% chance of occurrence in any given
year. This translates to what is now classified as a Category 3 hurricane.
Funding
The Administration's Fiscal Year 2006 budget request for the four main New
Orleans flood control projects [West Bank, Southeast Louisiana, Lake
Ponchartrain, and New Orleans-Venice] was $41.5 million.
The perception of cuts to the Corps budget may come from a misunderstanding of
construction project funding practices or from comparing the Administration's
budget request to the Corps' project capability figures for these four main projects,
which for FY2006 totaled $142.7 million.
Annual project funding is based on a variety of factors, including an analysis of
the work that can be completed in an upcoming year and the work that already has
been completed in a previous year. Funding levels may vary as a project
progresses toward completion. Assumptions that these year-to-year changes
reflect a change in a projects' prioritization or are intended to cha nge the rate of its
progress fail to take into account the broader factors necessary to manage
resources in an organization that is simultaneously completing multiple
construction projects.
Additionally, project capability figures are not budget requests and do not
represent a request by the Corps for funding. Instead, project capability figures
represent the maximum amount of work on a project that the Corps estimates
could be accomplished in a given year, assuming an unlimited supply of
resources--financial, manpower, equipment, and construction materials.
Project capability amounts are rarely funded. If full capability funding were
provided for every project in a given year, it would be very difficult to complete
all the work because it would likely not be possible to secure sufficient Corps or
contractor personnel to construct all projects at the same time. The same holds
true for specific regions of the country. If full capability funding were provided
for every project in the same region or locality, completing all the work would be
very difficult given the significant strain this would place on existing contracting,
staffing, equipment and material resources.
[Quotes below are from Lt. Gen. Carl Strock, Commander of the U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers, and Chief of Engineers, and are excerpted from his remarks during
a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Special Briefing for the media via conference
call on Thursday, September 1, 2005 at 1 p.m. EDT. A full transcript is available
from the Public Affairs Office at (202) 761-0011.]
There have been suggestions that inadequate funding for levee projects
delayed their completion and resulted in the flooding of New Orleans.
GEN. STROCK: "In fact, the levee failures we saw were in areas of the projects
that were at their full project design... So that part of the project was in place, and
had this project been fully complete ... [West Bank, Southeast Louisiana, and
Lake Ponchartrain] it's my opinion, based on the intensity of this storm, that the
flooding of the Central Business District and the French Quarter would still have
occurred. So I do not see that the level of funding is really a contributing factor in
this case."
There have also been suggestions that the Corps of Engineers was unable to
fully fund flood control needs in New Orleans or elsewhere because funding
was diverted to the Global War on Terror.
GEN. STROCK: "Let me also address the issue of the general impact of the war
in Iraq on civil works funding. We've seen some suggestions that our budget has
been affected by the war. I can also say that I do not see that to be the case. If
you look at the historical levels of funding for the Corps of Engineers from the
pre-war levels back to 1992, '91, before we actually got into this, you'll see that
the level of funding has been fairly stable throughout that period. So I think we
would see that our funding levels would have dropped off if that were the case; so
I do not see that as an issue that is relevant to the discussion of the flood
protection of the City of New Orleans."
Finally, some believe that New Orleans flooded because there were
inadequate coastal wetlands in Southern Louisiana to absorb the storm
surge.
GEN. STROCK: "Again, my assessment in this case is that any loss of wetlands
in the barrier islands associated with those processes did not have a significant
impact on this event. I say this because the storm track took it east of the City of
New Orleans, and most of those barrier islands and marshlands are located to the
south and west of the city; so the storm did not track through that direction
anyway, and I don't think that that was a contributing factor in the situation."
-30-

[Dick Pache]

06 September 2005


Mississippi port facilities and navigation channels approach operational status
Mobile, Alabama—Coastal port facilities in Mississippi are nearing operational status as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Coast Guard, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and U.S. Navy have worked to clear and survey all channels.

“We have surveyed all the channels to Mississippi’s major coastal ports since Hurricane Katrina hit the coast,” said Patrick Robbins, Public Affairs Officer, Mobile District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. “We anticipate the Pascagoula and Gulfport channels to be open to deep draft vessels within the next two days.”

The Pascagoula ship channels are cleared to a depth of 36-feet and Bayou Casotte to 41-feet. Gulfport Harbor is now cleared to 30-feet and Biloxi Harbor from 9-feet in the lateral channel to 12-feet in the east access channel. The Back Bay of Biloxi has a controlling depth of 12-feet.

“The U.S. Coast Guard is working extremely hard to replace all the Aids to Navigation that were destroyed during the hurricane,” continued Robbins. “They anticipate having everything back in usable order within the next 48-hours. While depths are available, the aids are required for safe passage.”

2-2-2-2 Mississippi port facilities and navigation channel approach operational status
To meet emergency requirements, the Coast Guard is providing assistance to emergency vessels coming to Pascagoula Harbor until the aids have been replaced.

[Dick Pache]

07 September 2005


Corps of Engineers’ update to Hurricane Katrina response
VICKSBURG, MISS. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ main priorities in responding to Hurricane Katrina continues to be saving lives, sustaining lives and beginning the recovery process.

Today, the agency continues the process of un-watering the city of New Orleans and is providing essential services to the citizens of Louisiana and Mississippi.

In New Orleans, on the morning of Sept. 7, approximately 60 percent of the city is still under water. Three pumps are now operating at the 17th Street Canal and are discharging water at around 2,250 cubic feet per second, or cfs.
Pump station 19 at the Industrial Canal, just north of Florida Avenue, is currently pumping 1,300 cfs. An additional generator is to arrive today that will allow the Corps to activate another pump at this location and remove an additional 1,000 cfs. Pump station 8, located in St. Bernard Parish in the vicinity of St. Mary, is running at full capacity at 837 cfs.

Several small pumps throughout the city are also now online, and the Corps anticipates bringing more online as the week progresses.
Blackhawk helicopters continue to deliver 7,000 pound sandbags to London Avenue. Sandbagging operations continue 24 hours a day.

Corps’ personnel are also supporting the recovery efforts of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA. Their missions include providing water, ice, emergency power and temporary roofing and housing, as well as removing debris and providing technical assistance.

In Louisiana, the Corps has delivered more than 724 trucks of ice and 1,083 trucks of water. The agency is currently clearing US-90 to allow emergency vehicles better access into the area. Operation Blue Roof, which includes providing temporary roofing for homeowners, will begin today in Slidell, La.

In Mississippi, the Corps has delivered more than 669 trucks of ice and 349 trucks of water. Debris removal began earlier this week. Operation Blue Roof began yesterday in Harrison and Pearl River counties. Generators have been delivered to hospitals and other emergency response facilities.

Specially-trained Corps’ disaster teams from all over the country are assisting in the planning effort to build temporary housing sites for up to 50,000 hurricane evacuees from both states.
The Mississippi River is now open during daylight hours to shallow draft traffic and deep draft vessels less than 39 feet. A contractor is currently removing obstacles in the Southwest Pass, which is restricting deep draft navigation.

The Army Corps of Engineers, in support of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, provides disaster response assistance to the nation, working in concert with 30 federal departments, as well as, state and local governments.

[Dick Pache]

Navigation Update
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Status of navigation conditions resulting from Hurricane Katrina
8 September 2005
Mississippi Valley Division
The Mississippi River is open to shallow draft traffic and to deep draft vessels to 39 -foot draft - daylight only - until AToN has been fully re-established. Survey indicates some shoaling in SW Pass. Allowable draft will not be increased until obstructions are removed and adequate AToNs are in place. USCG estimate for AToN repair/replacement is 7-10 days. Contractor removing obstacles in SW Pass at this time. No schedule at this time.
The Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW) is open Texas to Florida using Baptiste Collette, as an alternative to the IHNC. The GIWW reach from Baptiste Collette to Pascagoula is limited to 9.5' draft, versus the 12' authorized. Caution is recommended for transit.
Harvey Lock is operating. Algiers Lock is operating. Downed powerline by Algiers has been removed. There is a 40' height restriction at Belle Chase Hwy Bridge, since it cannot be raised yet. Inner Harbor Navigation Canal (IHNC) Lock is operational but not operating due to bridge closures and sunken barges. A contractor is removing sunken vessels and restoring bridge operation. Significant levee repairs and clearing of debris is required before this route will be opened to traffic. Anticipate a 6-9 day delay in use of the IHNC. Dredge Hurley is providing fuel and support to Harvey, Algiers and IHNC locks.
Mississippi River Gulf Outlet is closed to deep draft vessels. Inland portion will serve as an alternative route to GIWW due to closure of IHNC for shallow draft vessels. Preliminary surveys indicate depths less than 30'.
Port Fourchon sustained significant damage, but is operating to a limited extent. Sunken vessels are not blocking the channel.
Corps preliminary surveys are underway for Atchafalaya, Houma, and other channels. NOAA is continuing its surveys of the Mississippi River to verify Corps centerline survey results.
Tiger Pass is shoaled to less than 6'. This channel, authorized to 14' provides a shorter route for vessels traveling to the west from the Mississippi River near the mouth. Primarily used by fishing and supply vessels.
More info at http://www.usace.army.mil/navigation.html

[Dick Pache]

Corps Points!
US Army Corps of Engineers, Public Affairs Office 7 Sep 05
A weekly compendium of facts and talking points to help tell the Corps story
Hurricane Katrina
Information is current as of 7 September2005
The Overall Mission
We are working in support of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
The three priorities for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are:
First, supporting efforts to save lives and find people;
Second, sustaining lives (water and shelter), and,
Third, setting conditions for recovery (cleaning up and restoring infrastructure, and navigation).
More than 1,000 Corps employees are on the ground actively engaged in supporting FEMA missions as well as those missions under our own authorities and, many more Corps employees are engaged from their own duty locations. We also have many contractors and retired military officers -- including a World War II veteran -- and more than 500 Corps civilian retirees who have volunteered to return to services. Industry partners have flooded us with offers to help, as well as multiple stakeholder groups in navigation, flood and storm water management, construction, and engineering, and federal partners like the Bureau of Land Management have offered to join us, just as they did during the Florida hurricanes last year.
We are on the ground and working in the following areas:
Ice mission: 4,676 trucks of ice (187,040,000 pounds) are under contract. In the past 24 hours, 640,000 pounds of ice were distributed.
Emergency power mission: The power planning and response team is mobilizing to a new station area in Hammond. Assessments are being performed at New Orleans Airport, the Navy Yard, New Orleans Convention Center, and several more.
The 249th Engineer Battalion (Prime Power) is working on 5.2 megawatt generators for pumping plants to un-water New Orleans.
Water mission: 474 trucks (10,238,400 liters) of bottled water have been delivered to the staging area, and 518,400 liters distributed.
Temporary roofing mission: So far the temporary roofing planning and response team has been activated, roofing teams have arrived from Baton Rouge, and the team is determining warehouse sites for material storage.
Temporary housing: The Temporary Housing planning and response team has activated and deployed. There are no housing taskers yet. The Memphis District team is working on a Catastrophic Housing Plan for 50,000 Mississippi citizens. Debris mission: The planning and response team is scoping activities for the debris mission.
Deployable Tactical Operations Center (DTOC): One DTOC facility is operating at the Port Allen Lock, and one is at Camp Beauregard.
Quarter Boat Mission: Quarter boats to provide lodging and work space for emergency responders have arrived at Port Allen Lock.
Unwatering Mission: The mission is to assist the State of Louisiana by performing or contracting for un-watering New Orleans and the greater metropolitan area. So far $50 million has been provided for this mission with three contracts awarded.
The Corps also has made great progress in the levee repair and un-watering operations in New Orleans. The 17th Street Canal Breach has been closed, except for a 40-foot opening in the middle of the outflow wall to allow the pumping station to come online. Estimates about how long it will take to get the water out of New Orleans are very difficult because conditions are changing daily. As more power is restored, more pump stations become operational, and as temporary pumps are placed, we get closer to making the city dry again. As of 6 p.m. 7 Sep 23 pumps were operational.
Right now our best estimates range from 24 to 80 days for getting water out of the city, but there is no way to predict timeframes for when specific areas will be dry. We want to be very careful about giving timeframes because we know there are many people, including employees of our New Orleans District, who want to know when they can return to their homes and businesses.
Another related concern is about the quality of water being moved from New Orleans to Lake Ponchartrain. However, our first priority remains the health and safety of residents and responders as we get the water out of the city. We have received approval from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to move these waters, which are being tested and monitored. As we drain the water, we anticipate that there will be some times when we may ended to take additional measures, and we are working that right now as well.
Reconstitution of New Orleans District: Our first concern is to account for all of the New Orleans District personnel. We have confirmed the whereabouts of about 92 percent of our employees and are waiting for the remaining folks to make contact. We are continuing to develop Reconstitution Plans for the district. Several options for reconstituting the district are under consideration, including delegating the district’s functions to other districts until the district comes back online. New Orleans District employees are on excused absence and should continue to update contact information and notify the district of their availability for work in other geographic locations. The CEMVN Web page at http://www.mvn.usace.army.mil/is being updated daily.
The Office of Personnel Management has established a program for those federal employees who wish to donate annual leave to other employees so federal employees hit by Hurricane Katrina can get time off from work without having to use their own paid leave, or to have extra leave it they use up their own leave. Use this form: http://www.opm.gov.forms/pdf_fill/opm1638.pdf and submit to your human resources office.
Employees who are interested in donating money for Corps employees affected by Hurricane Katrina will be able to do so through an agreement that is being set up with the Federal Employee Education and Assistance Fund. More details will follow.
Message from the Chief: "Despite their personal losses and hardships, the New Orleans District and Mississippi Valley Division team summoned the courage and commitment to focus on the needs of others in spite of their personal losses and hardships. I have absolute confidence in our team. We are doing the right things in the right ways," said Lt. Gen. Carl A. Strock, Chief of Engineers.
Please forward comments or suggested topics to Public Affairs at
(202) 761-1801, e-mail George.E.Halford@HQ02.usace.army.mil
http://www.hq.usace.army.mil/cepa/corps ... points.htm

[Dick Pache]

46 page briefing and media questions from 9-8-05


http://www.usace.army.mil/transcripts/rndtble0908.pdf

[soonertwister]

I've been following the work of a blogger who is experienced in the area of flood control engineering and operations, and who has other friends he can consult regarding the events that occurred before and during the flooding.

He has a theory that it is possible that the CoE, in their understandable desire to remove water as fast as possible from the city, might have pumped too much water too fast into the 17th Street Canal, causing a surge in that narrow corridor which was actually the cause of breaching there. Recorded indications seem to show that the maximum lake level was roughly 3-1/2 below the top of the levee in the area of the big breach that was most responsible for the flooding in the city.

Somebody familiar with the numbers involved here in terms of the volume of water pumped - and the largest pumps in the country pump into that canal - think that the water surge from pumping easily could have raised the level by at least 3 feet.

And the explanation that the overtopping caused the base of the levee to be eroded needs to be examined closely. It appears that the new levee improvement, which was recent in the breach area originally thought to be the only breach, consisted of a vertical concrete wall about two feet think, with earth graded in a slope to within a couple of feet at the top, and planted with grass. If this was indeed the construction, it seems a rather shoddy method of creating a reliable barrier to flooding of the city.

Another statement to consider is the assertion that a runaway barge collapsed part of the levee after repeatedly bashing the levee until it collapsed. But the canal is question was designed solely for flood control operations and not navigation, and it should not have been possible for a barge to be there.

The city claimed that the barge settled on the land side of the levee after it broke. Has anyone seen a single picture, from land or air, of a barge in a flooded neighborhood of New Orleans? I haven't seen one. You would think that the media could not pass up on an opportunity to publicize such an unusual spectacle.

The city says it's there, and presumably there's no way it could have been removed already, so where is it?

I have an acute sense of smell for fishy stories like that...

We are going to find out a lot of things we don't want to hear, I'm afraid. The fact is, even as designed the levees should have held even with the minor overtopping that occurred in the lowest levels. But there were multiple breaches due to levee failure. Why? Were shortcuts taken in order to maximize profit and fatten the wallets of corrupt politicians and connected contractors? Is New Orleans reknowned for rampart corruption?

We'll eventually know the answers, but I'm not sure that I really want to hear what we are going to find.

[huricanwatcher]

A very hearty THANKYOU to D. Pache for providing this very interesting information...

[soonertwister]

I'll second that, hurricanwatcher. These posts have been invaluable, from the very least letting us know the huge federal involvement in getting things back to normal in the areas of navigation and de-watering. And it shows that bureaucracy does work, in spite of the attacks against it.

So a second thanks comes from me.

[LSU2001]

Hey sooner, According to that long Q and A session some people actually knew about the breach monday around mid-day. If that timeline verifies sombody has some very long explanations to give. I remember during the storm, reports on Local TV saying that the 17th street canal had been breached That was on monday. Late monday the reports were that the initial report of a breach were not true and then tuesday morning the breach was confirmed. Sounds like another case of poor communication.
TIm

[jimbo]

A very hearty THANKYOU to D. Pache for providing this very interesting information...

Took the words right outta my mouth. Some sanity in an insane tine....

Jimbo

[Dick Pache]

08 September 2005


Corps of Engineers’ update to Hurricane Katrina response
VICKSBURG, MISS. – More than 1,000 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ employees are on the ground and actively engaged in Hurricane Katrina recovery efforts.

They are supporting efforts to save and sustain lives by pumping water out of New Orleans and by supporting the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA.

In the last 24 hours, the Corps has provided more than 817,000 pounds of ice and more than 500,000 liters of water to the citizens of Louisiana and Mississippi. Our disaster missions that provide temporary roofing, temporary housing and power, as well as removing debris, are all underway and successfully operating in both states.

As power is being restored to the city of New Orleans, the Corps is bringing more pumps online. As of noon today, approximately 28 pumps in New Orleans are now operational, extracting nearly 9,000 cubic feet per second, or cfs, of water out of the city. Another nine pumps are operational in the Plaquemines Parish, extracting nearly 1,400 additional cubic feet per second. As of this morning, Sept. 8, 60 percent of the city is still under water.

The Corps expects to close two breaches at the London Avenue Canal within 24 hours. Employees and contractors are temporarily using sandbags to close these holes. As soon as this is finished, the Corps will use portable pumps to remove water there.
Engineers found two breaches on the east side of the Inner Harbor Navigational Canal and one on its west side. They closed the larger of the two breaches on the east side yesterday and are filling the smaller of the two breaches with clay and stone today. Work will begin on the west side as soon as feasible.

The Corps is concerned with the quality of the water being moved from New Orleans to Lake Ponchartrain, but our first priority is the health and safety of residents and emergency responders in New Orleans. We are working with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as we drain the water.

The Army Corps of Engineers, in support of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, provides disaster response assistance to the nation, working in concert with 30 federal departments, as well as, state and local governments.

[soonertwister]

lsu, the most reliable scoop I've heard is that at least some people in government were aware of the breach in the 17th Street Canal at 9 am Monday morning, before Katrina had even passed the city.

The city sat on the info forever, and as more and more stories of overtopping or possible breaches (most of these were completely true) were reported, the city kept saying that flooding was minimal with some minor flooding of low-lying areas. It wasn't until Wednesday morning that the city finally admitted that the city would flood to lake level, and that was only after they finally admitted the attempt to plug the 17th Street breach was abandoned. And this was almost two days after not just one, but multiple breaches in the levees. We still don't have an adequate number on exactly how many there were.

In at least one case there was a probable five hour gap between a levee collapse and the first warning trasmitted to residents, not by bullhorns on the streets, but by reporting to the media. Since virtually no one in those flooded areas had power, how was it that they were supposed to know to evacuate before the whole area became six feet or worse under water?

And I can't wait for the first photo to surface in the media of the barge stuck in a residential neighborhood after it bashed in a levee. Everyone keeps talking about it, do they think the questions about the barge are going to vanish into the Bermuda Triangle?

I can't wait for the excuses on that one.

[Dick Pache]

09 September 2005


Corps of Engineers’ update to Hurricane Katrina response
VICKSBURG, MISS. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports it is making great progress in removing the flood waters from New Orleans.

As of noon today, 32 of 148 existing pumps in New Orleans proper are operating, pumping 11,282 cubic feet per second, or cfs, and 38 portable pumps are operating, pumping 734 cfs. In addition, 9 of 26 existing pumps in Plaquemines Parish reported operating at 1,360 cfs.

Several factors have led the agency to revise its original estimates for un-watering the stricken area. Among them are beneficial weather with no significant rainfall; strong easterly winds that have allowed lake levels to recede lower than expected; the development of deliberate un-watering breaches or “notches” which are draining the Chalmette area and Plaquemines Parish area better than expected; and the ability to acquire more pump capacity for the New Orleans East area than originally projected.

The new estimates dates to the complete the draining are as follows:
New Orleans: October 2
New Orleans East: October 8
Chalmette: October 8
Plaquemines East: October 18
Plaquemines West: October 18
These estimates are based on normal seasonal rainfall.

The Army Corps of Engineers, in support of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, provides disaster response assistance to the nation, working in concert with 30 federal departments, as well as, state and local governments.

[Dick Pache]

Q&A link 48 pages for Friday 9-9-05

http://www.usace.army.mil/transcripts/rndtble0909.doc

[Dick Pache]

levees maps now on Corps web site. Scroll to bottom (6MB)

http://www.mvd.usace.army.mil/hurricane/chr.php

[Dick Pache]

10 September 2005


New Orleans Corps’ District Announces Next Steps
New Orleans, LA – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers New Orleans District today announced the next step in its roll in the FEMA-led recovery fight in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

“We’re shoulder to shoulder with the brave people of New Orleans and Southeast Louisiana for the long haul,” District Commander Col. Richard P. Wagenaar told district employees.

An essential first step in that massive process will be reconstituting the 1200-person work force of the district.

“I must begin to focus my efforts on getting the New Orleans District team back together and postured both for the immediate fight and for the long haul ahead. I must reassemble these people.

“Many have reported in to other Corps of Engineers facilities or phoned from family sites and refuges scattered across the region and indeed the nation,” he said. A large number have suffered just as have their neighbors” Wagenaar went on. “Many simply don’t have a home to come back to now, but I desperately want them back,” the colonel added.
To enable him to accomplish this, the Corps is adding personnel from other districts to the mission in New Orleans.

“My good friend and colleague Col. Duane Gapinski has arrived from the Rock Island District in Illinois. He’s going to jump into the unwatering element of the overall mission – using the same people who have worked this fight since the hurricane struck – so I can get on with the long term ability of this district to give 110 percent to the city, the region and the state,” Col. Wagenaar said. “We have already coordinated how we will do this.”

The Corps of Engineers has well developed processes to deal with crises and disasters. “I can call on expertise from throughout the Mississippi Valley Division,” Wagenaar said. “Brig. Gen. Robert Crear, our division commander has already sent me more than 100 people and the entire Corps has descended on other districts that are fighting the disaster in our neighbor states of Mississippi and Alabama. We’re getting what we need to win this fight.”
The New Orleans District is engaged in other traditional Corps’ efforts. A group of financial managers has reported to St. Louis to close out the books for Fiscal Year 2005 and to posture district money resources for 2006.

Other work including the civil works challenges of rebuilding the flood walls and their elements is being conducted by the St. Louis District on a parallel track to ensure that the planning necessary for that is going ahead.

“As the water is starting to come down, momentum is going up,” Col. Wagenaar said.

“There are a million reasons why New Orleans has for decades been one of the great cities of our nation and the world,” Col. Wagenaar said. “My team and I are absolutely committed to being here to add our energy to ensuring that it will be again.
“The Corps motto is appropriately a French word: ‘Essayons.’ It means, ‘Let us Try.’ But I pledge to the employees of this district and to the people we serve here, that we’re going to go one better than that. Together we are going to prevail over our shared adversities. We’re all coming back, together,” he affirmed.
The Army Corps of Engineers, in support of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, provides disaster response assistance to the nation, working in concert with 30 federal departments, as well as, state and local governments.