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09/14/2004 08:27:05 PM · #1 |
An interesting news article about what Ivan could do to NOLA...
GirlGirlGirl and any one else who calls New Orleans home... hope you guys stay safe and that your beloved city doesn't get ruined! |
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09/14/2004 08:52:41 PM · #2 |
That article is basically correct that any major storm --even big thunderstorms-- will do flooding damage in New Orleans. But New Orleans has accounted for the fact that it sits below sea level by installing pumps in all of its sewage systems that remove the water from the streets and sewage systems. For that reason, I can't imagine that a hurricane would leave the streets flooded for weeks. The longest I've ever seen floodwater last was about 3 days. Of course, if the hurricane were to damage that pumping system...
I think the biggest danger is actually the drainage system fom farther north up the Mississippi River to dump excess water into the Atchafalaya Basin. If that drainage system were to become overwhelmed, the course of the Mississippi River would re-route and stop flowing through New Orleans, which has happened countless times over the past million years. Wouldn't that be fun? ;-)
Message edited by author 2004-09-14 20:54:30.
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09/14/2004 10:47:04 PM · #3 |
| You guys on the east coast are in my prayers. |
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09/15/2004 12:25:05 AM · #4 |
Originally posted by PhilipDyer:
That article is basically correct that any major storm --even big thunderstorms-- will do flooding damage in New Orleans. But New Orleans has accounted for the fact that it sits below sea level by installing pumps in all of its sewage systems that remove the water from the streets and sewage systems. For that reason, I can't imagine that a hurricane would leave the streets flooded for weeks. The longest I've ever seen floodwater last was about 3 days. Of course, if the hurricane were to damage that pumping system...
I think the biggest danger is actually the drainage system fom farther north up the Mississippi River to dump excess water into the Atchafalaya Basin. If that drainage system were to become overwhelmed, the course of the Mississippi River would re-route and stop flowing through New Orleans, which has happened countless times over the past million years. Wouldn't that be fun? ;-) |
A recent study (in 2000, I believe) showed that due to erosion of the surrounding wetlands, the Levee Protection System would fail if a Category 4 or 5 hurricant (or even a slow-moving Category 3 hurricane) were to track through Lake Pontchartrain. Since such a track would place New Orleans to the north and west of the storm (the area with the highest storm surges), the storm surge could easily exceed the height of the levees and produce devastating flooding (several stories deep) that would render the existing levee and drainage systems useless.
Several articles on this can be found in this Google search.
-Terry
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09/15/2004 04:55:03 AM · #5 |
I have lived through several hurricanes in New Orleans and have no doubt that this one could be catastrophic. I just have trouble with the part about the water remaining that deep for several weeks. Even if the levee system failed completely, the water level would recede on its own in a matter of days.
Also, if the levees fail, the storm surge plus rainfall would determine exactly how high the flooding would be. I think the projected storm surge is about 13 feet right now. That makes it theoretically possible to have flooding of just over 1 story deep, but I think "several stories deep" is a bit of an extreme prediction. Maybe it's just denial and wishful thinking. :-)
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09/15/2004 07:10:12 AM · #6 |
The problem with the pumps is if flooding taking place to that extreme there would be no electricity to run the pumps.
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09/16/2004 02:04:11 PM · #7 |
| Ahhh...new orleans survives again! I have no idea what I would do if my city were destroyed. There is no other place in the states that I want to live. I am in dallas...a 9 hour drive became a 23 hour drive. My feet were numb by the time i arrived! All hotels were booked...dallas and memphis were the closest locations to flee. I have family here so taking it easy with a forced vacation. And dreading the drive back! :) |
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09/16/2004 03:36:20 PM · #8 |
Gordon, LaurielBlack and I will be at the Plano balloonfest on Saturday evening. If you're in North Dallas, and up to an outing, look us up!
-danny
Originally posted by grigrigirl:
Ahhh...new orleans survives again! I have no idea what I would do if my city were destroyed. There is no other place in the states that I want to live. I am in dallas...a 9 hour drive became a 23 hour drive. My feet were numb by the time i arrived! All hotels were booked...dallas and memphis were the closest locations to flee. I have family here so taking it easy with a forced vacation. And dreading the drive back! :) |
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09/16/2004 03:39:26 PM · #9 |
Glad to hear your safe. Hope and pray all is well in New Orleans!
It is a beautiful, colourful city. |
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