Mississippi River Flood Area

[RougeDawg]

I would never expect flooding in a floodway.

[Cool Hand Clyde]

Clyde, you dry up there?

This map http://www.srh.noaa.gov/jan/?n=Poten...ood_Inundation assumes the levees will hold, but the majority of this area would be under with a breach in the main levee.

My place is high and dry. 90% of Memphis is ok. River is dropping now.

[Cool Hand Clyde]

obama is a terrible president, and no one could like him less than I do, but, I hope you are kidding thinking that this is his fault. This choice was made by Jindal to open the spillway. Now, if you are holding him accountable like they did Bush for Katrina, I do understand that he has as much fault as Bush did.

The Corp of Engineers opened the gates, not Jindal.

[GatorDawg]

I'm not sure which homes out of the flood plain you are talking about. The entire basin is a flood plain and as you mentioned those gates have only been opened once. The gates are opened and diversion built to save the area from BR to NO. 25K vs. 2/3 of the population of Louisiana. That's a no brainer.

Its easier than that. Not opening the spillway puts the economy of Louisiana at risk if not the US economy. People don't realize that if the Old River Control Structure goes then the river might find a new path away from New Orleans. Think of it this way. If the river shifts then those people won't be worrying about the spillway anymore because the river might then be running through their home.

[Amos Moses]

Its easier than that. Not opening the spillway puts the economy of Louisiana at risk if not the US economy. People don't realize that if the Old River Control Structure goes then the river might find a new path away from New Orleans. Think of it this way. If the river shifts then those people won't be worrying about the spillway anymore because the river might then be running through their home.

It almost went in 1973. The ORCS in Concordia Parish was listed as one of the most important structures in North America.

[Pitcherjlt]

These pictures are of a friends camp on lake Yucatan. One was taken last September, the other last week.

Wow! That is crazy!

[RougeDawg]

It almost went in 1973. The ORCS in Concordia Parish was listed as one of the most important structures in North America.

It should have security around it like Ft. Knox. If that thing blew the Corps would never be able to get the Mississippi back in it's current channel. Morgan City (if it survived) would be the "new" New Orleans.

[DONW]

I'm not sure which homes out of the flood plain you are talking about. The entire basin is a flood plain and as you mentioned those gates have only been opened once. The gates are opened and diversion built to save the area from BR to NO. 25K vs. 2/3 of the population of Louisiana. That's a no brainer.

That was a no-brainer for everbody to get out of New Orleans in 2005 when Katrina hit. They were probably so high that when Katrina hit they thought they were on a mountain instead of 5-10 ft below sea level.

[techman05]

These pictures are of a friends camp on lake Yucatan. One was taken last September, the other last week.

Our place butts up to Yucatan Lake and White Oak. Definitely not good news for us either.

[PawDawg]

If you don't mind clicking TNS link...

http://www.thenewsstar.com/apps/pbcs...espic|umbrella

[Dwayne From Minden]

I am captivated by this flood - having lived in New Sarpy growing up, I remember them opening the flood gates at Bonne Carre when we lived there in 1973....

[dphindawg]

It should have security around it like Ft. Knox. If that thing blew the Corps would never be able to get the Mississippi back in it's current channel. Morgan City (if it survived) would be the "new" New Orleans.

They have people at it 24/7. Your not supposed to stop while crossing the locks. If someone would stop at the sydney murray power plant a guard would come by to see what the deal was.
Whats known as the old river north of Vidalia they do have a problem with people srewing with the weirs(may be misspelled) when the river is low.

[odysseus]

Here's a false-color satellite image of the flooding. The red is vegetation and the blue is water. There is a much larger version with explanation at the link:

http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=50659