Wednesday, August 31, 2005
Levee Breech Threatens City
The levee on the 17th St. Canal at Bucktown on the Orleans Parish side threatned to innundate the entire central city, NOLA Mayor Nagin has reported in various outlets. The breech is variously reported as 200-500 feet long, and has flooded all of the lakefront neighborhoods east of the breech to the Marconi/Orleans Canal.
Water was reported to have reached the foot of Tulane Avenue midafternoon.
Efforts were reported all day to seal the breech, but according to the mayor, the promise helicopters from federal sources to place 3,000 sandbags designed for the purpose in place were diverted.
The T-P's NOLA.Com reported efforts were underway again with the large sandbags and jersey barricades as of about 9:00 pm, but other local outlets (WWL and WDSU) contradicted this and indicated there was no means to seal the breach at this time.
According to Nagin on WWL-TV, Pumping Station Six serving the area was innundated and offline, and the water was spreading through the city. The WWL web site also reported that Jefferson Parish officials were saying nine feet of water was expected through the entire east bank by morning.
Water was reported to have reached the foot of Tulane Avenue midafternoon.
Efforts were reported all day to seal the breech, but according to the mayor, the promise helicopters from federal sources to place 3,000 sandbags designed for the purpose in place were diverted.
The T-P's NOLA.Com reported efforts were underway again with the large sandbags and jersey barricades as of about 9:00 pm, but other local outlets (WWL and WDSU) contradicted this and indicated there was no means to seal the breach at this time.
According to Nagin on WWL-TV, Pumping Station Six serving the area was innundated and offline, and the water was spreading through the city. The WWL web site also reported that Jefferson Parish officials were saying nine feet of water was expected through the entire east bank by morning.
"And when we speak we are afraid our words will not be heard nor welcome, but when we are silent we are still afraid. So it is better to speak remembering we were never meant to survive." -- Audie Lorde
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