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2005-09-22 Home Front: Economy

Experts Say Faulty Levees Caused Much of Flooding

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Posted by Steve White 2005-09-22 00:18|| || Front Page|| [2 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Does anyone else remember the news a couple of weeks ago concerning about 5 gunmen being shot dead by authorities as a result of their shooting at those who were trying to fix the breach? I'm assuming it was this same breach. Was there ever a follow up to that story? If not, why not? I never heard any more about it. I'm not saying there's a connection; just kind of strange in itself and espcially so because I never heard any more about it. Anybody?

Posted by Angeamp Uneamp3391 2005-09-22 01:32|| 2005-09-22 01:32|| Front Page Top

#2 I note that all the levee failures occurred on CANAL levees, not the main Lake levees. The history of drainage of the city led to pumping stations dumping water into canals that over time had their canal-bank levees raised.
Possibilities: geographic space limitations along canal banks (relative to the lakeshore) may have forced steeper (& less stable) levees there, and/or taller concrete seawall caps. Or possibly the storm surge may have been amplified by being forced into the 'slot' shape of a canal, much like the high tides of the Bay of Fundy.
'Inadequate' levees, for sure. 'Faulty' levees - maybe, but certainly not for sure.

Glenmore - evacuated to SW Houston from New Orleans area for Katrina, now re-evacuated to Baton Rouge.

Posted by Glenmore">Glenmore 2005-09-22 10:39|| 2005-09-22 10:39|| Front Page Top

#3 Oh my, Glenmore. Send us a postcard or somethin'!

Posted by Seafarious">Seafarious 2005-09-22 11:37|| 2005-09-22 11:37|| Front Page Top

#4 I notice projections for Rita have now shifted east toward Louisiana, and me. Anybody need some rain? Or some buildings blown down for insurance? Send me an invitation and I'll see if hurricanes continue to follow me.

Posted by Glenmore">Glenmore 2005-09-22 12:01|| 2005-09-22 12:01|| Front Page Top

#5 Try Chicago, though that's be a big one.

Posted by Mrs. Davis 2005-09-22 12:26|| 2005-09-22 12:26|| Front Page Top

#6 I remember the shooters, right before they sent active duty military and SWAT teams in. One reporter sent out on the night patrols with the SWAT teams with nightvision. The next official report on TV just said there were no more incidents after the first 5-6 days. I also heard they were performing autopsies outside as they didn't have power early on, and I wondered why they needed to do autopsies? There were also some glitches over whose responsibility it was to collect bodies after several weeks, so I presume no one was being let into some areas. NO had a lot of violent gangs. I believe deliberately breaching the canals to preserve the historic part was one of the options and perhaps why President Bush called LA and ordered a mandatory evacuation. It may have been a miscalculation on how many poor women, children, and elderly that remained....plenty of ammo for a great conspiracy theory.

Posted by Danielle 2005-09-22 12:27|| 2005-09-22 12:27|| Front Page Top

#7 My money is on shoddy construction.

Why spend all that cash on buiding to spec when we can skimp a little and put some money in our own pockets as well as pay off the city councilmen got us the contract in the first place. A little sand in the concrete won't hurt nuthin'!

Posted by SteveS 2005-09-22 12:59|| 2005-09-22 12:59|| Front Page Top

#8 prolly got their flyash spec from the 3 Gorges Dam book

Posted by Frank G">Frank G 2005-09-22 13:49|| 2005-09-22 13:49|| Front Page Top

#9 Dainelle, there's no way you could save one part of the city from a storm surge coming out of the lake by breaching the canal wall and flooding that part. There's no place for the water to go. Lake Ponchatrain has enough water to fill the entire city several times over.

Posted by Phil Fraering 2005-09-22 19:54|| 2005-09-22 19:54|| Front Page Top

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