My state is going under.......

[Pat]

once, twice, blub, blub, blub. Those swamp/wetlands and low areas that are the Atchafalaya basin are now going under water from Morganza down to Morgan city, to the gulf (north, south) and from Opelousas, Lafayette, new Iberia on the west to Baton Rouge, Donaldsonville, Houma on the east.

27 feet of water over the terrain. I've been on small craft throughout this area and have a special feeling for it. I'm sure things will return but it will be an inland sea for months.

The ecology will be altered for sure, fresh water fish will be deposited in salt water estuaries. The silt will be immense. Maybe it will fill in the eroded coast line. Who knows what will come of it all.

Good luck Cajuns.

[SC Cheesehead]

once, twice, blub, blub, blub. Those swamp/wetlands and low areas that are the Atchafalaya basin are now going under water from Morganza down to Morgan city, to the gulf (north, south) and from Opelousas, Lafayette, new Iberia on the west to Baton Rouge, Donaldsonville, Houma on the east.

27 feet of water over the terrain. I've been on small craft throughout this area and have a special feeling for it. I'm sure things will return but it will be an inland sea for months.

The ecology will be altered for sure, fresh water fish will be deposited in salt water estuaries. The silt will be immense. Maybe it will fill in the eroded coast line. Who knows what will come of it all.

Good luck Cajuns.

What's the situation to the south and east, Pat? Just wondering if Plaquemines Parish is getting nailed?

[Bigdogjim]

I have been watching the flooding for a while and I know the pain it can cause.

My heart and prayers go out to all who have lost home and such.

[Pat]

What's the situation to the south and east, Pat? Just wondering if Plaquemines Parish is getting nailed?


Too early to tell, this next week flood waters will course past New Orleans but how high is uncertain. The Bonnet Carre spill way was opened, it's on the south side of Lake Pontchartrain between the Mississippi River and the lake, just a little up river from New Orleans. That should also help.

Plaquemines Parish borders New Orleans to the south but if flooding occurs in New Orleans then that water will flow over to the parish as a result. To what extent is unknown.

A check with New Orleans newspapers and the Plaquemines Parish Sheriff's office did not reveal any warnings or evacuation orders, almost as if the Mississippi river flowed somewhere else. The Ostrich syndrome?

[F8LBITEva]

I hope you guys stay safe down there and get that car to high ground!

[bigmerc'03]

morgan city is my hometown i remember my younger days there during the spring when the water would rise pretty high enough that they would have to close the sea wall that keeps the river at bay.

[jimlam56]

Pat, hope all is well with you and your family. The Corps of Engineers had a lot to do with your present situation. Sorry to hear about it, but we have screwed up that river system more than we know. Good Luck Sir.

[sailsmen]

To date everything has gone according to plan. In LA most of those who flood from this will be as a result of the plan.
My heart goes out to all who suffered.
Hopefully the flooding is limited to the plan.

[sailsmen]

Per NOLA.Com
KROTZ SPRINGS -- A mandatory evacuation order has been issued for parts of St. Landry Parish, one of the first areas expected to see rising water today from Saturday’s opening of the Morganza Spillway.

Parish President Don Menard issued the order for low-laying areas south of Interstate 10, saying in a news release that “by 5 p.m., everyone in the affected areas MUST BE OUT!”

The order excludes residents whose homes are behind the ring levees in Krotz Springs and Melville.

For the first time since 1973, the Army Corps of Engineers on Saturday afternoon began opening the Morganza Spillway about 45 miles northwest of Baton Rouge to lower near-record water levels on the rain-swollen Mississippi River.

The corps opened one of the structure’s 125 bays, releasing a gusher of about 10,000 cubic feet per second of water into the Atchafalaya River basin.

The flow rate is expected to gradually rise to 125,000 cubic feet per second in the coming days as more gates are opened. Col. Ed Fleming, commander of the corps’ New Orleans district, said one or two more gates were expected to be opened today.

About 25,000 people and 11,000 structures are in harm’s way amid projections of up to 25 feet of flooding in 3,000 square miles of Cajun country from Melville to Morgan City.

Related topics: corps of engineers, mississippi river, mississippi river flooding, morganza spillway

[knine]

My state is going under................financial ly.

[rayjay]

Hope all works out for our brethren in the flood zones. I was quite surprised to learn that parts of NYS are in the watershed that eventually ends up in LA.

[boatmangc]

I grew up in Luling and Boutte. Went to school in Houma, I had good friends there.
Prayers sent.

[Pat]

I'll be OK, our local river, the Red River, is a little above flood stage but we should be able to handle it. New dams and such since 73. May take a road trip and see some of the flooding next weekend.

Wonder how this flooding of the Atachafalaya Basin will affect the TV reality show "Swamp People"? That's were they live.

[CBT]

I'll be OK, our local river, the Red River, is a little above flood stage but we should be able to handle it. New dams and such since 73. May take a road trip and see some of the flooding next weekend.

Wonder how this flooding of the Atachafalaya Basin will affect the TV reality show "Swamp People"? That's were they live.

Saw some commercials for that. Could film a modern day version of Deliverance....

[rayjay]

Saw some commercials for that. Could film a modern day version of Deliverance....

I've watched it, not bad, but there are some POWs on that show. :laugh:

[Shaijack]

Hope everyone is ok. I live in Metaire just 10 minutes from New Orleans and they estimate 20-25' of water where I live if the levees fail. I am between the lake and the river. Things to pack: wife, dog, Marauder, guns and important papers. Get ready for company Rex and Tom.

[bigmerc'03]

i wish you luck i moved from metairie after katrina i lived behind houston's restaurant by east jefferson hospital i've seen that canal come over many of times when they say leave dont think twice about just go

[prchrman]

Question, are they releasing water that will flood some parts just so Baton Rouge and New Orleans do not get hit as hard? Just listening last night to a leader in one of the areas to be flooded by opening gates he was not happy and was calling it wrong that his area got selected to be flooded. Just wondering as I have never heard of this being done.

[rayjay]

I really need to stop complaining about the amount of snow we get. :o

[LeoVampire]

I feel for all of you that seem to have to go through all this flooding so often!

I can not imagine what it is like to worry about loosing everything you have each year when the thaw and rains happen!

I hope all of the members on here manage to fair well through this!

[Dragcity]

No **** Ray. All we gotta do is wait out the cold and move some snow. I would hate to be flooded. Or tornadoed. Or burnt.

[sailsmen]

Question, are they releasing water that will flood some parts just so Baton Rouge and New Orleans do not get hit as hard? Just listening last night to a leader in one of the areas to be flooded by opening gates he was not happy and was calling it wrong that his area got selected to be flooded. Just wondering as I have never heard of this being done.

See my previous post. This plan has been in effect as far back as 1927. They all knew they were buying land and living in a flood basin.

The Corps has gone on record this is not an "Act of God", meaning it is done per the plan.

When you buy property in a flood plain there is no selection, the selection was made before you bought the property. It is like buying property next to an airport and complaining about the planes landing/taking off.

[Vortex]

See my previous post. This plan has been in effect as far back as 1927. They all knew they were buying land and living in a flood basin.

The Corps has gone on record this is not an "Act of God", meaning it is done per the plan.

When you buy property in a flood plain there is no selection, the selection was made before you bought the property. It is like buying property next to an airport and complaining about the planes landing/taking off.

Sailsmen, this has to be a first, I agree with your comments here!

I feel for the folks that live there to be sure but when you live in a floodplain you have to expect sooner or later it will flood. The folks in Louisiana have sure been hammered these last few years, I hope all the best for those affected.

[Shaijack]

Do we blame all this on you northern guys for requesting all the snow this year?? Bigmerc"03 I Know the area well. St Paul, MN is where I went for Katrina. I left for one month and returned to the battle zone. It was the wild wild west here. You carried a weapon on you at all times. I lived out of my truck for months.
Billy is right, this is planned. I do feel for all the folks up river from New Orleans. Water is not fun except when you have a pool to swim in.
The average current on the Mississippi River is 1-3 MPH low river. The average high river current is 10-13 MPH.
For one that has made a great living off of the river it is VERY dangerous now.

[rayjay]

Do we blame all this on you northern guys for requesting all the snow this year??

Believe me, we did not request record snowfall.

[HammerDown]

No **** Ray. All we gotta do is wait out the cold and move some snow. I would hate to be flooded. Or tornadoed. Or burnt.

My thoughts exactly.

Our prayers to all those in flood area.

[Ms. Denmark]

Pat, our thoughts and prayers are with all those whose lives and property are in peril.

[bugsyc]

Let me add my prayers that all goes well for the folks in the basin...Question,the houses and crop lands that get flooded,are the owners compensated by the government???

[Bluerauder]

Question, are they releasing water that will flood some parts just so Baton Rouge and New Orleans do not get hit as hard? Just listening last night to a leader in one of the areas to be flooded by opening gates he was not happy and was calling it wrong that his area got selected to be flooded. Just wondering as I have never heard of this being done.

The Morganza Spillway was built specifically as a flood control structure. It normally, usually sits on dry land. It can only be used when the Mississippi River level rises high enough. The last time this happened was 1973.

When the spillway is flooded, water flow on the Mississippi River is approaching 2500-3000 cubic feet per second. 1500 at Baton Rouge is considered dangerous to the levee system protecting BR and New Orleans. The solution is to bleed off some of that flow and direct it into the Atchafalaya River basin. Morganaza will divert about 600 cfs (with half its gates open) and the ORSA spillway about 30 miles above it will divert about 600 cfs more. That will bring the Mississippi River flow down to a manageble level.

As was said earlier, this is part of the plan. Unfortunately, Morgan City sits at the end of that flow basin. It is a matter of risk.