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  • Louisiana - Morganza Floodway opens to divert Mississippi River away from Baton Rouge, New Orleans

    Corps makes request to open Morganza Spillway

    Reported by: Shelley Brown, Weekend Anchor
    Email: sbrown@fox8tv.net
    Contributor: Jon Turnipseed, Photographer
    Last Update: 5/08 11:51 pm

    The possibility of opening the Morganza Spillway for the first time in nearly 40 years is closer to becoming a reality. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has asked the Mississippi River Commission to open the spillway, Northwest of Baton Rouge, in addition to the Bonnet Carre, to relieve pressure along the river.

    If it's granted, the Corps plans to open the Morganza Thursday. This could create water up to 25-feet deep in spots.

    In Terrebonne Parish, low-lying areas in the Western end are vulnerable to flooding, up to five feet. Parish president Michel Claudet tells FOX 8 he's worried people don't realize what could happen. Claudet says there's a plan to sink a giant barge in Bayou Chene. Essentially, it would serve as a temporary dam to reduce the backflow of water into St. Mary and Terrebonne Parishes. Bayous and creeks are already filling up and public works crews were out, looking for low areas to reinforce.

    Opening the Morganza Spillway would require the evacuation of people and livestock in the Atchafalaya River Basin. About 30 miles Northwest of Baton Rouge, West Feliciana Parish is bracing for the worst. If the Morganza opens, the Corps projects possibly 25-feet of water in some areas.

    More...
    "Safety and security don't just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear."
    -Nelson Mandela

  • #2
    Re: Louisiana - Corps makes request to open Morganza Spillway

    Estimated inundation map:
    http://www.houmatoday.com/assets/pdf/HC2265457.PDF

    ----------------------------------------------
    Flooding could reach 5 feet

    By Daniel McBride
    Staff Writer
    Published: Saturday, May 7, 2011 at 6:01 a.m.
    Last Modified: Saturday, May 7, 2011 at 11:07 p.m.
    ( page of 3 )

    HOUMA ? Nearly all of Terrebonne and part of Lafourche can expect to see up to 5 feet of floodwater if the Morganza Spillway is opened to offset river flooding, federal maps indicate.

    The affected area is larger than initially expected, but local officials say the water will arrive slowly and should not threaten residents' lives.

    ?If their houses are 5 feet or above, based on the indications from the corps, they should be OK,? Terrebonne Parish President Michel Claudet said. ?If you are below a 5-foot elevation, then you potentially could be at risk. ... You should really start taking precautions.?

    The spillway may be opened to ease the pressure on Mississippi River levees. The river is at levels not seen since 1927. But diverting water through Morganza could bring water 5 to 25 feet deep over seven parishes, with some of the deepest waters near St. Francisville west Terrebonne and Morgan City, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

    Lafourche Parish, from Raceland to the Gulf of Mexico, could also be affected.

    More...
    "Safety and security don't just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear."
    -Nelson Mandela

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Louisiana - Corps makes request to open Morganza Spillway

      Crest if the Morganza spillway is opened:

      "Safety and security don't just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear."
      -Nelson Mandela

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Louisiana - Corps makes request to open Morganza Spillway

        Corps working on maps to detail flooding from opening Morganza Spillway to ease pressure on Mississippi River

        Published: Monday, May 09, 2011, 1:33 PM Updated: Monday, May 09, 2011, 2:11 PM

        By Bill Barrow, The Times-Picayune NOLA.com


        BATON ROUGE -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers New Orleans District continues to work with local officials to develop more detailed flooding maps that would detail the likely consequences of opening the Morganza Spillway north of Baton Rouge, a corps official said Monday.
        ...
        The Corps released Morganza inundation maps Friday, but those don't yet include details about how many residences and other structures could be affected in and around the Atchafalaya Basin. Col. Mark D. Jernigan, deputy commander of the New Orleans District, said the corps is leaning on local levee districts and other agencies for those detailed

        "We're working the numbers right now," he said.

        Gov. Bobby Jindal said he expects a decision as son on the Morganza, though Jernigan did not elaborate.

        The Corps' Vicksburg District, meanwhile, has released inundation maps for Vidalia, and the surrounding area of northeast Louisiana near Natchez, Miss., upriver from the Morganza Control Structure.

        Full text:
        "Safety and security don't just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear."
        -Nelson Mandela

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Louisiana - Corps makes request to open Morganza Spillway

          LSU at risk if Morganza Spillway stays closed

          Associated Press - May 9, 2011 6:44 PM ET

          NORCO, La. (AP) - A U.S. Army Corps of Engineers official says LSU and other infrastructure south of Baton Rouge would be flooded if the Morganza Spillway isn't opened to divert water from the Mississippi River.

          Maj. Gen. Michael J. Walsh - president of the Mississippi River Commission and commander of the Vicksburg, Miss.-based division of the Corps - told lawmakers Monday that the Corps likely will open Morganza sometime between Saturday and Tuesday.

          More...
          "Safety and security don't just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear."
          -Nelson Mandela

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Louisiana - Corps makes request to open Morganza Spillway

            FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
            Tuesday, May 10, 2011

            President Randolph Declares State of Emergency for Lafourche Parish;
            Issues Statement on Potential Flood Risk
            Lafourche Parish President Charlotte Randolph has declared a State of Emergency today, effective at 7:00 A.M., due to the flood risk to Lafourche Parish caused by the potential opening of the Morganza Spillway in association with the cresting of the Mississippi River.
            President Randolph also issued the following statement regarding that potential flood risk:
            "Lafourche Parish Government has been monitoring this entire situation for some time now, and we are well aware of the potential flooding risks if the Morganza Spillway is opened. As we continue in our efforts, we are hoping to have more detailed inundation maps in the very near future. At this time, Lafourche Parish residents simply need to continue to monitor emergency information through the Lafourche Parish Government website as well as local media, and stay informed as the situation continues to develop. Lafourche Parish Government and the Lafourche Parish Sheriff?s Office are continuing to monitor the situation and we will immediately update the public as information becomes available. "



            http://www.lafourchegov.org/
            "Safety and security don't just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear."
            -Nelson Mandela

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Louisiana - Corps makes request to open Morganza Spillway

              Mississippi River flooding in New Orleans area could be massive if Morganza spillway stays closed

              Published: Tuesday, May 10, 2011, 10:10 PM Updated: Tuesday, May 10, 2011, 11:34 PM

              By Mark Schleifstein, The Times-Picayune The Times-Picayune


              If the Morganza Floodway is not opened to funnel 300,000 cubic feet per second of water from the Mississippi River into the Atchafalaya River basin, the additional water could cause levees to fail along the river from Morganza to Plaquemines Parish, including all of the New Orleans area, resulting in as much as 25 feet of floodwater, according to a map provided to state officials by the Army Corps of Engineers on Tuesday.

              The worst-case scenario obtained by The Times-Picayune is part of the risk assessment conducted this week by corps officials in support of opening the floodway. The combination of water from the floodway and from the Old River Control Structure just upriver of Morganza pouring into the Atchafalaya basin will flood a large swath of mostly unpopulated land.

              It will also threaten Morgan City, Houma and several smaller communities.

              Ironically, much of the Atchafalaya Basin would still flood if the spillway is not opened, according to the new map, because the Old River Control Structure will be sending twice as much water from the Mississippi into the basin as it normally does. Meanwhile, the river will still overtop the relatively low Morganza floodway structure even if it's not opened, and several other levee failures could occur between Morganza and Baton Rouge.

              More...
              "Safety and security don't just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear."
              -Nelson Mandela

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Louisiana - Corps makes request to open Morganza Spillway



                "Safety and security don't just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear."
                -Nelson Mandela

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: Louisiana - Corps makes request to open Morganza Spillway

                  <TABLE class=Normal border=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TD width="100%" align=left>Strain wants natural disaster designation attached to Morganza Spillway opening</TD></TR><TR><TD noWrap align=left>Release Date</TD><TD width="100%" align=left>5/10/2011</TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=2><TD></TD><TR><TD width="100%" colSpan=2>Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner Mike Strain, D.V.M., is urging the United States Department of Agriculture Office of Risk Management to categorize the opening of the Morganza Spillway as a natural disaster.

                  ?I am asserting that the flood waters will overtop the Morganza floodgates regardless of whether the spillway is opened or not,? Strain said. ?Failure to open the spillway will result in potential damage to that structure which could result in more severe flooding. The Morganza Spillway will flood either way so therefore flooding from the opening of the spillway should be classified as a natural disaster.?

                  Strain sent a letter to the Louisiana congressional delegation on May 10 asking for their support to have the natural disaster designation applied to the opening of the Morganza Spillway.

                  Strain?s request to the delegation reads as follows: ?At this point, we are uncertain that the Office of Risk Management (ORM) is categorizing this event as a natural disaster. A manmade designation would not allow producers to make crop insurance claims. The ORM is currently requesting information to make the determination of a manmade versus natural disaster. We must continue to make the ORM aware that the purpose of opening the water control structure is for diversion of floodwaters to the Atchafalaya River. The rising water will overtake the control structure regardless of any opening or diversion.?

                  Strain said more than 18,000 acres of crops within the Morganza Spillway in the fore bay and tail bay will be inundated and lost for the current season. Cotton, soybean, rice, sugarcane, corn, wheat, sorghum, aquaculture and hay crops are among the commodities that are grown in the Morganza Spillway and Atchafalaya Basin.

                  Strain said he is hopeful that the ORM will designate the opening of the Morganza Spillway and subsequent flooding of the Atchafalaya Basin as a natural disaster.

                  ?The ORM is currently requesting information for consideration in making the determination of a manmade or natural disaster,? Strain said. ?We are working closely with the USDA and their ORM to provide them with the most accurate data available, but a favorable decision is critical for the agricultural producers in the area that will suffer huge losses due to the floodwaters.?

                  More information on how the flooding will affect agriculture in Louisiana may be found at www.LDAF.la.gov and clicking on the ?Spring Flood 2011? link on the home page.




                  </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!-- End_Module_871 -->
                  "Safety and security don't just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear."
                  -Nelson Mandela

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Louisiana - Corps makes request to open Morganza Spillway

                    All eyes turn to Morganza Spillway

                    </SPAN>wwltv.com
                    Posted on May 11, 2011 at 6:52 PM
                    Katie Moore / Eyewitness News

                    Excerpt:

                    The corps says the most likely time the decision will be made to open the Morganza Spillway will be late Friday night, depending on the pressure on the levees downriver in Baton Rouge, the pressure on the levees all the way down to New Orleans, and the river flow rate.

                    The corps is expecting the river to get to 1.5 million cubic feet per second Saturday, and that?s when they would immediately start opening the spillway. They say they would only have to open it up about 25 percent.

                    Full text:
                    http://www.wwltv.com/news/All-eyes-turn-to-Morganza-Spillway-121672234.html
                    "Safety and security don't just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear."
                    -Nelson Mandela

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: Louisiana - Corps makes request to open Morganza Spillway

                      I think the news about the push to open the Morganza Spillway caused, (or revealed), a technical problem in oil and gas futures trading today.

                      http://www.marketwatch.com/story/gas...ted-2011-05-11
                      Market Extra

                      May 11, 2011, 3:46 p.m. EDT
                      Gasoline, oil trading halted
                      Trading resumes after Nymex sets new loss limits

                      By Laura Mandaro, MarketWatch

                      SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) ? Gasoline futures hit the New York Mercantile Exchange?s floor on price drops Wednesday, triggering a brief but unusual halt in oil and gasoline futures trading, and prompting the exchange to allow for even deeper losses....
                      The exchange?s move followed a sell-off in oil and gasoline futures Wednesday, set in motion by a range of macroeconomic and local issues ? from Chinese inflation data, which bolstered expectations that policymakers in China would further hike rakes, to a jump in the dollar against the euro on worries about a Greek default, to reduced concerns about the impact of Mississippi River flooding on U.S oil refiners....
                      _____________________________________________

                      Ask Congress to Investigate COVID Origins and Government Response to Pandemic.

                      i love myself. the quietest. simplest. most powerful. revolution ever. ---- nayyirah waheed

                      "...there’s an obvious contest that’s happening between different sectors of the colonial ruling class in this country. And they would, if they could, lump us into their beef, their struggle." ---- Omali Yeshitela, African People’s Socialist Party

                      (My posts are not intended as advice or professional assessments of any kind.)
                      Never forget Excalibur.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: Louisiana - Corps makes request to open Morganza Spillway

                        Mississippi River could close to deep-draft shipping from Baton Rouge to Boothville

                        Published: Wednesday, May 11, 2011, 10:30 PM

                        Excerpt:

                        The National Weather Service Lower Mississippi River Forecast Center in Slidell predicts the river will reach 17.9 feet in New Orleans on Monday, if the Army Corps of Engineers does not open the Morganza Floodway above Baton Rouge.

                        Stanton said his decision will be based on the actual height of the river, whether or not the floodway is open.

                        The corps has been repeatedly questioned by Gov. Bobby Jindal and other state and local officials for delaying announcing a decision to open the floodway, although their criticism has been aimed at concerns about what parts of the state will need to be evacuated.

                        At a news conference on Wednesday, Jindal expressed confidence the corps would make that decision by Saturday, and he said he is planning for evacuations accordingly.

                        ?I don?t want people waiting. I don?t want people to hesitate about making evacuation plans or moving their valuables,? Jindal said.

                        ?There?s a reason we?re building multiple miles of levees in Krotz Springs,? in the path of the anticipated Morganza floodwaters, he said. ?There?s a reason we?re moving Hesco baskets into Morgan City and Amelia. Those things take time, and we don?t want to wait.?

                        A corps spokesman issued a statement late Wednesday that again hinted strongly that Maj. Gen. Michael Walsh, president of the Mississippi River Commission, would make the Morganza decision soon.

                        ?Maj. Gen. Walsh has said he will make the decision to operate as early as Friday based on river conditions,? said spokesman Bob Anderson.

                        Anderson noted in an email that the floodway opening has a ?trigger point? of 1.5 million cubic feet per second of water at Red River Landing, adding:

                        ?We should see that exact scenario sometime on Saturday, May 14.?

                        Actually, according to the National Weather Service, the flow should reach that level just below the floodway, by Friday at 7 a.m.

                        "Safety and security don't just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear."
                        -Nelson Mandela

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: Louisiana - Corps makes request to open Morganza Spillway

                          Mississippi River threat requires Morganza to be opened: An editorial

                          Published: Thursday, May 12, 2011, 8:00 AM
                          By Editorial page staff, The Times-Picayune The Times-Picayune

                          The worst-case flooding scenario that the Army Corps of Engineers released this week offers a terrifying look at what would happen if the Morganza Spillway is not used to divert flow from the swollen Mississippi River.
                          ...
                          The choice between obliteration and safety is not a difficult call. Allowing the New Orleans area to be wiped out by a river flood after five years of costly and hard-won recovery from Hurricane Katrina would be unthinkable.

                          The decision to open the Morganza Spillway to divert river flow into the Atchafalaya Basin hasn't yet been made, but that's what must be done.

                          Full text:
                          "Safety and security don't just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear."
                          -Nelson Mandela

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: Louisiana - Corps makes request to open Morganza Spillway

                            Originally posted by Emily View Post
                            I think the news about the push to open the Morganza Spillway caused, (or revealed), a technical problem in oil and gas futures trading today.

                            http://www.marketwatch.com/story/gas...ted-2011-05-11

                            <SMALL>MAY 12, 2011, 11:49 A.M. ET</SMALL>
                            <!-- ID: SB10001424052748703730804576319162411418094 --><!-- TYPE: Business --><!-- DISPLAY-NAME: Business --><!-- PUBLICATION: The Wall Street Journal Interactive Edition --><!-- DATE: 2011-05-12 11:49 --><!-- COPYRIGHT: Dow Jones & Company, Inc. --><!-- ORIGINAL-ID: --><!-- article start --><!--CODE=DJII-COMPANY SYMBOL=apcheCODE=DJII-COMPANY SYMBOL=bakintCODE=DJII-COMPANY SYMBOL=bpCODE=DJII-COMPANY SYMBOL=devenCODE=DJII-COMPANY SYMBOL=exxnCODE=DJII-COMPANY SYMBOL=philpCODE=DJII-COMPANY SYMBOL=swftCODE=DJII-DJN SYMBOL=APACODE=DJII-DJN SYMBOL=BHICODE=DJII-DJN SYMBOL=BPCODE=DJII-DJN SYMBOL=BP.LNCODE=DJII-DJN SYMBOL=BP.U.TCODE=DJII-DJN SYMBOL=COPCODE=DJII-DJN SYMBOL=DVNCODE=DJII-DJN SYMBOL=R/LACODE=DJII-DJN SYMBOL=R/MSCODE=DJII-DJN SYMBOL=R/NMECODE=DJII-DJN SYMBOL=R/USCODE=DJII-DJN SYMBOL=R/USSCODE=DJII-DJN SYMBOL=SFYCODE=DJII-DJN SYMBOL=XOMCODE=DJII-PERSON SYMBOL=43072306CODE=DJII-REGION SYMBOL=namzCODE=DJII-REGION SYMBOL=usaCODE=DJII-REGION SYMBOL=uslaCODE=DJII-REGION SYMBOL=usmsCODE=DJII-REGION SYMBOL=ussCODE=STATISTIC SYMBOL=FREECODE=SUBJECT SYMBOL=OCMDCODE=SUBJECT SYMBOL=OMKMCODE=SUBJECT SYMBOL=ONEWCODE=SUBJECT SYMBOL=OUSB-->
                            Louisiana Warns Opening Floodway Threatens Oil, Gas Production

                            By RYAN DEZEMBER

                            Louisiana officials are warning oil and natural-gas producers in the state's Atchafalaya Basin to brace for prolonged flooding if the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers opens a major spillway to lower water levels along the swollen Mississippi River.
                            ...
                            The Louisiana Department of Natural Resources Office of Conservation estimates that 2,264 wells lie in that area and would be inundated if the Corps of Engineers carries out its plans. Those wells produce the equivalent of 19,278 barrels of oil per day?about 10% of the state's onshore production, the state agency estimated.
                            ...
                            There are some 140 operators in the basin, including BP PLC, ConocoPhillips, Exxon Mobil Corp., Apache Corp., Devon Energy Corp., according to state data.

                            Full text:
                            "Safety and security don't just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear."
                            -Nelson Mandela

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: Louisiana - Corps makes request to open Morganza Spillway


                              The safest and most inclusive global community of photography enthusiasts. The best place for inspiration, connection, and sharing!



                              New "doomsday scenario" map from the Corps explained

                              Posted:<SCRIPT type=text/javascript orgFontSize="9px"> wnRenderDate('Thursday, May 12, 2011 11:48 AM EST', '', true);</SCRIPT> May 12, 2011 10:48 AM CDT <NOSCRIPT orgFontSize="11px"></NOSCRIPT><!--END wnDate-->Updated:<SCRIPT type=text/javascript orgFontSize="9px"> wnRenderDate('Thursday, May 12, 2011 12:09 PM EST', '', true);</SCRIPT> May 12, 2011 11:09 AM CDT <NOSCRIPT orgFontSize="11px"></NOSCRIPT><!--END wnDate-->
                              By Jay Grymes, Chief Meteorologist

                              BATON ROUGE, LA (WAFB) -

                              The US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) released a map labeled "Scenario 2" Thursday morning that delivers a doomsday outlook for flooding on the east bank of the Mississippi River, showing unprecedented flooding from Baton Rouge to New Orleans.
                              ...
                              We need to explain several factors incorporated in the development of this map.

                              First, and foremost, Scenario 2 is built with the assumption the Corps takes no action in terms of diverting more water from the Mississippi into the Atchafalaya ? in effect, that the Corps does NOT use the Morganza Spillway.

                              While the Corps has yet to confirm opening the Spillway, this appears to be a foregone conclusion: the Spillway MUST be opened if the Mississippi levee system is to maintain its structural integrity.

                              More...
                              The Corps of Engineers released a map showing a doomsday outlook for flooding on the east bank of the Miss. River, but several factors must be explained.



                              To see larger photos :

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                              Estimated Inundation Map Scenario 2 depicts anticipated impacts from non-operation of the Morganza Floodway with the Bonnet Carre’ Spillway operating at 100% capacity.
                              "Safety and security don't just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear."
                              -Nelson Mandela

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