re: Mississippi River Flooding - Links & Pictures in 1st Post

I saw that, and excuse my ignorance, but how can Natchez drop a foot and New Orleans increase that much? There is no other water flowing into the river after Natchez.

I just can't stand ignorance. It's like driving slow, in the left lane, on the interstate.

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Natchez was probably just estimated too high to begin with

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Hopefully... It is my understanding that the levees in Vidalia aren't suited to handle much more than 60ft.

So, will Morgan City be in trouble with flood waters?

Here is what we know for a fact:

1) This event is without precedent. The current system has never ever been tested like this, so the levee system and all safety valves are under the most pressure ever.
2) The Mississippi River currently wants to begin flowing through Morgan City, but we as men are trying to prevent what it naturally wants to do.
3) The US Army Corps of Engineers has designed, built, and maintained our only protection. Doesn't that make you feel better?
4) Our federal government has given command and control of this situation to the Corps and the Mississippi River Commission and their decisions have been upheld by the US Supreme Court.
5) Smaller communities will be sacrificed in order to save more densely populated areas.

Keeping this all in mind, the Corps will do whatever they have to do to protect areas like Baton Rouge and New Orleans, even if that means wiping Morgan City off the face of the earth with water. There is no doubt in my mind that Morgan City is going to get flooded because they will have to open Morganza. It is only a matter of how much and where. All those businesses on the exterior of the floodwall...well, the best they can hope for is 6' of water and their building stays in place.

Now how much this water will inundate Terrebonne Parish through the Intracoastal, I don't know. Gibson, Bayou Black, etc. will certainly flood to some degree. Areas like Waterproof Plantation, Mulberry, and industrial areas along the Houma Nav Canal will probably have rising water, too.

For me, the thing that kept me up last night was the speed of the river. Even with the spillways open, the river will go from a few inches from the levee's top to just a few feet....still a bad situation.

I am concerned over what can't be controlled. The unforeseen accident that always occurs. And I'm thinking about runaway barge traffic if a ship loses power or barges pop loose from their moorings.

A couple of barges of grain smashing into a saturated levee about 2-3 feet from the top can cause the Mississippi to start running through anywhere. If that happens in Vacherie, the Mississippi would run down through Thibodaux and then through Houma.

If that happens near Waterford 3, then we are all screwed. (see Japan)

I'm not saying any of this is likely. But remember that much of New Orleans flooded when a barge hit a weakened levee. And the speed of this water flow makes this scenerio much more likely.

Mother Nature has been flexing her muscles lately. Never underestimate an angry woman.

I'm treating this like a hurricane approaching from the North. It may head my way, it may not. It may grow in strength, or weaken. But I'm trying to be informed and prepared.

Thanks to you guys who have been posting on here for a week. You have been the ONLY source of constant info. Please keep it up and good luck to everyone in the path of this.

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A couple of barges of grain smashing into a saturated levee about 2-3 feet from the top can cause the Mississippi to start running through anywhere. If that happens in Vacherie, the Mississippi would run down through Thibodaux and then through Houma.

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Legitimate concern. Has not been discussed much.

Isn't the Morganza Spillway both North and South of Krotz Springs? What does the Northern Spillway do? Why would Morgan City be affected and not Krotz Springs?

2 more just flew over.

DAMN.

Man there are some doom and gloomers on this board.

Having said that, it obviously sounds very serious. Being that it's as serious as it is why are they waiting a few more days before the various spillways start doing their thing? Does it take days instead of hours to open the spillways? I've seen the BC spillway in action but have no idea how long it takes to open.

I can say this my family has lived in concordia and catahoula parishs for a long time, I have never seen them pack their shite and they are moving it as we speak