re: Walker mayor suing state and federal governments

I would just give up. It seems as if either he or someone he knows had their house flooded, and he wants to blame it on this.

I get the pain and wanting to find reason within the madness of Mother Nature. It all sucks and my heart goes out to all of those affected.

Wow. Just, wow.

I am a licensed professional engineer with over 20 years of experience. My perspective wins court cases, not "common sense" when cases are complex.

Nah man. Give up the safety of the thousands that travel that stretch of road everyday because there might be a 500 year flood.

Good for you.

But a wall like that speaks to juries. The state is broke, so nobody will take that case.

But you cannot engineer your way to say that that did not cause more upstream harm - at all. You can try the "500 year" flood argument but (1) it was not for flood it was for traffic control and (2) the DOTD was on notice. So Boom that's gone too.

If the DOTD caused less water to flow OVER The road, by the barrier "yes sir, they did" then they would need to allow for it UNDER the road buy improving culverts.

They didn't.

But they had "weep holes." Those were enough for a 25 or a 50 year flood, and nobody could anticipate a 500 year flood.

Which brings us right back to the letters from the Mayor of Walker, who, by many accounts is a 'nut' so if a nut can anticipate it, an esteemed engineer like Mr. CharlesLSU can, or the fine engineers at DOTD who were on notice, could see.

Which, he obviously didn't. And they didn't or didn't care. You lose.

Oh, and let's see, Jersey barriers are also used as levee structures, so the 'weepholes' about which you speak are not designed nor or adequate for 25 or 50 year drainage.

I don't know what you have been doing for 20 years, or how this 'wins cases' but, like I said, common sense, sometimes, ain't that common.

Jersey Barriers uses for Levee Structures

What I am saying is that I don't know what the answer is. That is what engineers are for. But I do know that to put up an 18 mile levee added to the north side of I-12's water burden.

I am not saying that the state should pay, that insurance should not pay, or any of that. It's just that (1) these barriers have been used as Levees LINK; (2) the Sate was on notice; and (3) it should have been anticipated.

I understand the 25, 50 or 1000 year flood argument. But there was no underground improvement with the impediment of overland flow of water. The Mayor of Walker recognized it and put the State on notice. If he is such a nut, others noticed it too. Clearly, it impeded the overland flow of water, with no remedial culvert upgrades.

The photos show the devastation on one side and not the other. LINK This is the 'levee' effect of a traffic barrier and not a device that is designed with flood control in mind.

Its really hard to deny that although many on here seem to somehow say that (1) it was unanticipated; (2) the barriers were adequate (even though they are leave barriers); (3) the photos show the water and (4) the Mayor put the State on notice.

These so-called 'jersey barriers' are used in flood control. To hold water back. They are not designed with any 25, 50, or 500 year flood design at all in mind. No Flood Engineering in Jersey Barrier

Yes. And there are statements that show that these are not made to any flood design standards.

Ha! Some asshat saying that they 'designed' them for a 25 year flood! These are 'off the shelf' jersey barriers that can be used for:

Traffic control
Dams
Erosion
Building safety
More

Ha!! They built a dam alone I-12! It wasn't engineered for ANY type of flood event AND the DOTD had notice of this 3 YEARS in advance!

The dam in action

The wall that size isn't necessary to prevent head on collisions.

That wall was built at that height to prevent rubbernecking.

That's the mayor who was talking about his house.

But to look at this dam structure like it 'ok' defies engineering and common sense.