On a recent road trip across Louisiana I saw how swollen the Mississippi river was at Baton Rouge. What’s coming down river for New Orleans will be the first major test of a newer reinforced levee system after Hurricane Katrina.
The Army Corp of Engineers is taking no chances and is actively trying to lessen the blow from the mighty river before it arrives. A spillway was opened to lessen the pressure on the levee near New Orleans. The spillway opened on Monday diverts water from the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico by way of Lake Pontchartrain.
In New Orleans on Monday the river was near 17 feet and rising fast. The Mississippi is expected to crest in the big easy on Friday May 23th. Major flood stage in the crescent city is 20 feet with the river rising within inches of the top of the levee in a couple of weeks. Even with the spillway fully open low lying areas near New Orleans will still see flooding. Opening additional spillways along the river could help New Orleans, but flood nearby cities like Morgan City, Louisiana.
