Consequences of Pumping Out New Orleans
Consequences of Pumping Out New Orleans
(OP)
There are several ongoing threads about New Orleans in various forums, but I have not seen this issue discussed:
The flood water in the city of New Orleans is reported to be an unhealthy, disgusting mix of waste, chemicals, and who knows what else. The Corps of Engineers is quoted as saying that the city can be dewatered by the end of 2005, using the installed Wood screw pumping system. These pumps discharge into Lake Pontchartrain and Lake Borgne; both lakes eventually drain into the Gulf of Mexico.
I wonder if existing environmental pollution laws are going to be waived or ignored? Have always heard that "Dilution is not the solution".
The flood water in the city of New Orleans is reported to be an unhealthy, disgusting mix of waste, chemicals, and who knows what else. The Corps of Engineers is quoted as saying that the city can be dewatered by the end of 2005, using the installed Wood screw pumping system. These pumps discharge into Lake Pontchartrain and Lake Borgne; both lakes eventually drain into the Gulf of Mexico.
I wonder if existing environmental pollution laws are going to be waived or ignored? Have always heard that "Dilution is not the solution".





RE: Consequences of Pumping Out New Orleans
http://www.mvd.usace.army.mil/hurricane/chr.php
RE: Consequences of Pumping Out New Orleans
rmw
RE: Consequences of Pumping Out New Orleans
You raise a good point. However, as of this moment, I doubt that there is any good treatment option.
Jeff
Jeffrey T. Donville, PE
TTL Associates, Inc.
www.ttlassoc.com
RE: Consequences of Pumping Out New Orleans
Remember: The Chinese ideogram for “crisis” is comprised of the characters for “danger” and “opportunity.”
-Steve
RE: Consequences of Pumping Out New Orleans
RE: Consequences of Pumping Out New Orleans
Florida, for instance, has suffered enough with hurricanes over the last couple years. Their resorts are still being repaired from Jeanne and Ivan. Do they need oil slicks now? How about the Atlantic fishing industry, once the Gulf Stream takes the water out past the Carolinas to Ireland and Scotland?
RE: Consequences of Pumping Out New Orleans
What happens to storm or flood water that falls on any city in th US?
Is this case of storm water in New Orleans different than on other occassions? Is it more polluted?
RE: Consequences of Pumping Out New Orleans
RE: Consequences of Pumping Out New Orleans
RE: Consequences of Pumping Out New Orleans
Firstly, you are making a short term judgement of risk. Secondly, it is not better to pump out untreated contaminated waste water, it's just easier.
You have hit the nail on the head of why the rest of the world reviles the US's environmental record.
RE: Consequences of Pumping Out New Orleans
RE: Consequences of Pumping Out New Orleans
perhaps someone can illuminate me.
Intrusion Prepakt. B.C. Canada
www.marineconcrete.com
RE: Consequences of Pumping Out New Orleans
"Don't swim in the lake"
Buy a dictionary, keep it nearby and USE it. Webster's New World Dictionary of American English is recommended, and Webster's Collegiate Dictionary.
RE: Consequences of Pumping Out New Orleans
RE: Consequences of Pumping Out New Orleans
Before a judgement can be made that the water requires treatment, the pollutants must be identified and it must be determined that they exceed the limits.
The waste from the treatment plants has just been diluted by a large factor and may not exceed most of their limits.
How much oil or petroleum is in the water? Do they have booms around the stations? I don't know the answer to that so don't know if they are polluting the gulf with oil.
I'm not sure dead bodies (human or animal) qualify as toxic pollution as they naturally exist in practically every stream in America and the Gulf of Mexico.
I guess my point is that unless we know for sure (not what the media feeds us) that the water is truly contaminated, how can we say what they need or don't need to do.
RE: Consequences of Pumping Out New Orleans
News accounts are that the water is a rancid stew.
See also this, this and this. The latter is a blog, so it's recommended only for the links.
Much of that is still speculation; the environmental threat needs to be quantified before the USACE starts throwing around dates or durations for pumping NOLA dry.
RE: Consequences of Pumping Out New Orleans
The sewage in it is biodegradable. Megatons of sewage is dumped into the rivers and oceans by countries all around the world. Time and sun and air will take care of it.
The earth itself puts more oil into the oceans than the NO LA area could ever think of doing.
Dead bodies in waterways has already been mentioned by semo
By the time any of this water gets to Ireland or Scotland (or Spain or Africa) it will be so diluted so that it will barely be discernable if at all.
We as engineers are supposed to be problem solvers, not hand wringers.
The water is polluted, and that can't be denied. However, reasonable solutions to the problem would be appreciated.
What would you want done if your home was up to the rafters in water (of any purity)?
rmw
RE: Consequences of Pumping Out New Orleans
There was about one week from the beginning of large scale flooding until pumping started. A rough environmental investigation may have given an indication whether one of the two "lakes", Pontchartrain or Borgne, was better suited to handle the pollution. Then, depending on exactly how the pumps are configured, it may have been necessary to "trash" only one lake, instead of both.
Sure, pumping would certainly take longer, but that is what compromises are all about. Anyway cleanup of the sludge, that RGasEng has pointed out, will probably lag far behind the speed that water can be pumped.
www.SlideRuleEra.net
RE: Consequences of Pumping Out New Orleans
My husband's best friend's house is up to the ceiling in water. He has lost all but a few changes of clothes, his compter, and his car. He is in no great hurry to get back to NOLA; all he's concerned about is if he can get into a university so that his studies don't have to be on hold for an entire semester (or two). He's also quite sad that Lake Ponchartrain has only just been cleaned up, and now they're going to pollute it all over again. I've heard another NOLA resident say the same thing.
I guess it's a good thing that NOLA residents and the EPA don't share your feelings.
We owe it to our children and their children not to do "what we can get away with" to the environment; we owe it to them to do the best we can for the environment.
I don't have any solutions to the problem because that is not my field. I believe that time should be taken to assess what can be done in mitigation before it all starts. If the city is to be pumped, however, at least we have control over the water's exit from the city and some kind of treatment, however crude, could be applied.
RE: Consequences of Pumping Out New Orleans
http://
If the waters toxic, would it still be pumped? Probably
RE: Consequences of Pumping Out New Orleans
http://www.clarkson.edu/
The climate is a little different from NO.
Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA
RE: Consequences of Pumping Out New Orleans
As for the stuff going into the Gulf I don't think it can compare to material that once came down the river or out of the lake a normal flow not too many years age. The Mississippi and Lake Pontchartrain at one time were sewers. There have been numerous barge leaks that killed tremendous numbers of fish and wildlife that weren't mad public.
Having fished the Gulf for many years (60 +) and seen houses, with chickens on the roof, 50 miles East of the river during floods I don't think this will have that much effect on things as whole. Like someone has posted nature puts a lot natural oil continuously in the water. Prior to drilling East of the river there were literally thousands of oil and gas seeps and light oil slicks along the 37 ridge that runs 100 miles to the east. The gray mud that covers Waverley Mississippi is the top layer of bottom mud, this is real gumbo, out of the lake and delta. This is where the shrimp live. I hope this doesn't expose earlier layers where all the previous years toxins are still located. This is how the bottom takes care of it's self overtime. If the shrimp and squid don’t show up real quick it means you have uncovered some crap.
The biggest effect will be on the local fishery, like the oyster, shrimp, and crab. They will have time to recover as not too many boats survived. Fish will thrive on the sewage aspect of the flow as the best place to catch trophy speckled trout in Pensacola Bay is at the sewage plant outfall terminus. My secret fishing hole, I used to win fishing rodeos with these trout.
It looks like a tremendous number of trees have died and NO or any city without the oaks is sad. The fish and wildlife will quickly rebound while the oaks are gone.
One thing not mentioned is if they can get the water out quickly some of the older homes are repairable as they material of construction are heart pine and HRT cyprus both will take the water OK. One other thing is that the termites (Formosan) have floated to higher elevations in the houses.
RE: Consequences of Pumping Out New Orleans
I'm sad that Lake Ponchatrain will be trashed yet again, (some my favorite food comes [came] from the lake) but since the pumps in NO are designed to pump (rainwater runoff with whatever it brings) into the lake, and time doesn't allow us to move them and reconstruct them on the river (which would take this stuff directly to the Gulf,) we are faced with the reality that it will have to be pumped into the lake (Ponchatrain) or remain in place until it evaporates (or someone beams it up into outer space).
As far as how toxic it really is, I have two comments. One is that I find UNCLESYD's observation about the unprotected hands during testing to be instructive, and secondly, I take with a real grain of salt anything the MSM says about environmental issues, given their agenda.
The designator beside your 'handle' says "environme" which I assumed was "environmental" truncated. So, I thought this was your field.
I'd like to see someone who is expert in this field make some concrete suggestions as to what might be done to minimize the damage, since we all have to realize that the town has to be pumped out, and some damage will occur.
My town is full of evacuees (the new PC term for refugees) and I have become personally acquainted with a few especially when the non english speakers (spanish) need translators. They want their town pumped out so that they can return to their lives and businesses.
The EPA doesn't allow my clients to chlorinate their effluents any more, so I don't know if chlorination (or bromination) of the pumpage would be in order or not. It would seem to me that chlorination would take care of a lot of the sewage issues, with respect to fecal bacteria, that is.
Later on in the year, or next spring, when the river is up, the spillways that are there uprover of NO to divert Miss. River water into the lake if the NO levees are threatened could be opened to "flush" out the lake, but from former experience, too much of that can damage the lake and the aquaculture in other ways.
I don't know the answers either, but that is what these fora are for, for experts to offer solutions to real problems. It is much better than hand wringing.
rmw
RE: Consequences of Pumping Out New Orleans
One method to prevent some of the lighter hydrocarbons from being pumped would be to place a skimmer around the intake area for the pumps to prevent the floating oil and gas from being sucked into the intake.
Given enough time, the impounded water will naturally clarify somewhat, as the treatment process for sewage requires heat, oxygen, mixing and sufficient time in the lagoon for the natural microbes to digest the organic matter. This will eliminate a large portion of the BOD and the COD.
RE: Consequences of Pumping Out New Orleans
The EPA website has cut to black on the central region's reported oil spills.
One thing not noted by the news and authorities is that the sheen on water's surface is only a monomolecular layer and any volume of floating oil is being trapped on the surfaces of the houses, tress and cars. Nearly all the bugs in the water are not bad unless you have a cut, scratch or ingest it. Not good stuff anyway you look at it.
RE: Consequences of Pumping Out New Orleans
RE: Consequences of Pumping Out New Orleans
rmw
RE: Consequences of Pumping Out New Orleans
Of course there are health concerns with the flood water, but (and I can’t believe that I nee d to explain this in these forums) there is a huge difference between long term environmental pollution and health concerns. It has already been said in this thread how the biological health concerns associated with the flood waters will naturally attenuate (fairly rapidly too I might add).
As far as chemical concerns, I think many of you might be forgetting just what a huge volume of water they are dealing with and that there is some what of a dilution factor that should obviously be applied. I seriously doubt that what is being pumped out of NO is as bad as what was pumped into the Mississippi for many years. I would suspect that typical samples of typical stormwater runoff from NO would have higher concentrations of the “TOXINS” everyone is concerned about than in what is what is being pumped today. Funny how the folks over on the wastewater treatment forum haven’t considered this to be some big problem, eh?
Oh yes last night the media also reported that FEMA has revised the time to pump out NO is almost half of what they originally projected.
Although I commonly agree with criticism of the EPA, I think it might be a bit premature on this issue.
RE: Consequences of Pumping Out New Orleans
Poster Position (apparent)
regarding pumping untreated
francesca (Civil/Environme) Against
jimbo (Staff) Against
boo1 (Mechanical) In favor
cvg (Civil/Environme) In favor
ctmtwilliams (Geotechnical) In favor
jdonville (Geotechnical) In favor
lha (Civil/Environme) In favor
Prepakt1 (Coastal) In favor
rbcoulter (Chemical) In favor
rmw (Mechanical) In favor
semo (Civil/Environme) In favor
SlideRuleEra (Structural) In favor
unclesyd (Materials) In favor
IFRs (Petroleum) Neutral/No opinion offered
MikeHalloran (Mechanical) Neutral/No opinion offered
rconner (Civil/Environme) Neutral/No opinion offered
RGasEng (Mechanical) Neutral/No opinion offered
That's 2 against and 11 in favor. 4 others offered information, but I couldn't infer an opinion. Even assuming these 4 are all against, that is still 6 against and 11 in favor of...so far...
Remember: The Chinese ideogram for “crisis” is comprised of the characters for “danger” and “opportunity.”
-Steve
RE: Consequences of Pumping Out New Orleans
and later as SlideRuleEra - In favor. Actually I see the pumping as something that has to be done, but when I started this thread on September 3, could not find reports of any "official" consideration being given to the consequenses - that has changed since. IMHO the environmental outcome should be considered in what I expect to be a forthcoming National debate on what to do about rebuilding New Orleans (because of the multi-hundred billion dollar cost). If it is rebuild more or less "as-is", this whole thing will happen again - guaranteed.
Take it from a "survivor" of several major hurricanes including Hugo (Category 4) in 1989; we may even get another "dress rehearsal" for our next big one with Ophelia (Category 1) on Tuesday.
I like the idea of your summary - please count me as "In favor"
www.SlideRuleEra.net
RE: Consequences of Pumping Out New Orleans
Pump out the city now.
Clean the lake, again, later.
Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA
RE: Consequences of Pumping Out New Orleans
Finally, the pumping of New Orleans may need to be done slowly anyway. For if the levees are saturated and the city is pumped out too quickly, the levee can fail strucutally. I hope someone has adressed that.
RE: Consequences of Pumping Out New Orleans
The tally (I actually DON'T have too much time on my hands, but you would never know it):
Poster Position (apparent)
regarding pumping untreated
francesca (Civil/Environme) Against
jimbo (Staff) Against
boo1 (Mechanical) In favor
cvg (Civil/Environme) In favor
ctmtwilliams (Geotechnical) In favor
jdonville (Geotechnical) In favor
lha (Civil/Environme) In favor
MikeHalloran (Mechanical) In favor
Prepakt1 (Coastal) In favor
rbcoulter (Chemical) In favor
rmw (Mechanical) In favor
semo (Civil/Environme) In favor
SlideRuleEra (Structural) In favor
unclesyd (Materials) In favor
DRC1 (Civil/Environme) Neutral/No opinion offered
IFRs (Petroleum) Neutral/No opinion offered
rconner (Civil/Environme) Neutral/No opinion offered
RGasEng (Mechanical) Neutral/No opinion offered
That's 2 against and 12 in favor. 4 others offered information, but I couldn't infer an opinion. Even assuming these 4 are all against, that is still 6 against and 12 in favor of...so far...
Remember: The Chinese ideogram for “crisis” is comprised of the characters for “danger” and “opportunity.”
-Steve
RE: Consequences of Pumping Out New Orleans
RE: Consequences of Pumping Out New Orleans
RE: Consequences of Pumping Out New Orleans
I live in Louisiana. Last Thursday I went to New Orleans with both of my brothers to salvage what we could from my younger brother's house (4 blocks from 17th street canal).
It was quite amazing to watch the helo's carry large sandbags. They were still throwing everything at this problem to simply see what sticks!
The streets in Kenner and Metarie were clear. In fact I could not find the first puddle of water in Metarie. We were not able to venture to East New Orleans to pickup my brother's in-laws belongings. There house is still 10 feet underwater.
Now I am going to lay to rest alot of the stuff I have read in this forum.
I have invented, built and tested the World's most powerful UV light & ozone system. One system can handle over 50,000 gpm of Opaque water! The unit has shown 99.9% inactivation of all pathogens in opaque water with an oil & grease concentration of greater than 1%.
I am in touch with the NSF daily with regards to mobilizing the two systems I have. However, the NSF has thrown its hand's in the air, because of a lack of cooperation amongst the different agencies.
Likewise, both the Louisiana DEQ & EPA region 6 are aware of my technologies. I have used all of my resources to contact both agencies but to no avail.
Now, this is what I personally saw occuring on Airline highway. When we were traveling east on Airline we had to detour prior to Causeway blvd. Some type of construction going on in the middle of the east bound lane.
When we departed we exited unto airline directly from causeway. The construction in the middle of the east bound land is a large pipeline. It appears the pipeline will run from the 17th street canal all the way to the Spillway. Thus, New Orleans may be drained into the spillway and LET nature take its course - the basin will polish the water! That is simply my guess.
I have some great pictures if anyone is interested. to contact me goto my website: www.oxilume.com
Todd
Todd
www.oxilume.com
RE: Consequences of Pumping Out New Orleans
RE: Consequences of Pumping Out New Orleans
I don't believe your flooded basement would have the coliform and e-coli counts that are present in New Orleans' flood water.
see: http://www.epa.gov/katrina/testresults/index.html
Click on Biological testing
The major health issue is pumping the pathogen contaminated water into Lake Ponchatrain. With the number of Chlor-Alkali plants on the Mississippi, it would have been quite easy to ship down a barge of chlorine and inject the chlorine while pumping. I am extremely familar with Chlor-Alkali operations and chlorine.
As you will notice, there are only a few chemicals that exceed EPA limits: click on Chemical Testing on EPA site.
So the disinfection byproducts, such as THMs, would be very low.
However, the main reason the city is being dewatered extremely fast is to prevent FIRES. Fires and Flooding go hand in hand. With the amount of petroleum products floating on the surface it is an accident waiting to happen.
Although Louisiana has ample fire fighting barges and tugs, the draft of these vessels limits them from going down a neighborhood street to battle a fire. In addition, you will notice that many of the small boats had their outboard motors raised (tilted) for shallow water operation. This is primarily due to the downed power lines lying beneath the surface of the water.
I battled two shipboard fires and a water surface fire. When water is burning on top of water the only safe place to go is down! It is a matter of how long you can hold your breath and swim underwater to a safe distance.
Above and beyond all else, SAFETY comes first. Contaminated water is a health issue and takes a distance second to SAFETY. You must first make the area SAFE to begin reconstruction.
And with that being said, until last year, AFOs and CAFOs were not regulated. Thus, if you or your children fished, swam or played in water near a large animal feeding operation the bacteria counts were probably just as high in that stream as what is in the flood waters in New Orleans.
I do think there will be a problem with enhancing the already nutrient enriched GOM. The "DEAD ZONE" will probably increase in size.
Todd
www.oxilume.com
RE: Consequences of Pumping Out New Orleans
I gave you another star. What you have proposed is a real and doable solution to problems mentioned in this thread. That is just what I had called for above.
I have no basis to accept nor deny your claims, but my judgement leads me to assume that if they weren't substantiable, you wouldn't be on this site making them to a bunch of technogeeks who would know better.
Now, how you get that into place and working for the general good, that is another matter. Regarding the realistic possibilities of that, I might just have to become a hand wringer.
Does anybody know how to get hold of a producer at the Bill O'Reilly show at Fox News? I think it will take something like that to bypass the gov't red tape at all levels to get your system implemented.
Best of luck.
rmw
RE: Consequences of Pumping Out New Orleans
It's not that I am for pumping these polluted waters to the lake, it's that there is a HUGE political pressure for the flood waters to be cleared allowing reconstruction to begin.
RE: Consequences of Pumping Out New Orleans
Oxilume has an inventory of exactly two ozonators, each of which can treat 50,000 gpm.
The design rated flow of ONE Wood screw pump is 247,500 gpm at 7 feet of lift. And that's for the _small_ one.
If Oxilume could produce another ~498 ozonators in the next day or two, the proposal might be taken seriously.
Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA
RE: Consequences of Pumping Out New Orleans
RE: Consequences of Pumping Out New Orleans
NO does have more than one Wood pump; I was guessing they have a hundred, but I think the number is higher, and the 14 foot pumps would take ~ten ozonators each.
Because the Wood pump requires a flooded suction, they should tend to concentrate the hydrocarbons on the surface of the suction sumps. In which case the skimmers that should be present in the area to deal with maritime oil spills could be effective, if anyone can find them and get them into the right place.
Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA
RE: Consequences of Pumping Out New Orleans
Note: 3,000 cubic meters equals 792,516 gallons or 13,200 gpm
Dutch Water Experts and Water Pumps Arrive in United States
9/13/2005 8:59:00 AM
WASHINGTON, Sept. 13 /U.S. Newswire/ -- A team of five Dutch experts from the Directorate General for Public Works and Water Management (Rijkswaterstaat) and three mobile water pumps arrived in New Orleans to help pump the flood waters from the areas affected by Hurricane Katrina. The Dutch experts, working under the direction and in close cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, will prioritize the needs of the Corps of Engineers and place the pumps where needed. The Dutch experts will also offer assistance on fixing damaged pumps.
The experts and pumps are at the Army Corps of Engineers headquarters in New Orleans. The water pumps can expel 3,000 cubic meters of water an hour and each pump can run for 48 hours continuously on one tank of diesel fuel. Once the Army Corps of Engineers directs the Dutch experts to where the pumps are needed, the pumps can be up and running within three days. Because these pumps are mobile, they can be easily transported to different locations. Dutch water pumps have been used with great success in several countries including Suriname, Poland, and the Netherlands.
At present, the experts from the Directorate General for Public Works and Water Management and the pumps are scheduled to stay in the United States for at least 30 days, however this time could be extended or shortened based on the Army's needs.
The Directorate General for Public Works and Water Management is responsible for managing the water table in the Netherlands. The offer of assistance from the Netherlands is due to a Memorandum of Agreement between the Directorate and the Army Corps of Engineers to share expertise in the field of water management, which was signed in May of 2004.
http://www.usnewswire.com/
RE: Consequences of Pumping Out New Orleans
No disrespect to the Dutch is intended. I'm still trying to get my head around the flow that's required to keep the city merely humid in a normal rainstorm.
Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA
RE: Consequences of Pumping Out New Orleans
RE: Consequences of Pumping Out New Orleans
rmw
RE: Consequences of Pumping Out New Orleans
http://www
www.SlideRuleEra.net
RE: Consequences of Pumping Out New Orleans
Mold is the big problem and to mediate the problem there is going to have to be some relaxation of a few rules to use things like Chlorine Dioxide, p-dichlorobenzene, and few others to alleviate the mold.
The water:
Just read an article that has scientifically proven what has generally been known by mariners and fisherman for years that the waters from the Mississippi end up on the East Coast.
RE: Consequences of Pumping Out New Orleans
RE: Consequences of Pumping Out New Orleans
If you had read the post by SlideRuleEra and referenced the the link provided you should have caught my drift in that someone is going to have to makes decision, currently in short supply, about the use of forbidden chemicals on the molds.
By any chance are you a levee inspector?
RE: Consequences of Pumping Out New Orleans
I see no reason to back off of existing regulations which were created for the protection of the public. The people of NO will be exposed to enough different hazards, there is no reason to add additional toxic chemicals to the mix.
RE: Consequences of Pumping Out New Orleans
RE: Consequences of Pumping Out New Orleans
Sorry about that, my fault, a little on edge from fighting with COE again about my roof damage incurred after IVAN perpetrated by their contractor.
cvg,
We have had very good success using dichlorobenzene to eradicate mold in yachts that been sunk and raised. We seal them up with a couple pounds of chemical and let set for a week. The results are excellent. We then revarnish and paint again with excellent results.
One thing about some of the older houses (shotgun) is they are constructed from heart pine and cypress with tongue and groove paneling and siding. . These woods clean up very nicely after being submerged. The paint on a lot os the older houses has a lead based pigments, good for prevent mold and mildew bad for everything else. I’ll agree that houses in the lower areas need to be carefully evaluated. Bringing everything above sea level presents a very big problem to determine the cutoff point 2,4,6...12 feet
and how far do you a carry this around the country.
The big patched area on 17th street cannel sure looks shaky and is leaking. They had better keep the pumps in place.
Take a look at the first page of pictures especially the two small tank farms.
http://www.mvd.usace.army.mil/hurricane/chr.php
RE: Consequences of Pumping Out New Orleans
Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA
RE: Consequences of Pumping Out New Orleans
We were talking about this in class today. (Unfortunately I didn't write down the numbers.) Apparently the EPA has suspended all regulations in the Gulf Coast area during the clean-up. They're burning the debris, not putting it into a land-fill. From this Corps of Engineers site:
(Note that that's only Mississippi.)
RE: Consequences of Pumping Out New Orleans
rmw
RE: Consequences of Pumping Out New Orleans
ht
These actually came from the time of Hurricane Ivan and most are inside a tank farm dike.
RE: Consequences of Pumping Out New Orleans
There were lots of stories, as there will be with Katrina and now Rita, but the one I have never forgotten was about a fellow who had sought refuge in the tallest and strongest structure in the area which was the movie theater constructed mostly of concrete.
He, in order to get higher than the storm surge and flooding got all the way up into the projection booth and rode out the storm there still about waist deep.
He survived, and that was the good news. The bad news was that he shared that booth with hundreds of snakes of all kinds, including poisonous, also driven to the highest place.
He was never bitten, no not one time, but the 2-3 days he spent up there with all the snakes before he was rescued drove him out of his mind, and he was never right again.
This was a hear-say story, as I did not meet the person myself, but I have always believed in the sincerity of the teller of the tale.
Hurricanes do strange things.
rmw
RE: Consequences of Pumping Out New Orleans
I am sorry for the folks in NO who have more of this to endure.
rmw
RE: Consequences of Pumping Out New Orleans
http://w
The date for the item I refer to is Oct. 13.
Unclesyd, looks like your eagle eye nailed it way early in this thread.
rmw
RE: Consequences of Pumping Out New Orleans
According to an acquaintance of mine who was out there a couple days after the break, the soup *was* thick enough to be gumbo.
Not that that says anything about the toxicity of the ingredients.
Hg
Eng-Tips policies: FAQ731-376
RE: Consequences of Pumping Out New Orleans
RE: Consequences of Pumping Out New Orleans
Here is a critical paragraph left out:
"Caution should be exercised when extrapolating the results presented here to other flooded parishes and districts within New Orleans because of differences in land use in these and other areas. These data represent water quality conditions in these neighborhoods between 5 and 9 days after the inundation from the flood, but prior to significant pumping of the floodwater back into Lake Pontchartrain. Importantly, these areas represent locations where many first-responders and residents were exposed to floodwaters. Although some conclusions can be drawn about the quality of the floodwater based on this data set, more detailed human exposure, waste load allocation, and ecological risk assessment calculations for Lake Pontchartrain should be conducted prior to reaching ultimate conclusions regarding the environmental impacts of Hurricane Katrina."
For the full report:
http://pub
RE: Consequences of Pumping Out New Orleans
[Maybe a sort of high-tech "Venice or "Waterworld"?]