Would LSU Flood?

[Emperor]

Most of LSU is in no danger if the levee overtops. The railroad tracks will stop most if not all of it.

Huh?

If a levee breaches anywhere in Baton Rouge while the river is at 47 feet, you'd better be long gone, have a life raft, or be prepared to shoot yourself to get it over quickly!

 

[oleheat]

FYI- when they say in the news media that it (Morganza) "hasn't been opened since 1973", that doesn't mean they haven't been testing it while preparing for this, guys. I know the crane was moving across the locks last week before the water was even in the north forebay. I also know that one of the locks going into the relief canal was slightly raised Sunday. They appeared to be letting a small amount of water flow into it.

I doubt all of the locks will be opened. More like about half of them....

 

[Praesul Presul]

From what I understand that used to occur naturally. The river would switch back and forth of several years before man 'tamed' the river.

You are correct. The river likes 4 routes before man came along - Lake Ponchartrain, present delta, around Raceland/Cutoff, and thru the Basin if I remember correctly. Before man came along sediment was deposited until it affected flow and with some other natural factors, Mother Nature moved to the new path of least resistance.

 

[petelanca]

It would be so proactive and heroic if Washington would mandate opening of the Spillway.

 

[Mac204]

yeah, cause Washington knows exactly ehats going on here....unless you mean Washington, LA, but no one would care about a "mandate" from them...

 

[oleheat]

It would be so proactive and heroic if Washington would mandate opening of the Spillway.

Barack could come down and flip the switch himself- all while triumphantly announcing from his teleprompter that "Morgonza is a true symbol of what is good and just about America....."

 

[03protege]

Any updates on this? Or is it still looking progressively worse as time goes on? What is the expected SHTF arrival time?

 

[Emperor]

Any updates on this? Or is it still looking progressively worse as time goes on? What is the expected SHTF arrival time?

That's all I got so far!

 

[oleheat]

Any updates on this? Or is it still looking progressively worse as time goes on? What is the expected SHTF arrival time?

Just got a quick update from OHC:

ROAD INFORMATION-DOTD does not anticipate any closures along I-10 or U.S. 90 due to the high water of the Mississippi. When opened, DOTD will close the portion of La. 1 that crosses the Morganza Spillway and assist in the inspection of the structure prior to allowing traffic to flow. The closure of the initial Spillway opening is estimated to last approximately six hours.

 

[Trickasabrick]

A lot would depend on the severity and location of the event. Overtopping in south BR would mean that lower areas near drainages would flood first, Bayou Fountain, Bayou Manchac, and areas west and south of Highland Road. With a major levee breach, I would look for all of the area west and south of Highland/Bluff Roads to be innundated, along with all the areas near Bayou Manchac, New River, and points south. The best place to be is up on the terrace at 30+ feet elevation. Since some of LSU is in the floodplain and not up on the terrace, at least part of it would flood in a major event.

 

[TomTerrific]

It would be so proactive and heroic if Washington would mandate opening of the Spillway.

They are mandated, as has been pointed out in most of the news articles I've read. When the level at Carrolton is __', BC is opened. When the flow at Red River Landing is __', Morganza is opened. I drove over Morganza in '73 when it was open.

I went to S'port quite a bit in the '70s and the Corps was always working on the Morganza facility. Some times the gates would be open and some times they would be shut.

 

[Praesul Presul]

Exactly why I live at 44'.

This might be helpful to some:
http://www.lsuagcenter.com/en/family_home/home/design_construction/Laws+Licenses+Permits/Getting+a+Permit/Your+Flood+Zone/flood_maps/

 

[biggin215]

As long as we keep G.W. Bush and his dynamite away from River Road, LSU should be ok.

 

[gotabyte]

Article on WWL TV in New Orleans about LSU being at risk if Morganza is not opened: http://www.wwltv.com/news/river-watch/LSU-at-risk-if-Morganza-Spillway-stays-closed-121535484.html

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.

 

[James Cannon]

Yea, but it is all kinda moot, though, isn't it?

They already decided to open the Morganza Spillway, they're just waiting for it to hit the 1.5million cubic feet/second mark, and it was only (heh, only) at 1.3mcfs as of this morning. They just have a specific mark where they want to open the spillway, not before.

 

[TomTerrific]

Yea, but it is all kinda moot, though, isn't it?

They already decided to open the Morganza Spillway, they're just waiting for it to hit the 1.5million cubic feet/second mark, and it was only (heh, only) at 1.3mcfs as of this morning. They just have a specific mark where they want to open the spillway, not before.

The 1.5Mcuft/sec is mandated by regulation. Same with opening Bonnet Carre.

 

[Mjolnir]

You are correct. The river likes 4 routes before man came along - Lake Ponchartrain, present delta, around Raceland/Cutoff, and thru the Basin if I remember correctly. Before man came along sediment was deposited until it affected flow and with some other natural factors, Mother Nature moved to the new path of least resistance.

LOL! Man was here during all of that time.

Other than that you're correct. It would meander.

 

[Duck Jenkins]

Are they going to open more gates today?