"My recollection is that on Monday when they thought "some" water was coming into the city they were looking for evidence of a levee breach."
Found it.
Water tops 9th Ward levee system
On an early morning radio interview, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin said that water was coming over the levee system in the Lower 9th Ward, especially in the Florida Avenue area. Nagin said that the Florida Avenue pumping station was not working, and there were unconfirmed reports of people standing on their roofs.
"There is a significant amount of water in the 9th Ward," Nagin said.
Water, water everywhere
Floodwaters are starting to become a problem in Orleans Parish, with 6 to 8 feet of water collecting in the Lower 9th Ward, state officials said at a briefing Monday just before 9 a.m.
After a morning conference call with state and parish officials, Maj. Gen. Bennett C. Landreneau said emergency personnel stationed at Jackson Barracks have confirmed that the waters are rising, although he could not say whether the cause was a levee breach or overtopping. Extensive flooding has been reported along St. Claude and Claiborne avenues.
That was at 9am.
Rescuers can't get to those who are stranded
New Orleans, 9th Ward, 2 p.m.
Wes McDermott, from the office of emergency preparedness in New Orleans, said officials have fielded at least 100 calls from people in distress in the Lower 9th Ward and eastern New Orleans.
People report they are waiting on roofs and clinging to trees, he said. But McDermott said the city cannot send rescue crews out until the wind drops below 50 mph.
Angela Chalk, a lieutenant with the community emergency response team in New Orleans, said her niece, Brandi Hyde, is one of those people stranded and awaiting rescue. She said her niece is stranded on a roof of a three-story apartment building on Bundy Road, along with other tenants.
Meanwhile, City Hall confirmed a breach of the levee along the 17th Street Canal at Bellaire Drive, allowing water to spill into Lakeview.
That was at 2pm.
By 5:20pm, the firefighters were being hampered.
Fire and water
Monday 5:20 p.m.
Heading east on Interstate 10 Monday afternoon, one could see many people sitting or standing on their rooftops or leaning out of attic-level windows.
That was on the river side of the interstate. On the lake side, a fire was burning.
A man in a New Orleans Fire Department vehicle, who did not want to identify himself, said the department was aware of the fire and that it was probably near or at the intersection of Touro Street and Florida Avenue. He had to approximate, though, because fire officials couldn't reach the blaze.
He said 6 to 8 feet of water was keeping fire officials from getting close.
nola.com
So yeah, they were unsure of where the water was coming from early on Monday. But by 2pm they were sure there was at least one levee breached. Of course, you could be right. It wasn't real to them until they could read about it in the paper. |
