08:40 PM - Page 495

samurairabbi · 05-10-2011, 09:14

I offer Tevye's lament from "Fiddler on the Roof":

Oh Lord. You made many many poor people. I realize, of course, that it's no shame to be poor ... but it's no great honor either!

VN350X10 · 05-10-2011, 09:28

Hey Shadow, how you doi'n w/the flooding ? Or are you on the only high ground in the state ? Pontoons on the 'puter perhaps ?
Keep dry friend !

uncle

(off subject but necessary)

_The_Shadow · 05-10-2011, 09:57

I'm north of the River, they are opening the Bonnet Carré Spillway in an efford to lower the river levels both above and below...they are considering opening the Atchafalaya Spillway further up river also to ease the pressures on the levy systems an make shipping less hazardous. More latter!

samurairabbi · 05-10-2011, 12:07

Shadow, have you heard anything about possibilities of the authorities deciding to open the Morganza Floodway further down on the Atchafalaya? If I recall correctly, the Morganza has been open only once before since it was built.

_The_Shadow · 05-10-2011, 13:25

The Morganza Spillway are the gates that spills into the Atchafalaya Spillway they need to evacuate some people and livestock from in that basin before they open it...I think they opened it in 1973-4 last time.

I use to hunt near the Marganza spillway along the Mississippi river on a friend of mine's private land...big deer running along the river, of course the high river levels will force the deer to move to higher ground or head for the farm lands and woods protected by the levys.

_The_Shadow · 05-10-2011, 13:40

Actually the river has funneled so much water and sediment offshore that none is being deposited in the marshes as it would with the opening of the spillways. People having to move out of the spillway is a problem but the havoc possed on the fishing industry with the influx of fresh water and silt will desimated the oysters, speckle trout and red fish for quite a while. Some of this is being blown out of proportion but most is true...

However should the levys break or be broken by shipping traffic the consequences will be even more devastating than what happens to the fishing industry...

Besides Global Warming is all Al Gore's fault!

VN350X10 · 05-10-2011, 21:09

Stay safe friend, & keep us posted.

uncle albert

ChuteTheMall · 05-10-2011, 21:38

Keep your powder dry.

_The_Shadow · 05-10-2011, 22:07

Thanks for the concerns guys, I should be OK on my end...I'm north of New Orleans.
There are about 2000+ people that actually live inside the Atchafalaya within the flood plane they have been warned of the opening which may happen saturday. They know of the situation and are working to move out of harms way.

The biggest fear is that breakaway barges or a ship loosing control and with the river current running at 5 to 6 knots could damage levys...it is not uncommon along the river levys to look over someone's house and see ships floating by high above the level of the house's roof.

As f this evening Mississippi river is at 17+ feet above sea level...even with the Bonnet Carré Spillway part way open. The levys protect New Orleans to 20'.

Most of the City of New Orleans and surrounding towns are below or at sea level so you can see where a levy breech would have a sever impact! Especially in heavily populated areas.

1.3 million cubic feet per second of water is flowing past Baton Rouge and 1.2 million cubic feet per second past New Orleans.

samurairabbi · 05-10-2011, 22:42

Have they imposed any restrictions on shipping speed or density on the river?

_The_Shadow · 05-11-2011, 10:57

Yes! they are monitoring vessel traffic very closely and use of river pilots aboard, also they have a "no work" restriction on or around the levy systems hopefully to prevent damage.

It's amazing just how much snow melt and rain there was in the north, the flooding up there was disasterous to say the least.

VN350X10 · 05-11-2011, 20:15

Yeah, us "Damn Yankees" did get a bit of snow this year. Fargo N.D. had something like 40.6' of snow total, they average around 26'. And the upper Mid-West was very similar for all the other states. N.D. just stuck in my mind because they had the most.

uncle

samurairabbi · 05-11-2011, 20:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by _The_Shadow

Yes! they are monitoring vessel traffic very closely and use of river pilots aboard, also they have a "no work" restriction on or around the levy systems hopefully to prevent damage.

Shadow, eighty years ago, the threat of levee sabotage against the "opposite bank" levees was an enormous concern. Has that issue faded?

_The_Shadow · 05-11-2011, 21:19

Samurai Rabbi, be it levee sabotage like years past or terrorist that threat is very real today...we know some idiots have the ultimate solutions to everything!

The levees as they stand today along the river have sheet pile walls driven deep past the base, which makes them really strong. But at the curret water levels of 17+ feet and crest near 19'+ or 20' the levees are designed for 20'+ feet a ship or group of barges could slide up near the top and start the damage which could result in the errosion failure of a large section.

VN350X10 · 05-12-2011, 18:03

Many, many moons ago, various Native American tribes DIDN'T set their encampments in the flood plain of the Mississippi River in springtime.
But the white settelers are a LOT smarter than the Indians, right ??

uncle

MinervaDoe · 05-12-2011, 18:58

There is that persistent anecdote about engineers back in the 1700s advising against building structures in New Orleans location. So, instead of blaming whitey, maybe we should blame the real estate developers.

_The_Shadow · 05-13-2011, 15:54

The state of Louisiana was given permission to open the Morganza Spillway as early as tommorrow morning! (News brief 4:50pm today) This should lessen the impact further down river near Baton Rouge and New Orleans.

It should aid in upstream impact also.

Kegs · 05-13-2011, 17:54

Midnight delight.

_The_Shadow · 05-13-2011, 17:59

Kegs, you have gone and stepped off in this one...grab hold and hang on!

MinervaDoe · 05-13-2011, 21:09

I went through the emergency equipment on the Heart of Gold and I found this. You are welcome to it, if need be. .

_The_Shadow · 05-13-2011, 21:18

I suppose that is better than haviing nothing! I like the pink ears!
However I have PFD's in my truck and others in my boat...

Thanks for the offer though!

MinervaDoe · 05-13-2011, 21:30

Sure. We've got our fingers crossed that you won't be adrift.

samurairabbi · 05-13-2011, 22:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by _The_Shadow

Kegs, you have gone and stepped off in this one...grab hold and hang on!

Shadow, we have it all set up for the Kegs "orientation":

Raucous inebriated debauched revelry up in the Penthouse
Embezzlement orientation by the Dungeon financial types
Sitting through subtly nuanced philisophical dissertations
A wearying session of dull boring admin duty

If he makes it through all that, he is prime 10-Ring material.
If he doesn't, the 10-Ring Med Center will set him up for a brain transplant.

MinervaDoe · 05-13-2011, 22:23

Throw in a chronograph and some gallon jugs for him to shoot and I'll bet he sticks around.

_The_Shadow · 05-13-2011, 22:42

Samurai Rabbi, That's kind of what I figured. That you all would introduce him to the welcoming committee for processing...At first, he will think he is on a treadmill!

MinervaDoe, That's a great idea, we wouldn't want Kegs to be to far out of his element...might have to let him handload also!