2019 Mississippi River

[mahtoo]

Thanks for the info. That was my plan to take a driving tour of the area. I've never been in that part of the state. North of False River and east of Marksville.

You're welcome. I suggest you don't wait too long. If indeed the Morganza structure is opened you are more likely to encounter the No Parking restrictions that Helmut has mentioned. For all I know those parking restrictions might already be in place.

[mahtoo]

I did that back in 2011 when they were opening morganza spillway. The river was almost up to the road on the river side. I wanted to stop and take photos but there was no place to park AND the strictly prohibited parking in the area unless an emergency. It was scary.

Even more scary than that is to stand on top of the Miss River levee near White Castle or Donaldsonville, where the river alignment changes drastically in those curves, it makes the hair stand up on the back of your neck to see that water coming at you when it's within 3-5 feet of the levee crown. Understand I'm not suggesting anyone access the levee crown to see that. Levee crown access is already restricted.

No one knows what disaster awaits us or when. I would be more worried about a Miss R levee failure below Baton Rouge more specifically than I am about one of the Old River structures failing. If a structure fails, the uncontrolled flow, as much of a disaster as that would be, would still be confined within the levees of the floodways. If a Miss R levee fails we would be confronted with uncontrolled/uncontained/sheet flow that IMO would be the worst possible situation.

FYI: I have been retired from USACE for more than 10 years now so my memory doesn't always serve me well, but as best I recall the Morgan City/Berwick areas are protected to approximately elevation 20 or 22 feet.

[Boomer]

Even more scary than that is to stand on top of the Miss River levee near White Castle or Donaldsonville, where the river alignment changes drastically in those curves, it makes the hair stand up on the back of your neck to see that water coming at you when it's within 3-5 feet of the levee crown. Understand I'm not suggesting anyone access the levee crown to see that. Levee crown access is already restricted.

No one knows what disaster awaits us or when. I would be more worried about a Miss R levee failure below Baton Rouge more specifically than I am about one of the Old River structures failing. If a structure fails, the uncontrolled flow, as much of a disaster as that would be, would still be confined within the levees of the floodways. If a Miss R levee fails we would be confronted with uncontrolled/uncontained/sheet flow that IMO would be the worst possible situation.

FYI: I have been retired from USACE for more than 10 years now so my memory doesn't always serve me well, but as best I recall the Morgan City/Berwick areas are protected to approximately elevation 20 or 22 feet.

.....I think it was in “Rising Tide” but what was the dynamite story of the levees past NO for the great flood? And could somebody put up that black comedian that would say. ——DY NO MITE!

[HelmutVII]

I was wondering when stories like this would start to show up


https://weather.com/news/news/2019-0...ska-iowa-texas

[mahtoo]

You're welcome. I suggest you don't wait too long. If indeed the Morganza structure is opened you are more likely to encounter the No Parking restrictions that Helmut has mentioned. For all I know those parking restrictions might already be in place.

I'm hearing rumors that Hwy 1 over the Morganza structure has been closed to traffic. Trying to verify.

[ZoomZoom]

East side at Morganza 2011. Dust from dump trucks delivering sand and such. That was on Mother's Day. Kind of puts things in perspective what is occurring 2 months prior to May this year

[ZoomZoom]

View from west side.

[Boomer]

Man this stuff is so interesting for the uninformed......what is the latest guess based upon the winter storm Ulmer and the bad flooding up North? Also anybody got the dynamite thing? Wasn’t there a big discussion with BWK about the volume of water going into the spillways based upon gates open and why aren’t the gates opened now?

[ZoomZoom]

winter storm Ulmer,

Are you speaking of the cold front traversing the US with an unusually deep low pressure center?

https://www.livescience.com/62085-wi...orm-names.html

There’s a link in there for the 10 worst US blizzards. Amazing how long ago (relative to minute recording time frame) many of those happening. Darn cows!

[CharlieK]

Man this stuff is so interesting for the uninformed......what is the latest guess based upon the winter storm Ulmer and the bad flooding up North? Also anybody got the dynamite thing? Wasn't there a big discussion with BWK about the volume of water going into the spillways based upon gates open and why aren't the gates opened now?

The gates? The ORCS gates are operating, Bonnet Carre is open I believe, and the trigger point to open Morganza hasn't been reached yet. Not sure which gates you are asking about.

I'm assuming the "dynamite thing" you are talking about was when they blew up the levee south of new orleans during the 1927 flood. Here is a picture of that.

[HelmutVII]

The gates? The ORCS gates are operating, Bonnet Carre is open I believe, and the trigger point to open Morganza hasn't been reached yet. Not sure which gates you are asking about.

I'm assuming the "dynamite thing" you are talking about was when they blew up the levee south of new orleans during the 1927 flood. Here is a picture of that.

ORCS is passing 543000 CFS as of this morning. Bonnet Carre is opened but not all the way. Correct on Morganza.

The storm that dumped a Blizzard on Denver Wednesday into Thursday is now dumping rain and snow in the upper midwest and is not helping things at all. Fortunately the Mississippi river is stabilizing at Vicksburg and stations south. they are predicting the river to start receding on about the 21st of March. We shall see.

[CharlieK]

ORCS is passing 543000 CFS as of this morning. Bonnet Carre is opened but not all the way. Correct on Morganza.

The storm that dumped a Blizzard on Denver Wednesday into Thursday is now dumping rain and snow in the upper midwest and is not helping things at all. Fortunately the Mississippi river is stabilizing at Vicksburg and stations south. they are predicting the river to start receding on about the 21st of March. We shall see.

Is the max design thru ORCS still 620,000? Or is it more now with the hydro plant?

[CajunEXPRESS]

Flooded poor black farmers in Plaqumine and St Bernard Parishes.

White privileged

[CharlieK]

Found it, max design discharge at ORCS is 700,000 cfs

https://www.mvn.usace.army.mil/Porta...olBrochure.pdf

[Cajun90]

"The Cooper Nuclear Station lies just downstream of Nebraska City, and the nuclear power plant is expected to close this weekend due to high flood waters on the Missouri River. The plant was able to stay open during the record 2011 flood, so this may be the first time the plant is closed for flooding."

Not good.