2011 Mississippi River Spring Floods

[NewsCopy]

But not everyone is as prepared as these two Cajuns to meet the rising brown waters of the Atchafalaya River. They don't need sandbags. They have a freezer full of Fudgsicles, three generators and a flat-screen TV. The brothers plan to ride out the coming ...

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[CajunRed]

Jumbo...I appreciate,and I am sure many other, appreciate the info you have provided. Looking forward to ongoing updates and analysis.


igeaux.mobi

[NewsCopy]

Everywhere you put a trap, you got filled up,” he said. Yet Jay Huner, 65, a marine scientist and former director of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette Crawfish Research Center, recalled a darker side to that flood. “You literally could not give ...

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[CharlieK]

Ok sounds like the old river structures are flowing 661,000 cfs. Originally there were only two structures (low sill and overbank) which combined were designed for 620,000 cfs. Now there are two more structures (aux. and the hydro plant) that can flow an additonal 520,000 cfs. So we are at 661,000 out of a designed 1.14 million. Does that sound right Helmut et al?

http://www.mvn.usace.army.mil/bcarre...ht-19may11.pdf

[Turbine]

That is a whole lot of H2o

igeaux.mobi

[Bandwagon King]

_ Ok sounds like the old river structures are flowing 661,000 cfs. Originally there were only two structures (low sill and overbank) which combined were designed for 620,000 cfs. Now there are two more structures (aux. and the hydro plant) that can flow an additonal 520,000 cfs. So we are at 661,000 out of a designed 1.14 million. Does that sound right Helmut et al?

http://www.mvn.usace.army.mil/bcarre...ht-19may11.pdf _

I have a question about the old river control structure. I have seen that the estimated flow through just that structure to be as high as 660,0000 CFS. which is like 110% of the capacity. How can something flow at 110% of its capacity. Isn't that like giving 110% on the field?

Is it not possible that they are talking about the OCS combined with the turbine plant?

[CharlieK]

_ I have a question about the old river control structure. I have seen that the estimated flow through just that structure to be as high as 660,0000 CFS. which is like 110% of the capacity. How can something flow at 110% of its capacity. Isn't that like giving 110% on the field?

Is it not possible that they are talking about the OCS combined with the turbine plant? _

The way I understand it: It was designed to flow a certain amount. In other words it can handle a certain amount of water (volume and flow rate) forced through before they feel serious damage will occur. However, there is nothing stopping more water from being forced through it than the original designers thought might happen. This can occur because the head between the two rivers has increased over time. Just like there is nothing stopping the guy running the mud pumps from overpressuring the pipe. Just because it's rated for 10,000 psi or whatever doesn't mean I can't force more through it and break it. In this case God is running the pumps. Maybe a bad analogy but the best I could come up with quickly.

In our case though, the 620,000 cfs orignal design capacity has been increased by adding two more structures so the actual capacity is more like 1.14 million. It appears they have left the 620,000 cfs design limit on the structurs and use the new added capacity as safety factor.

[NewsCopy]

VICKSBURG, Miss. – Eddie Simmons was relieved to hear that the Mississippi River crested slightly lower than expected north of him in Vicksburg, confident his house would survive the flooding that is plaguing many states. Simmons, a retired logger, is ...

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[Bandwagon King]

_ The way I understand it: It was designed to flow a certain amount. In other words it can handle a certain amount of water (volume and flow rate) forced through before they feel serious damage will occur. However, there is nothing stopping more water from being forced through it than the original designers thought might happen. This can occur because the head between the two rivers has increased over time. Just like there is nothing stopping the guy running the mud pumps from overpressuring the pipe. Just because it's rated for 10,000 psi or whatever doesn't mean I can't force more through it and break it. In this case God is running the pumps. Maybe a bad analogy but the best I could come up with quickly.

In our case though, the 620,000 cfs orignal design capacity has been increased by adding two more structures so the actual capacity is more like 1.14 million. It appears they have left the 620,000 cfs design limit on the structurs and use the new added capacity as safety factor. _

I have another question. Is it not possible that by opening the Bonnie Carrie as early as they did thereby taking back pressure away from the river below the control structures that it has caused the Mississipi to flow quite a bit more water down its natural route than was being calculated? That this combined with opening the structure at Morganza is causing the Mississippi to relieve more water than has been calculated & therefore there is less passing through the ORCS than has been calculated? I am not hating on the math I am just saying that the river & the spillway ceratinly are not rising at the levels that they were projected to according to the dates & levels projected. I understand that we're not out of the woods yet, but its been almost 36 hours since the last argument started & Butte Larose is still at 21.00' & Morgan City is is still well below 9.00' as well as Calumet cut.

[sportsfanatic21]

I know zero about any of this (other than what I've read here), but does any of this discussion take into account the "back up" flooding that ive heard mentioned? And if so, how does that work? And what are the projections as to how much and where? Thanks for all the info guys.

igeaux.mobi