“There’s no reason for anyone to worry.”
So sayeth Section Chief Brett Herr of the Army Corps of Engineers. He’s a talking about a wee small leak that’s been discovered at the 17th Street Canal floodwall.
This is one of the floodwalls that breached and flooded the city back in 2005. These floodwalls were designed and built — with fatal flaws — by the Army Corps. They ignored reports of seepage before Katrina.
And who repaired them? The same Army Corps.
No, there’s no reason for anyone to worry.
Speaking of flooding, and the Corps, they opened the Bonnet Carré Spillway a few days ago to divert water from the swollen Mississippi to Lake Pontchartrain. That got me to thinking about how, once upon a time, it was Spring that was the nervous season in New Orleans. Flooding mostly happened from the river rising, what with melting snow up North and April showers and whatnot. Last year was the 80th anniversary of the Great Flood of 1927, but I don’t remember hearing a word about it in the popular media. Now we’re mostly worried about hurricanes. We’ve got a hurricane evacuation plan, and the local media is always full of hurricane tips. But I honestly don’t know what we’re supposed to do if we get flooding from the river.
Update: At the Chef’s suggestion I offer the following image remix.
yeah, nice eye, B. but I thought the other side of that quote took the cake: “There’s no reason for anyone to worry,” Herr said. “That floodwall isn’t going anywhere.”
If I was so inclined or skilled, I’d consider it a new slogan:
“There’s no reason for anyone to worry. That floodwall isn’t going anywhere.”
* insert your own appropriate 17th St. Canal flood image here *
Props to the T-P writer for closing her story with this:
In spite of the clay cap, a small amount of water has continued to appear.
Holy crap! Is that the “leak” and if so, where is it? What’s the effect on the city?
A friend and I were just talking at FQF over the weekend about how every time the Corps tells us not to worry, for some reason, we get worried. You’d think they’d realize by now that they don’t inspire a lot of confidence.
David: Good gracious no, that’s not the leak. That’s a picture of the 2005 breach. Sorry for the confusion.
These houses in Old Jefferson between the levee and the river are having a close call.
I thank god daily for the martini. It’s makes things like the COE as relevant as flushing for my three year old. Same old poopoo, new day.