Holden urges people to prepare for rising river

Residents should stock up on necessities to prepare for the rising Mississippi River and possible flooding, as if a hurricane were approaching, Mayor Kip Holden told the audience in a packed downtown hotel ballroom today. People should have canned goods, water, flashlights, batteries, and two- to three-weeks’ worth of prescription medicines; and they should check on their family and neighbors, especially the elderly. He urged churches to prepare for the possibility of dispensing water and food. In the unlikely event of a catastrophic levee failure, about 100,000 people will be impacted, primarily across a large swath of the southwest portion of the parish, said Bryan Harmon of the Department of Public Works. The city-parish and the Army Corps of Engineers are working on “inundation maps” and preparing for that possibility, he says. Harmon said a levee failure, if it happened, would happen slowly, implying that there would be plenty of warning. Seepage is expected, and neighborhoods within 1,500 to 2,000 feet of the levee can expect to see some water, Harmon says, mentioning the Riverbend area specifically. He says the drainage system can handle “minor overtopping” if an inch or two of water sloshes over the levee. Jim Ferguson, the city-parish drainage engineer, says the river is projected to crest at 47.5 feet in 10 days, while our levees range from “47-ish to 51,” which is why workers are reinforcing low points with sandbags and using inflatable orange “Tiger Dams” that add 15 to 18 inches. “You are seeing a historic event,” Ferguson says. —David Jacobs