On MSNBC: Donald Basham of the US Corps of Engineers....

[Media_Lies_Daily]

...claimed that work is currently being done to close the gaps in the levees with sandbags.

I don't think ANY work is currently being done to close the gaps in the levees. In fact, I don't believe work has even been started on the levees.

Does anyone have any current info to support Basham's comments?

[ohio_liberal]

1. Certainly no images

I keep seeing video and photographs online of the wide-open levee breaches and I sure as hell don't see anyone working on them. But does it matter at this point? They say the water is equalized and no longer rising. The priority has to be getting the people out of there!

[leftchick]

2. on the news last night I saw some sand bags

GIANT sandbags being lifted onto a trailer bed. They were not at the levee yet.

[Karmadillo]

3. In order to save tax money, maybe they're going to see if evaporation

can do the job.

[ProfessorGAC]

6. That'll Work!

It might take 10 or 12 years, but it would work. That's exactly the kind of thing Silverspoon would endorse.
The Professor

[OneBlueSky]

4. well, that's strange . . . I heard earlier that the Corps was . . .

intentionally opening additional breaches in the leveee to help drain the city . . . can't have it both ways, folks . . .

[mom cat]

7. They are talking about intentional breaches is another part of the

levee where the water level is lower to bring the flood waters down a bit. it maakes some sence now...but what should have done on Monday could have prevented this...It is too late now to spare the filling of the bowl.

[AlCzervik]

5. maybe that means they are lining up the helicopters?

i just keep hearing about what they will do and not that they have actually begun the work.

[back2basics909]

8. I read...

.. in the Tribune this morning that they tried bags, and they kept getting washed away. They said they are trying something heavier hopefully today.

A few days ago i read they would need hundreds of helicopters to get sad bags to work as they would just get washed away... and well they did. I also heard a quote saying that helicopters were being taken away from the levees to do search and rescue.

[NewJeffCT]

9. local paper said they were using helicopters to drop sandbags

That was the Hartford Courant, which I assume got it from a wire service?

[H5N1]

10. I believe the sandbag plan has been abandoned

they were talking about sinking platforms
to be held in place by deeply driven pillars.

Sounds totally unorganized and everyone seems pissed.