What happens in Florida when a hurricane approaches, Lake

[HysteryDiagnosis]

Okeechobee is LOWERED.... by several feet. This is to reduce the possibility of it breaching its levees.

Now while I realize that Lake Ponchartrain may only be at sea level while Lake O is well above sea level and can be "drained" into the canals while the pump stations send it south to the Everglades....


Doesn't anyone here believe that with Lake Ponchartrains close proximity to the ocean.... that pump stations could have been built to pump it down in the face of an approaching storm? I don't see why not, if it works in Florida, why not LA?

One, just one pump station in Florida is capable of pumping billions of gallons per minute, can provide the figures, and that is just ONE STATION. Somebody tell me this is a crazy idea, but if it isn't, and if they were able to LOWER the lake by even a few feet, wouldn't it make a HUGE difference the way it does in FLorida?? I would think so, and maybe the guys in charge should think about it.

[teach1st]

1. I've wondered about this myself

http://www.sfwmd.gov/org/omd/division/540_wpb/geo1b_pump_wpb.html

S-5A Pump Station

The S-5A pump station began operations on May 2, 1955. The pump station houses six (6) 10 cylinder, opposed piston, 2 cycle diesel engines, each carrying 1600 horsepower. Each engine is capable of pumping 800 cubic feet of water per second (CFS).

G-310 / G-335 Pump Station

The G-310/G-335 pump station began operations in October 2000. These two stations are twin stations, architecturally, mechanically and operationally. Each station houses two (2) 10 cylinder, opposed piston, 2 cycle diesel engines, two (2) 6 cylinder, opposed piston, 2 cycle diesel engines and two (2) electric motors at 200 horsepower each. The 10 cylinder engines are capable of pumping 950 cubic feet of water per second (CFS); the 6 cylinder engines pump 470 cubic feet of water per second (CFS) and the electric motors pump 100 cubic feet of water per second. When the 4 main diesel engines at each station are running simultaneously they are capable of pumping 1,964,566,880 gallons of water per day per station and 81,861,120 gallons per hour.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

2. When that station is running with all engines... number one, you

can't hear a damn thing, number two, the canal that runs along state road 80 MOVES LIKE A RIVER. THERE ARE CURRENTS AND SWELLS... and it is over 100 feet across. I am going to do the math and put up the gallons per 24 hour period that S5A puts through.... back in a minute.

That's 331,776,000,000 CUBIC FEET PER DAY. Think that doesn't make a difference? It keeps thousands of acres of S. Florida Ag. land from flooding in even the fiercest rainstorms.

THIS IS WHAT THEY NEED, and they need to figure out how to plumb it into lake Ponchartrain so that it or a couple like it can lower that puppy IF they plan to rebuild this city. If they can cough up 8 billion dollars in Florida to protect some deer and alligators, and 200 billion and counting to turn Iraq into a living hell, they can certainly figure out how to protect NO from levee breaches.

[teach1st]

3. While you're ciphering...

Aren't these pumps of benefit to big sugar?

I don't think the pumps in New Orleans are as strong or as well-placed. Why Florida, and why not New Orleans?

[HysteryDiagnosis]

4. These pumps stations for YEARS have just about been the

property of big sugar. What the public doesn't know, and what the government didn't want them to learn is that the pump stations were a handmaiden to the sugar industry. They essentially took orders as to when and where to pump and how much from Okeelanta, Talisman, U.S. Sugar and others.

Now they are finally doing some very real flood control for the populated areas with Station 310 and others.... the reason for the better pump station placement and excellent canal system in Florida has got to come down to one thing. $$. They don't call it the Gold Coast for nothing.