Diverted Mississippi River heads toward Cajun homes, farms

[sasha031]

MORGANZA, La. — Water from the inflated Mississippi River gushed through a floodgate Saturday for the first time in nearly four decades and headed toward thousands of homes and farmland in the Cajun countryside, threatening to slowly submerge the land under water up to 25 feet deep.As the gate was raised, the river poured out like a waterfall, at times spraying 6 feet into the air. Fish jumped or were hurled through the white froth and within 30 minutes, 100 acres of what was dry land was under about a foot of water.

The opening of the Morganza spillway diverted water from Baton Rouge and New Orleans, and the numerous oil refineries and chemical plants along the lower reaches of the Mississippi. Shifting the water away from the cities will ease the strain on downriver levees and thwart potential flooding in New Orleans that could have been much worse than during Hurricane Katrina."We're using every flood control tool we have in the system," Army Corps of Engineers Maj. Gen. Michael Walsh said during a news conference on the dry side of the spillway, before the bay was opened.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43031789

[liberal N proud]

1. My heart goes out to those who are in the path but...

These people have known for years that this could and most likely would happen some day. The spillways were built in the 1930's for this purpose and people chose to live there anyway.

[LiberalLoner]

3. I feel badly for them too. I hope so much they all have good insurance and that

they won't be shortchanged or cheated. I hope too that they had enough time to rescue any valuables that were especially important to them.

We had a housefire (we were gone on a trip when lightning struck) and everything was gone. Photos, afghans and quilts that my mother had made for me, etc. We had good insurance (USAA) but I feel for these people because I'm sure there will be things they will miss, even if they are able to rebuild again and replace the furniture.

[Warpy]

4. Exactly, and the land will likely be the better for this flood

which will lay down a thick layer of silt.

After all, the alternative is drowning New Orleans again.

[malaise]

7. Do you really think these people have known this for years?

I have my doubts

[liberal N proud]

8. I don't - see here...

At risk in the Atchafalaya Basin are Morgan City (population 13,500), various smaller populated places, many farms, thousands of oil and gas wells, and considerable swampland. Inhabitants know that the region is a natural floodplain, and the Corp of Engineers isuses written notices annually to all interests reminding them of the possibility that it might open the spillway and flood the area. Any decision to open the spillway must be carefully planned to give ample warning and protect life and property. Part of that planning process includes the Corps' preparation of maps known as "inundation scenarios" so that interested parties can discuss how much water, if any, should be allowed through the spillway

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morganza_Spillway

[MineralMan]

2. It's bad news all around.

But, those spillways were built to do just what they're doing - protect the large cities down-river. They weren't a secret. Living on a flood plain is risky business.

[pacalo]

5. What you said is the unfortunate (for those who chose to live in the swamplands) truth.

Well stated.

[MineralMan]

6. Thanks. I really feel for those people.

I hope the government offers assistance to them, and I imagine it will. It's a terrible thing, but this has been a bad flood year. It does happen every few decades.