louisiana spillway

louisiana spillway

With the opening of a major spillway all but certain in Louisiana, residents in the flood zone made preparations for the consequences of the decision.

In order to lower anticipated cresting levels along the rising Mississippi River and divert water from Baton Rouge and New Orleans, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers could open the Morganza Spillway as early as Saturday.

The move would flood parts of low-lying south-central Louisiana.

"Right now, a lot of people are real nervous about it. It's sad," said Larry Doiron, a resident of Stephenville, a town that could face flooding because of the spillway's opening. "We need to have protection so that they don't flood us."

He said his subdivision would likely be fine, as it was built at a relatively high elevation, but that his neighbors were building additional levees and putting out sandbags.

Morgan City, which sits on the banks of the Atchafalaya River, could also see rising water if the spillway is opened.
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RELATED TOPICS

* Floods
* Louisiana
* Mississippi
* U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

"Really, we're just waiting," said Evie Bertaut, who has lived in Morgan City for 50 years.

Officials believe that the levees will protect the city from flooding, but some are taking preliminary precautions, she said. At Sacred Heart Church, where Bertaut works, people spent the day moving important documents such a baptismal, marriage and financial records to the second floor.

"Most people are getting their photographs together, things that you can't replace in case you have to go," she said.

The Mississippi River Commission has directed the Corps to operate the crucial spillway once river flows reach a certain trigger: 1.5 million cubic feet per second. Projections indicate the tipping point could be hit as early as Saturday evening, Jindal has said.

Opening the spillway would lower anticipated cresting levels along the lower Mississippi River and divert water from Baton Rouge and New Orleans but would flood much of low-lying south-central Louisiana. Seven parishes are expected to be affected by the opening -- Pointe Coupee, St. Landry, St. Martin, Iberia, Iberville, St. Mary and Terrebonne -- according to the Corps.

read more: cnn