Tuesday, September 14, 2004
A stew of sewage, industrial chemicals and fire ants
Apparently, if Ivan hits New Orleans directly, the city might be inundated for weeks in a stew of sewage, industrial chemicals and fire ants. And, presumably, beads. Here's how ugly it might get:
The Big Easy could become the Big Greasy in a trice. Here's to hoping it doesn't happen.
UPDATE: Some weather dude on CNBC this morning is saying that New Orleans is not at risk for this kind of catastrophe from Ivan. This guy ("Joe") claims that such a disaster (the "stew" flooding) depends on the storm sweeping in from the east, and that does not really reflect Ivan's trajectory. Mobile, however, is screwed. According to Joe.
If the storm were strong enough, Ivan could drive water over the tops of the levees that protect the city from the Mississippi River and vast Lake Pontchartrain. And with the city sitting in a saucer-shaped depression that dips as much as 9 feet below sea level, there would be nowhere for all that water to drain....
The computer models show a hurricane with a wind speed of around 120 mph or more — hitting just west of New Orleans so its counterclockwise rotation could hurl the strongest surf and wind directly into the city — would push a storm surge from the Gulf of Mexico and Lake Pontchartrain over the city's levees. Ivan had sustained wind of 140 mph Tuesday.
New Orleans would be under about 20 feet of water, higher than the roofs of many of the city's homes.
Besides collecting standard household and business garbage and chemicals, the flood would flow through chemical plants in the area, "so there's the potential of pretty severe contamination," van Heerden said.
Severe flooding in area bayous also forces out wildlife, including poisonous snakes and stinging fire ants, which sometimes gather in floating balls carried by the current.
The Big Easy could become the Big Greasy in a trice. Here's to hoping it doesn't happen.
UPDATE: Some weather dude on CNBC this morning is saying that New Orleans is not at risk for this kind of catastrophe from Ivan. This guy ("Joe") claims that such a disaster (the "stew" flooding) depends on the storm sweeping in from the east, and that does not really reflect Ivan's trajectory. Mobile, however, is screwed. According to Joe.
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