More information. The industrial canal is how New Orleans pumps discharge to the Lake. But simulations demonstrated that a storm surge would be particularly high in this canal. Normally, a barge could be sunk across the canal opening. But pumps need that canal to pump out the city.
Normally barges could move down the canal to seal or rebuild the levee. But the city built a low bridge over the canal so that barges and other construction equipment cannot access the broken levee.
Even worse, the levees are often constructed of sand - a rather poor material for levees. Once water overflowed the levee, sand quickly washes away.
The military must fly helicopters carrying sand to close a hole at least 500 feet long and who knows how deep. All this while tides wash out what has been dumped in. Ever watch the futility of helicopters trying to quash a fire in Chernobyl? Eventually the hole will be closed - at a cost of expensive and high maintenance choppers desperately needed elsewhere. Chopper that sometimes require eight hours of maintenance for one hour of flight. Just can't think of a more expensive way to seal a levee.
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Originally Posted by Happy Monkey
Why should Venice get all of the sunken-city tourist dollars? I say rebuild New Orleans on stilts.
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Clearly the Venice solution - making Canal Street truly a canal - makes sense. But they have sympathy. Federal money will rebuild New Orleans.
Meanwhile far more serious damage is located in MS and AL where so little is being reported.