Stephensville - here in this small hamlet sillonné by the bayous and story ranch houses, neighbouring congregate on the corner of speak, children take a break to splash in the water and an elderly couple watches in their porch swing.
The scene would be like any other lazy afternoon - but for the frantic sandbagging. It has been underway for five days, since that Stephenville and other communities who trail below Baton Rouge in the Gulf of the Mexico, has learned that the US Army Corps of Engineers can open Floodway Morganza to divert surging water of the Mississippi Riverfar from the major metropolitan areas, including New Orleans and it streams in the basin of the Atchafalaya, which leads in the Gulf.
The decision to finally open the Morganza came Friday afternoon. Representatives of the body, said that the opening is planned to prevent river water from rising plu 17 feet in New Orleans. Without the use of the Morganza high water should Crest at 19.5 feet, only six inches from the top of the lift of the city and the floodwall system.
MONITOR QUIZ: Quiz of news Weekly for May 9-13, 2011
Time is short to Stephensville, like most small towns located along the tributaries of the Morganza rips.
With the opening of the Floodway late Saturday afternoon, high water expected to arrive Tuesday. The body, said about 2,500 people located directly within the diversion channel will be affected, but the greatest impact will be and backwaters, where 22 500 more people have houses.
"There is nothing you can do." You agree that you can and go from there, "explains Betty Gros, who lives nearby Amelia, Louisiana), in the brick ranch house she shared with her husband, a commercial fisherman for 43 years."
How high stacking sand bags?Many here know that the walls of two to six sandbag height can do little against water should enter Floodway 150,000 feet cubes per second, resulting in water levels pourrait Crest between 10 and 16 feet downstream.
a we ?What €? re making here is for a minor flood. Something more will large be in vain, a
Yet, then bagging.
About 35 prisoners of parish, dressed in black and white, combinations fill bags for people who are unable to do so themselves. Line of trucks for their allocation, while other local sections - whole families usually, certain groups of friends - the sweat as they pushed their shovels in the sand. On average, approximately one thousand sandbags needed to surround a House.
The sand is free, but only if you can search. If you are older or do not have a vehicle, private operators will send a mound of sand in your lawn for about $240 a load.
The local fire department distributes empty sand bags free of charge. Thrown off the coast of a truck, beams bounce on Earth as a heavy case of layers.
Moreover, emergency close roads staff so that they can channel of sand bags and protect infrastructure such as power plants and water pumps.
This region has seen its fair share of flooding over the decades - "big time", said Randy Chaisson, who grew up in the region. Which means that, for some, these days were less taken panic and the topic to see how much damage further the region commit to the last moment.
"We are going to get some, but I don't know how, says Mr. Chaisson, a former Carpenter who was surveying activity on his bicycle.".
As any catastrophe in any part of the world, the poor and elderly people are the most vulnerable.
The view from the garden of housing in the city of Morgan is the local police are a channel. As men shout above the grinding of the lynx, a group of elderly quietly have their daily cat under a gazebo.
Flo Menard, says that she has no choice but to stay because she has nowhere to go. "I am not even worried about it," said Mrs. Menard. She and her friends go that "when it strikes and they knock on our door."
With bayous, canals and lakes in all directions, it is in the same region, yet delivered an economy pas equalised by the oil spill in the Gulf of the Mexico and the subsequent moratorium on oil drilling in deep water.
Most of the people living here because their way of life over generations is linked to water. It is common to see that a boat, not one car, parked in an alley and even a second on the lawn. Lobster traps stack up against the backyard fences. Convenience stores to display photographs of proud faces holding their winning catch - fish, turtles, or alligator.
While the region has changed in the recent past, with more than immigrants of the Viet Nam and the Mexico, many observers believe that life is not. Which is why some, like Pat Fryou of Amelia, says that it is more concerned about losing his newly planted flowerbeds, which she asked her husband to ensure that protect its sand bags.
"A good place to live" "it is a good place." We know everyone on the bayou, "Mrs. Fryou."
There is still evidence of the strain.
Gregg Logan is driving out of town, moving objects of value such as the family China and antique furniture to a public storage space that he rented in Morgan City, which is already fortified by dikes. His home, relief 10 feet above the flood plain, is based on four distinct layers: concrete, fill dirt, sand River and a concrete slab. In addition, he flood insurance amply and his home was never received water.
Yet, he will not take any chances. "It's gonna get bad," says Mr. Logan.
Others are leaving - and they do not plan to return.
"That sandbagging is not enough," said Bonnie Acosta. She has no insurance against floods. The House she rents sticks because it is the only one on the block who would say that it was a week ago. Its value objects are already moved out of the area, and everything that she and her husband have left to do is a walk and see what happened to his block.
"I'm not back." Why? We have water in this House, "Ms. Acosta said, his voice shaking." Behind his sunglasses, watches it dig its neighbors and plant sandbags in the walls of the boot. "It is time."
MONITOR QUIZ: Quiz of news Weekly for May 9-13, 2011
No comments:
Post a Comment