Civil engineering and infrastructure repair in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina

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Hurricane Katrina 2005 Atlantic hurricane season

Timeline Economic effects Damage to infrastructure Political effects Criticism of gov't response Social effects Effects by region Effects on Mississippi Effects on New Orleans N.O. hurricane preparedness Superdome—Astrodome Civil disturbances Infrastructure repairs Disaster relief International response Canadian response Dutch response French response Mexican response Russian response Singaporean response Swedish response Alternative theories Historical context Commons: Katrina images Wikinews: Katrina stories Wikisource: NOAA warning bulletin Wikisource: USACE on "unwatering" N.O.

When Category 4 storm Hurricane Katrina slammed into New Orleans, on the night before August 29, 2005, storm surges estimated at 20 feet took place; levee height was about 17 feet. Several flood control constructions failed. Much of the city flooded with water which poured through the openings and over the top of levees.

One of these was the flood wall forming one side of the 17th Street Canal, near Lake Pontchartrain. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is the primary agency for engineering support during such emergencies. A USACE team was assessing the situation in New Orleans on the 29th, water flow was stopped at the 17th Street Canal September 2, and the breach was closed on September 5.

Other breaches were also repaired and pumps worked at emptying the city. Power lines and other infrastructure began to be repaired.

Hurricane Rita brushed the city nearly a month later, causing reflooding of some areas.

Contents 1 Background 2 Levees and canals 2.1 August 27: Before the storm 2.2 August 29: Day of the storm 2.3 August 30: Flood 2.4 August 31: Recovery begins 2.5 September 1: Construction 2.6 September 2: Water flow stopped 2.7 September 3 2.8 September 4: Almost done 2.9 September 5: Breach closed 2.10 September 6: Pumping and moving on 2.11 September 7: Sandbagging London Avenue 2.12 September 8 2.13 September 10: Final critical breach closed 2.14 September 12 2.15 September 13 2.16 September 15: Halfway done 2.17 September 18 2.18 September 21: Preparation for Rita 2.19 September 23: Rita's flooding 3 Unwatering the city 4 Recovery of infrastructure 5 See also 6 References

Background

The breaches that occurred on the levees surrounding New Orleans were located on the 17th Street Canal and London Avenue Canal. The floodwall atop the canal levee was one foot wide at the top and widened to two feet at the base. The visible portion is a concrete cap on steel sheet pile that anchors to the wall. Sheet piles are interlocked steel columns, in this case at least 30 feet long, with 6 to 10 feet visible above ground.

Another breach was on a levee by Industrial Canal, which flooded the east side of the city during the storm.

The 17th Street Canal and London Avenue Canal were completed segments of the Lake Ponchartrain and Vicinity Hurricane Protection Project. Although other portions of the Lake Ponchartrain project are pending, these two segments were complete, and no modifications or improvements to these segments were pending, proposed, or remained unfunded.

The Corps was authorized by Congress to do a reconnaissance study back in 1999 to provide Category 4 or 5 protection. Money was received in 2000 and the reconnaissance study was completed in 2002, which indicated there was a federal interest in proceeding with the feasibility study. Preparation for that study is still underway, and involves issues such as environmental impacts, economics, and the engineering design of the project itself. The feasibility study was scheduled to begin in fiscal year 2006. It may take six years to complete; there was nothing that could have been done to get this level of protection in place before this storm hit.

Within the city there are 6 basins and 13 subbasins, some of which became flooded. There are existing pumping stations to remove water from the basins. Usually there is much less water to remove; the level became too high for some pumping stations to continue operation.

Levees and canals

August 27: Before the storm

One of the services of the USACE is planning, designing, building and operating dams and other civil engineering projects. It has been deeply involved in creating the navigation waterways and flood control constructions around New Orleans, although construction and operation involves various levels of state and local involvement. The Corps is well suited toward emergency activities due to its combination of engineering expertise and being a component of the nation's military forces. Assigned by the Department of Defense as the primary agency for Public Works and Engineering support, USACE supports FEMA during disasters.

On Saturday, August 27, while Katrina was a Category 3 storm gathering strength in the Gulf of Mexico, USACE's Mississippi Valley Division was preparing and posturing elements from as far as Hawaii. Anticipating the possibility of a Category 5 storm placing water in New Orleans, preparations began for un-watering operations.

August 29: Day of the storm

August 29 6:10AM CDT - Katrina makes second landfall near Grand Isle, Louisiana as a Category 4 Hurricane. A change in course made the center of the storm pass 15 miles east of New Orleans.

USACE District Engineer, Col. Richard Wagenaar, and a team worked out of an emergency operations shelter in New Orleans. Other teams waited in the storm's path across the Gulf coast. Corps employees assessed the situation at the 17th Street Canal floodwall that was breached overnight. Corps engineers believed that water over-topped the floodwall, scoured behind the wall, and caused it to collapse. A second breach was known to have occurred on the Industrial Canal during the storm.

The Corps worked with the U.S. Coast Guard, Army National Guard and other state and federal authorities to bring in all assets available to expedite the process. "We're attempting to contract for materials, such as rock, super sand bags, cranes, etc., and also for modes of transportation ­ like barges and helicopters, to close the gap and stop the flow of water from Lake Pontchartrain into the city," said Walter Baumy, Engineering Division chief and project manager for closing the breach.

Planning for repairs involved the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, the East Jefferson Levee District and Orleans Levee District, to locate materials and access to the breach area.

The New Orleans District's 350 miles of hurricane levee had been built to withstand a fast-moving Category 3 storm. The fact that Katrina, a category 4-plus hurricane, didn't cause more damage is considered a testament to the structural integrity of the hurricane levee protection system.

An unconfirmed report was received Monday morning from local firemen that there was breach at the 17th Street Canal. Due to its potential significance the District Commander Col Richard Wagenaar, who had weathered the storm in New Orleans, attempted to view the site on Monday afternoon. He was unable to get to the area due to high water, power lines and debris. In their attempts to get to the site, Corps officials encountered significant flooding at the I-10/610 split. Based on water height at that location it was obvious that significant flooding had occurred. They were able to validate the levee breach the following day, August 30, and they began implementing a plan to fix the breach. ^[1]

August 30: Flood

Wind and other storm damage had already stopped the city. Many power lines were down and the remains of trees and buildings blocked streets.

At 2 or 3 AM, Corps officials got a telephone report of a suspected 17th Street Canal breach.

Flooding had begun slowly, but the second disaster appeared as water poured in even as the winds abated. Storm surge and rainfall had raised the level of Lake Pontchartrain, providing an enormous amount of water which poured into the city. By the end of the day much of the city was under as much as 20 feet of water.

As USACE workers working with FEMA begin work on city cleanup and civil engineering tasks, several boats survey the flooded and blocked waterways around the city. Corps of Engineers motor vessels are delivering barges with cranes and excavating equipment and critical recovery materials.

Plans were made to begin levee work, including use of 3,000-pound sand bags on the 17 Street Canal. Army National Guard helicopters are expected to begin assisting in the operation August 31.

Lake Pontchartrain is slowly draining and it is forecast the lake should return to normal level in about 36 hours.

August 31: Recovery begins

The Corps delivered two 5,000 cubic feet per second pumps to the Louisiana Superdome, and deployed 15 boats to assist in search and rescue.

The breach at the 17th Street Canal Levee, a levee-floodwall combination, is about 300 feet long. It's believed that the force of the water overtopped the floodwall and scoured the structure from behind and then moved the levee wall horizontally about 20 feet, opening both ends to flow.

State Transportation workers began building a road toward the breach with available equipment.

The Corps released two contracts to close the breach in the 17th Street Canal. The 3,000 pound sandbag operation at the 17th Street Canal was postponed early in the day when U.S. Army Chinook helicopters were diverted for rescue missions. The Corps continued to coordinate with Army officials to have helicopters assist in placement of sandbags at the breaches. The 3,000 pound sandbags are each about 3 feet square.

Water began flowing slowly out of New Orleans as Lake Pontchartrain returned almost back to normal levels.

Corps officials worked with Orleans Parish and Louisiana Department of Transportation officials and Boh Brothers Construction Company, headquartered in New Orleans, to place piling at the lakefront to stop flow in the 17th Street Canal. This would stabilize the water flow and allow work on the levee, while also helping to stabilize the rest of the levee system.

Along with local and state officials, the Corps contracted to build access roads to the breach sites and to fill in the breaches. Rock/stone/crushed concrete would be hauled by truck for road construction and to repair the breaches. One plan called for building an access road from Hammond Highway to the 17th Street breach, and then southward to the end of the breach. The road would have to be built to safely permit backing and dumping of heavy materials.

September 1: Construction

Lake Pontchartrain was almost back to normal levels, so little water flowed out of the city. This allows a change of plans, and marine equipment was used to drive sheet piling at the mouth of the 17th Street Canal to seal off the entire canal from the lake.

Shortly after 1 PM the first piece of sheet piling is driven, to form a steel wall across the lake's entrance to the 17th Street canal. The opening was expected to be closed by the end of the day. A contractor began bringing in rock to build a road toward the breach. The breach was south and east of the Hammond Highway bridge over the canal, with dry land on the west side of the bridge.

Rock was being transported from offsite to complete the access road and closure at the 17th Street breach. Once the rock required to build the roads arrived in New Orleans and the access road to the breach has been completed, the Corps estimated closure of the breach could be completed in three to four days. Several private firms have volunteered services and provided assistance in design of the closure.

Similar work was planned for sealing a 300-foot London Avenue breach, although in that case materials would come from demolition of Lakeshore Drive. Five 42-inch pumps were ordered, with delivery expected within three days.

The 17th Street Canal Levee, a levee-floodwall combination, was now estimated to have a breach 450 feet long. It was still believed water overtopped the floodwall, scoured the structure, and then moved the structure 20 feet horizontally.

Corps work continued on nearby waterways, including several locks which were closed. Use of some locks requires raising bridges. The Industrial Canal Lock needed repair, and its lockmaster raised St. Claude Avenue bridge, but lowered it because of hostility from civilians wanting to cross on both sides.

September 2: Water flow stopped

To allow drainage, backhoes mounted on marsh buggies and draglines mounted on barges cut breaches in some other levees. Marsh buggies are tracked vehicles whose wide tracks enable them to operate in soft, marshy terrain.

On the east side of the 17th Street Canal, closure by sheet piling of the 200-foot-wide canal was done after the Corps was confident that the lake had fallen to a normal level and water was not trapped inside the city that would otherwise drain out by gravity.

Water could no longer flow from the lake into the city through the 17th Street Canal.

With the mouth of the canal sealed, the sheet piling prevented lake water from getting to the levee breach. Since no additional water can get through the breach it was no longer necessary to seal the breach itself. The next step is to get existing pumps working, and to bring in additional pumps to drain the surrounding city and the canal. Later, the canal can be drained so permanent repairs will be made to the levee.

Helicopters were dropping large sandbags made of strong, synthetic materials in the breach. Heavy equipment on the ground has been placing rock. Ground access was created by building a rock road from Hammond Highway, which is about 700 feet lake-ward of the breach. The 17th Street Canal is a drainage canal whose dimensions and an important bridge, integral to the flood control system, would not permit entry of barges and towboats to haul rocks and placement cranes.

A pump station was pumping out about 5,000 cubic feet per second at the Industrial Canal. One pump was working in New Orleans East. Removing water will take 36 and 80 days according to Brig. Gen. Robert Crear.

President Bush visits the 17th Street Canal site.

September 3

The first of the five pumps was delivered. Four more pumps have been loaned to the Corps by St. Charles Parish.

Senator Landrieu overflies the area in the morning, reports seeing "a single, lonely piece of equipment."

September 4: Almost done

Work continued on the breach. The sheet piling still blocks water from flowing in.

September 5: Breach closed

17th Street Canal breach was closed. After the emergency is over, the canal will be drained and the wall repaired.

Blackhawk and Chinook helicopters had dropped over 200 sand bags. Approximately 125 sandbags had broken the surface of the water.

There were three 42" mobile pumps staged and two 42" and two 30" pumps were placed at the sheet pile closure. Sewer & water board, electric utility and 249th Prime Power Engineer Battalion were completing pump house inspection.

When pumps began operation, a 40-foot-wide opening was made in the sheet piling to allow water to flow out of the canal.

September 6: Pumping and moving on

The pump stations began to get online on 17th Street Canal. Pump Station 10 was actually pumping at this point. Pump Station 6 was interrupted to clean up some debris out of the area.

Pump Station 1, which is a little bit further up in the system, was pumping to Pump Station 6, so as to drain the upper area, uptown areas. Over on the east side, Pump Station 19 had been running for some time. Two of the three big pumping stations in New Orleans East were running, in addition to temporary pumps. At least one pump station was running in Plaquemines Parish.

It was decided to use sheet pile closure to stop water flow at the London Avenue breach, similar to what was done at 17th Street Canal. A rock wall had initially been built there. The London Avenue canal will be drained so the breach can be repaired.

Approximately 100 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers workers were in New Orleans. Over 500 contracted workers were involved in repairs.

Several small breaches caused by the storm had been found and were being closed. Draining the city was estimated to take anywhere from 24 to 80 days. Volunteers from as far as Germany and the Netherlands offered to assist with pumps and generators.

September 7: Sandbagging London Avenue

In New Orleans, on the morning of September 7, approximately 60 percent of the city was still under water.

Blackhawk helicopters continued to deliver 7,000 pound sandbags to London Avenue. Sandbagging operations continued 24 hours a day. ^[2]

September 8

The Corps expected to close two breaches at the London Avenue Canal within 24 hours. Employees and contractors were temporarily using sandbags to close these holes.

Engineers found two breaches on the east side of the Inner Harbor Navigational Canal and one on its west side. They closed the larger of the two breaches on the east side yesterday and are filling the smaller of the two breaches with clay and stone today. Work will begin on the west side as soon as feasible. ^[3]

September 10: Final critical breach closed

The fourth and final critical breach in the Orleans and East Orleans areas was closed.

A roadway had been built, at the rate of 500 feet a day, from the 17th Street Canal work area to reach the London Avenue Canal breach. From the London Avenue west side breach, the road was built to the second breach area at Mirabeau Road.

As at the 17th Street Canal, at the London Avenue Canal the flow from Lake Pontchartrain into the canal had been cut off. Corps contractors drove 150 of feet of steel piling across the canal to seal it.

Texas Army National Guard Chinook and Blackhawk helicopter crews had placed an average of 600 7,000-pound sandbags each day into the breaches. Depending on the helicopters lift capability, Corps riggers averaged one to three hookups every two minutes during daylight hours. Sandbagging operations ran 24 hours for ten days and, with the breaches complete, were halted September 10.

Several crane barges were also used to place sandbags and gravel, and other barges were used to haul equipment, pumps, generators and people to sites. ^[4][5]

September 12

Water had overtopped the temporary breach closure at the London Avenue Canal because of operations at Pump Station 3, which caused the canal to rise faster than the temporary pumps at the end of the canal could drain. Operations at Pump Station 3 were immediately stopped and a few sheet piles were removed to allow the canal water level to equalize.

September 13

For nearly a week, Plaquemines Parish floodwaters were receding naturally through three breaches and a deliberate notch. The Corps expected to complete construction of the three breach closures in Plaquemines this week and, with the assistance of temporary pumps, to begin immediate pump operations.

Corps crews in Saint Bernard Parish cut the roadway at Highway 48 to allow drainage to Pump Station 8. At Pump stations 1, 4, 6 and 7, the Corps installed booms ­ or floating oil barriers ­ to protect facilities from oil hazards. The Corps continued to monitor the area. Crews also installed a temporary roof at Pump Station 7, enabling the station crew to begin necessary maintenance. The unwatering mission in St. Bernard Parish was expected to be completed within the next week.

In East Orleans, four more portable pumps were to be added in support of Pump Station 15 to increase the overall capacity to 1,100 cubic feet per second. For the first time, the Jahncke Pump Station ran at its full capacity of 1,200 cfs. Citrus Pump Station and St. Charles Pump each were running at half capacity because the Citrus Pump Station has to pull power from a generator at one of the other two stations. Total possible capacity for these two stations is 1,750 cfs.

The Corps was clearing the rock dike at Lake Shore Drive, removing sheet pile, and raising wire sheet to allow Pump Station 3 to continue pumping at a high rate. Corps personnel were monitoring both breach sites at London Avenue Canal around the clock.

Corps contractors were expected to complete the road to the second London Avenue breach the following day. ^[6]

September 15: Halfway done

Inundation of the city reduced from 80 to 40 percent, although flooded areas were not expected to be habitable for a long while. In Orleans Parish, most of the Ninth Ward and the southern part of Orleans Parish were dry enough for normal recovery operations to begin. Water remained in the northern part of the parish and would be pumped out using Pump Stations 12 and 4, and reinforced with about a dozen temporary pumps. Pumping efforts in the lower Ninth Ward were removing 12 million gallons of water a day. Some construction work continued on the 17th Street and London Avenue canal breaches where helicopters were precision-placing 7,000-pound sandbags to reinforce existing repairs and crews were armoring sandbag closures with rock. Contractors maintained cranes at the sites to regulate flow levels by adjusting sheet pile walls at the mouths of the canals into Lake Pontchartrain. Construction of the access road to the second London Canal breach north of Mirabeau bridge was completed Sept. 14. St. Bernard’s Parish was almost completely dry, with the only significant water remaining in the Chalmette extension. However, recovery in St. Bernard’s Parish was limited by the spill of petroleum products from local oil facilities. In Plaquemines Parish, repairs to the levee breaches continued and were almost ready for full scale pumping of the affected areas. Most of the fixed pumping stations in Plaquemines Parish had survived the storm.

The focus of pump repair efforts shifted from Pump Station 1, which was now operating, to Pump Station 4 in Orleans Parish. Today 7.5 billion gallons of water had been pumped out of the city. The previous day’s estimate of 11.8 billion gallons was not reached because one of the main pumping stations was running out of water to pump and most pumps in St. Bernard’s Parish were off because of successful mission completion. It was estimaged the overall effort would be completed in early October.

From a ground survey, the Corps had identified nine breaches that must be repaired to provide a minimum level of protection to the affected parishes. Of these, seven had been repaired to date, one was being used to allow drainage to leave St. Bernard’s Parish and one was being addressed in Plaquemines Parish. Additionally, levees had been deliberately notched at two sites in St. Bernard's Parish to facilitate the unwatering mission. Of these, one had been closed and one was still in use.

• Breach on 17th Street canal in Orleans Parish. Repaired.
• Northern breach on London canal in Orleans Parish. Repaired.
• Southern breach on London canal in Orleans Parish. Repaired.
• Northern breach on the IHNC in Orleans Parish. Repaired.
• Southern breach on the IHNC in Orleans Parish. Repaired.
• Breach in St Bernard's Parish. Not repaired – water is flowing out naturally.
• Three breaches in Plaquemines Parish. Two repaired.

On the Inner Harbor Navigation Canal, Corps contractors used crane barges to remove two barges from “atop” the Florida Avenue Bridge, also commonly known as the L&N Bridge. [7]

September 18

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is performing a detailed assessment of about 350 miles of hurricane levee and developing a comprehensive, prioritized plan to repair it and the pumping stations that support New Orleans and surrounding areas. “The system in its present condition does not ensure that the city will be protected from flooding resulting from storms or hurricanes,” stressed Col. Duane Gapinski, Task Force Unwatering commander. Gapinski says that residents may be placing their lives and property at risk by re-entering flooded areas until additional emergency levee repairs are made. State and local leaders are being informed as assessments are being completed and repairs are made.

Recovery of New Orleans was seen as a three-phase process:

• Immediate – Unwater the city and assess flood protection.
• Intermediate – Provide an interim level of protection to get the city through hurricane season and later high water.
• Long-term – Return the system to pre-hurricane conditions. This will take a tremendous amount of study, research, funding and construction.

The Corps estimated the New Orleans area was more than 80 percent unwatered. Corps officials estimated the overall un-watering effort, given normal seasonal rainfall, would be completed no later than early October. Tropical Storm Rita was being watched. Residents moving into the area might have to evacuate again. Additional traffic in the city in the past three days had caused some delay in traveling to work sites and moving emergency repair equipment. [8]

September 21: Preparation for Rita

The Army Corps of Engineers had begun closing two damaged canals at noon in preparation for storm surges associated with Hurricane Rita. The 17th Street canal and the London Street canals would be closed with steel sheet piling by evening and remain closed until the threat of severe weather passed. Steel sheets would be driven deep into the canal beds near Lake Pontchartrain, providing protection from possible storm surges from the lake rushing into the damaged canals.

More than 800 filled sandbags were on hand, and an additional 2,500 ordered. Work continued around the clock to make emergency repairs to damaged canal walls and levees.

September 23: Rita's flooding

Although high water caused by Hurricane Rita flowed over the temporary closure on the Industrial Harbor Navigation canal, the structure remained intact. This reflooded part of eastern New Orleans.

Unwatering the city

• Tuesday, September 6: Portable pumps were being used to remove water from the city. The estimated area of flooding was reduced to 60% ^[9]. By late Tuesday afternoon, 3 of the 148 permanent pumps had been restored to operation. Important steps in returning more pumps to operation include repairing breaches in the London Avenue and Industrial canals. Repair of the London Avenue breach was estimated to require two weeks. Steps in repairing the Industrial canal breach include removal of two damaged barges and one that had sunk. ^[10]
• Wednesday, September 7: 23 of the 148 permanent pumps had been restored to operation ^[11]. Three pumps were operating at the 17th Street Canal, discharging water at around 2,250 cubic feet per second (cfs). Pump station 19 at the Industrial Canal, just north of Florida Avenue, was pumping 1,300 cfs. Pump station 8, located in St. Bernard Parish in the vicinity of St. Mary, was running at full capacity at 837 cfs. ^[12]
• Thursday, September 8:
  • Of 174 pumps now in the New Orleans area, 37 were operational. However, officials were wary of operating the pumps at full capacity because of the possibility of damaging newly repaired levees and of losing corpses ^[13].
  • As power is being restored to the city of New Orleans, the Corps is bringing more pumps online. As of noon today, approximately 28 pumps in New Orleans are now operational, extracting nearly 9,000 cubic feet per second, or cfs, of water out of the city. Another nine pumps are operational in the Plaquemines Parish, extracting nearly 1,400 additional cubic feet per second. As of this morning, 8 September, 60 percent of the city is still under water. ^[14]
• Friday, September 9: 32 of 148 existing pumps in New Orleans proper were operating, pumping 11,282 cfs, and 38 portable pumps are operating, pumping 734 cfs. In addition, 9 of 26 existing pumps in Plaquemines Parish reported operating at 1,360 cfs.
  • The following estimates for unwatering New Orleans were made, based on average seasonal rainfall:
    • Orleans Parish: Week of October 2.
    • Orleans East: Week of October 8.
    • Chalmette: Week of October 8.
    • Plaquemines Parish: Week of October 18. ^[15]
• Saturday, September 10: * There were 148 organic pumps in the New Orleans area being worked. On 10 September, an average of 26 pumps were operating, pumping 9,125 cubic feet per second (cfs) and 39 portable pumps were operating, pumping 723 cfs. In addition, nine of 26 existing pumps in Plaquemines Parish reported operating at 1,360 cfs. The equivalent to an Olympic-sized swimming pool was being drained every two seconds. ^[16]
• Sunday, September 11: The number of operating pumps had been raised to 74 of 174, with the high capacity "Pumping Station Number Six" expected to be returned to service within days. Officials lowered the estimated maximum amount of time required to unwater New Orleans to 40 days (i.e., late October) ^{[17] [18]}.
• Tuesday, September 13: The unwatering operation was getting results approaching 14,000 cubic feet of water per second (cfs) ­ or more than nine billion gallons daily ­ pumping out of Orleans, East Orleans and St. Bernard parishes. In the 17th Street Bridge area, watermarks on homes show evidence of at least a six-foot drop in water levels. In Plaquemines Parish, five of ten permanent pumps are pushing over 4,100 cfs. 27 of 104 permanent pumps and 43 temporary pumps were running, pushing more than 13,000 cfs out of the metropolitan New Orleans area. ^[19]

Recovery of infrastructure

• Monday, September 5: Power began to be restored to buildings in the central business district of New Orleans on a priority basis ^[20][21].
• Tuesday, September 6: The Port of New Orleans, the biggest U.S. port by tonnage handled, was able to receive and service relief ships. It was estimated that resumption of commercial shipments would take at least 14 days ^[7].
• Wednesday, September 7:
  • Safe drinking water was available in some West Bank suburbs, and some water pressure was available in New Orleans for fire fighting. All sewage from the city was flowing untreated into the Mississippi ^[22].
  • The Mississippi River was open during daylight hours to shallow draft traffic and deep draft vessels less than 39 feet. A contractor was removing obstacles in the Southwest Pass, which is restricting deep draft navigation. ^[23]
• Thursday, September 8: Entergy had restored 9 of 17 electricity generating units in the New Orleans area to service. Entergy's 1000 MW Waterford and Watson plants were still out of service, with the Watson plant expected to require 6-12 weeks to repair ^[24].
• Friday, September 9: Power had been restored to 11% of New Orleans customers. Also, officials were organizing to have work begin as soon as Monday, September 12, to rebuild the "twin spans" I-10 bridge to New Orleans. ^[25]
• Sunday, September 11: The Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport had reopened to cargo traffic, with limited passenger service expected to resume Tuesday, September 13. ^{[26] [16]}.
• Monday, September 12: Officials awarded a contract to repair the "twin spans" I-10 bridge to New Orleans. It was estimated that 45 days would be required before the bridge could reopen to normal traffic. ^[27] In Jefferson Parish on Monday, power had been restored to 50% of customers. Water pressure had been restored in the majority of the Parish. A "boil water" order was still in force on the East Bank, but had been lifted for the West Bank. On the East Bank, 17% of sewage pumps were operational, and 39% were operational on the West Bank. ^[28]
• Tuesday, September 13:
  • The Mississippi River was declared open by the U.S. Coast Guard, north of the Head of Passes. The Head of Passes is very far south. That's the part of the river that's just above Southwest Pass. The only part of the river operating under any restrictions at all was just that little part from the main stem of the Mississippi River channel through the Southwest Pass out into the Gulf. That section was limited to daylight traffic. The USGS continued restoring Aids to Navigation (AToN) to allow night transits, giving first priority to the AToN's that the pilots say are most needed.
  • The Gulf Intracoastal Waterway was open from Texas to Florida using Baptiste Collette, as an alternative to the IHNC. The GIWW reach from Baptiste Collette to Pascagoula was limited to 9.5' draft, versus the 12' authorized. Caution was recommended for transit.
  • Inner Harbor Navigation Canal (IHNC) Lock is operational but not operating due to bridge closures and sunken barges, the removal of which was anticipated to take until mid-week.
  • Mississippi River Gulf Outlet was closed to deep draft vessels. Inland portion was serving as an alternative route to GIWW due to closure of IHNC for shallow draft vessels. Preliminary surveys indicated a controlling depth of 27'.
  • Port Fourchon sustained significant damage, but was operating to a limited extent. Sunken vessels were not blocking the channel.
  • Tiger Pass was shoaled to less than 6'. This channel, authorized to 14' provides a shorter route for vessels traveling to the west from the Mississippi River near the mouth. Primarily used by fishing and supply vessels. Dredging was planned.
  • Corps preliminary surveys were under way for Atchafalaya, Houma, and other channels.
  • NOAA was continuing its surveys of the Mississippi River to verify Corps centerline survey results.

See also

• Hurricane Katrina
• Hurricane Rita, which struck the Gulf Coast less than 4 weeks after Katrina and which broke some of the hastily repaired levees in New Orleans

References

1. ^  "http://www.mvd.usace.army.mil/hurricane/docs/Katrina%20Talking%20Points%2013%20Sep.pdf." Accessed September 9, 2005.
2. ^  "http://www.mvd.usace.army.mil/hurricane/news/6sep05_mvd_2.pdf." Accessed September 9, 2005.
3. ^  "http://www.mvd.usace.army.mil/hurricane/news/8sep05_mvd.pdf." Accessed September 9, 2005.
4. ^  "http://www.mvd.usace.army.mil/hurricane/news/la_news_release_9102005.pdf." Accessed September 9, 2005.
5. ^  "Corps Prepares for Hurricane Katrina." Accessed September 9, 2005.
6. ^  "http://www.mvd.usace.army.mil/hurricane/news/13_sept_tf_unwatering.pdf." Accessed September 9, 2005.
7. ^ ^a  "New Orleans Levees Patched, Army Starts Pumping Water (Update6)." Accessed September 9, 2005.
8. ^  "Nola.com: NewsFlash - New Orleans mayor threatens forced evacuations." Accessed September 9, 2005.
9. ^  "New Orleans Allows Forced Evacuation; Probe to Start (Update6)." Accessed September 9, 2005.
10. ^  "http://www.mvd.usace.army.mil/hurricane/news/6sep05_mvd_2.pdf (See above)." Accessed September 9, 2005.
11. ^  "New Orleans gains in cleanup, water removal - The Boston Globe." Accessed September 9, 2005.
12. ^  "http://www.mvd.usace.army.mil/hurricane/news/8sep05_mvd.pdf (See above)." Accessed September 9, 2005.
13. ^  "http://www.mvd.usace.army.mil/hurricane/news/9sep05_estimates_mvd.pdf." Accessed September 9, 2005.
14. ^  "Corps Prepares for Hurricane Katrina (See above)." Accessed September 9, 2005.
15. ^  "http://www.bdtonline.com/articles/2005/09/11/ap/headlines/d8ci9qro2.txt." Accessed September 9, 2005.
16. ^ ^a  "WRAPUP 3-Waters recede but frustration high in New Orleans." Accessed September 9, 2005.
17. ^  "http://www.mvd.usace.army.mil/hurricane/news/13_sept_tf_unwatering.pdf (See above)." Accessed September 9, 2005.
18. ^  "WRAPUP 7-Katrina death toll may be 10,000, Bush vows help." Accessed September 9, 2005.
19. ^  "interdictor: City News." Accessed September 9, 2005.
20. ^  "Displaced official in Shreveport helps restore water service in New Orleans." Accessed September 9, 2005.
21. ^  "http://www.mvd.usace.army.mil/hurricane/news/6sep05_mvd_2.pdf (See above)." Accessed September 9, 2005.
22. ^  "Some 725,000 still lack power in US after Katrina." Accessed September 9, 2005.
23. ^  "Power figures, news on I-10, other notes on Katrina recovery." Accessed September 9, 2005.
24. ^  "http://www.bdtonline.com/articles/2005/09/11/ap/headlines/d8ci9qro2.txt (See above)." Accessed September 9, 2005.
25. ^  "First Steps on the Hard Road to Environmental Restoration." Accessed September 9, 2005.
26. ^  "Update From Jefferson Parish - Yahoo! News." Accessed September 9, 2005.

• . "U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Hurricane Relief Support and Levee Repair." '. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Accessed on September 3, 2005.
• . "MVD prepares for Katrina." '. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Accessed on August 27, 2005.
• . "August 29, 2005." '. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Accessed on August 29, 2005.
• . "Corps response to Katrina recovery efforts." '. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Accessed on August 31, 2005.
• . "The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers progresses in hurricane recovery efforts." '. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Accessed on August 31, 2005.
• . "Media Roundtable 09/01/05 3 pm." '. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Accessed on September 1, 2005.
• . "17th Street breach repair near completion." '. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Accessed on September 1, 2005.
• . "Media Roundtable 09/02/05 2 pm." '. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Accessed on September 1, 2005.
• . "Corps prepares to breach levees to help drain N.O. areas." '. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Accessed on September 2, 2005.
• . "Landrieu Implores President to "Relieve Unmitigated Suffering;" End FEMA's "Abject Failures"." '. U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu, Louisiana.. Accessed on September 3, 2005.
• . "Corps update on the New Orleans Recovery Efforts and Flood Fight.." '. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Accessed on September 4, 2005.
• . "Up-date on the New Orleans Flood Fight." '. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Accessed on September 5, 2005.
• . "USACE Press Conference." '. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Accessed on September 6, 2005.
• . "New Orleans begins to see results of recovery operations." '. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Accessed on September 11, 2005.