Reply #13: Actually I just read an article in Scientific American... [View All]

[spuddonna]

that predicted that if a Cat 5 hit NO directly, it is quite possible that the entire city could be destroyed.

The biggest problem comes from the levee system that keeps Lake Pontchartrain from flooding into the city. There, the levees are much lower. The water flooding in from the storm surge, in addition to the rainfall could cause the Lake to dump into New Orleans.

I just heard a local report saying that the level of the lake is already rising dangerously, and the outer bands have just started.

Then there is the fact that this storm will still be a Cat 3-4 as it moves north, dumping even more water into the Mississippi River, which will eventually drain back towards NO and the Gulf...

This place will be a mess for quite a while... I'm praying that it lessens, and that everyone stays safe...