Will the soon to be "dry" levee side hold after the water is pumped out?

[NNN0LHI]

I swear I can remember before the hurricane hit someone on cable was saying that if NO was flooded they would not be able to drain it due to the way the levee was designed. The person said the "dry side" would just wash away from water being up against it from the wrong side and if they would try and pump it out the whole thing would give away and the lake would rush in. Anyone else remember hearing this? And isn't this what they are trying to do now?

Don

[Cooley Hurd]

1. The levees I've seen are an earthen dam with a concrete wall on top

After the torrent of water, I'm also wondering if the existing levee system alone will be enough to keep the water out.

ACOE has their work cut out for them. :(

[Teaser]

3. Raise the city.

Like downtown chicago did. Have all the tall buildings move their entrances up a floor or two. For houses, they should all be on pylons.
And tell the city to get used to being a venice some portion of the year.

After the sea levels start rising, if we want to maintain New Orleans, it'll be the only way.

[Teaser]

2. It is a possibility.

Part of the problem now is that the levy has been weakened throughout. And the water on the "dry side" (so to speak) is actively pushing the levy back. It is acting as a support.

The levies may all collapse. Or they may not.
Nothing to do but try.

[Neshanic]

4. The water on both sides compromises an earthen levee..

If the levee is an earthen structure, the whole structure is possibly weakened when water stays on the dry side to the extent the water is "wicked" into the levee.

Once the water is removed from the normally dry side, the levee now has water throughout it, and slumping can occur.

This may not be in the case of the NO levees, as they may have internal structuring such as liners and concrete interior dams.

If it is purely earthen, then the failure is increased wehn the levee sits in water on both sides.

[Cooley Hurd]

5. Although I don't know this for sure, I would assume the water-side...

...of the levee is also covered by rip-rap (rocks).

This is how the Erie Canal system was designed here in NY.

[fasttense]

6. At first I was going to ignore your post because I thought to myself

that this is so obvious, FEMA would have thought of it. Then I realized we can't trust the government anymore because they can't plan themselves out of a paper bag. So I'm now worried about this and hope the dry side holds.

[mackdaddy]

7. WHY did the Levees break in the first place?

I have still never heard a good explanation as to why or HOW the levees could break in THREE places at the same time!!

Yes I know they had a lot of rain/wind from the hurricane, but these things have been around a long time. The breaks were in three completely different areas, in what looks like different types of levees, some with concrete walls, some not.

And if these "special" conditions did exist, why did it break in "only" three places?

And finally what is to prevent this from happening again even not factoring in the saturated levees?

And wrapping up with a little tinfoil, Are these and many other levees all over the country now not a major terrorist target? Look how much havoc was inflicted with a levee breach which could have been accomplished with a charge much smaller that the IED roadside explosives used all over Iraq?