W2R
Moderator Emeritus
The Army Corps of Engineers is preparing to open the Bonnet Carre Spillway that will divert some Mississippi River water southwards before it reaches New Orleans. This spillway is just upstream from New Orleans.
They are thinking about opening another, much more serious diversion farther upstream at Baton Rouge, called the Morganza Floodway. This is not taken lightly and is hardly ever done, because it will flood a great deal of other land in less populated areas in order to save New Orleans. Lots of water on the way and we will probably be fine, but at the expense of other Louisianians. That is never a good feeling. But, it may be the wisest decision under the circumstances.
OK, it's on live TV - - they just opened the Bonnet Carre Spillway for the first time since 2011. This is just upstream from New Orleans. It's so impressive to watch all that water being diverted away from the usual Mississippi River channel, through other routes to the Gulf of Mexico in order to lower the river height down here in New Orleans.
That will help but the big one is the Morganza Floodwy which is much more rarely opened; I suspect they will need to open it soon as well, given the flooding going on further north.