Army preparing for Hurricane Rita
September 22, 2005
NEW ORLEANS (Army News Service, Sept. 22, 2005) – The Army Corps of Engineers began closing two damaged canals in New Orleans at noon Sept. 21 in preparation for storm surges associated with Hurricane Rita.
The storm strengthened overnight in the Gulf of Mexico to a potentially catastrophic category 5 hurricane, according to the National Weather Service. It issued a hurricane watch for the Gulf coast from Port Mansfield, Texas, to Intracoastal City, La.
Eastern Louisiana, though not expected to receive a direct hit from the hurricane, may experience a storm surge and other effects similar to a tropical storm, the National Weather Service reported.
Steel sheets reinforce canals
In New Orleans, the 17th Street canal and the London Street canals were closed with steel sheet piling, Corps of Engineers officials said, adding that the canals will remain closed until the threat of severe weather passes.
Steel sheets are being driven deep into the canal beds near Lake Pontchartrain, providing protection from possible storm surges from the lake rushing into the damaged canals.
The move to close the canals is part of the Corps’ continuing effort to provide an interim level of protection for the area that was damaged during Hurricane Katrina, officials said.
Sandbags piled near levees
More than 800 filled sandbags are on hand, and an additional 2,500 have been ordered. Work continues around the clock to make emergency repairs to damaged canal walls and levees.
Working with local levee districts and drainage authorities, the Corps has begun re-distributing pumps, construction equipment and materials to municipalities for emergency response. Efforts continue to evaluate flood control structures in the region to determine what preventive measures can be implemented.
“In addition to materials, we have also pre-positioned contractors throughout the region to rapidly respond after severe weather,” said Col. Richard Wagenaar, commander of the Army Corps of Engineers New Orleans District.
A team of Corps experts has also been established both in New Orleans and at the regional office in Vicksburg, Miss.
Since landfall of Hurricane Katrina, the Corps has been performing detailed assessments of about 350 miles of hurricane levees and developing a comprehensive, prioritized plan to repair them and their associated pumping stations, officials said.
Texas Guard prepares for landfall
About 1,100 Texas National Guard troops who had been working in Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina have been redeployed home to prepare for the possible landfall of Hurricane Rita. The troops are “resetting” at Camp Swift, near Bastrop, Texas, and will serve as reserve support forces for Joint Task Force Rita, according to the governor’s office.
Joint Task Force Rita includes about 1,750 National Guard troops pre-positioned between Austin and San Antonio, Texas authorities said. The task force includes three CH-47 Chinooks, six UH-60 Black Hawks and two OH-58 Kiowa helicopters. The Soldiers are poised to conduct missions that include rescue, medical, transportation, distribution of supplies, security and road clearing.
Meanwhile, Hurricane Katrina recovery operations continue in Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama.
Katrina debris removal continues
In Mississippi alone, the Federal Emergency Management Agency estimates that there are currently about 20 million cubic yards of debris left from Hurricane Katrina. This equates to 200 football fields piled 50 feet high.
The Corps of Engineers’ mission for now involves removing 5.8 million cubic yards in Mississippi, officials said. At this level, it would take about 8 months to remove it from the streets, and roughly a year and a half to completely dispose of it. The debris mission could increase as more counties come on line and FEMA offers additional assistance programs.
The Corps has been assigned 14 south Mississippi counties and is currently moving debris at a clip that would fill 2 football fields 50 feet high daily.
Operation Blue Roof underway
About 16,000 requests for Operation Blue Roof have been received during the past two weeks, Corps officials said. More than 5,500 roofs have already been covered with the plastic sheets, More than 225 crews are now working, installing between 700-800 roofs per day, officials said.
Estimates are that 23,000 roofs will have been repaired when the mission is accomplished in the next 30-40 days. This mission will require placing about 2 square miles of plastic roofing, officials estimate.
The Corps has also received a FEMA assignment to replace hundreds of Mississippi police stations, fire stations, city halls, post offices, government buildings and temporary classrooms on school property. The first building is scheduled to be installed this week for a fire department in Hancock County.
The Corps has also awarded a contract for 400 classrooms over the next few weeks to get schools back on line.
(Editor's note: Information provided by news releases from the Army Corps of Engineers and Texas National Guard.)
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