River flood warning through NOLA

A flood warning was issued March 4 for the section of the Mississippi River passing through New Orleans. The river is forecast to reach 17 feet, or official flood stage, on March 9, according to the National Weather Service. The warning will be in effect until March 23. The river was at 16.5 feet Monday at the Carrollton Gage. Floodwalls protect the city of New Orleans to a water level of 20 feet. At 17 feet, the water level will still make ship docking and navigation difficult. On Feb. 27, an oil tanker’s mast hit the Huey P. Long Bridge, closing it to traffic for three hours for damage inspections. There were none. The Army Corps of Engineers began opening bays in the Bonnet Carre Spillway on Feb. 27 to funnel the river’s flow into Lake Pontchartrain to help keep the flow below 1.25M cubic feet per second. The forecast indicates only 170 of 300 bays will need to be opened. It was the 13th time the spillway has been opened since being built after the 1927 Mississippi River flood. It was the third time in the last four years. Inspectors have identified at least 164 sites along the river that require monitoring. There were 68 locations with seepage, including 22 in the New Orleans area. Officials would not identify exact locations due to security concerns. (Source: NOLA.com 03/04/19)