As officials opened floodgates that hadn’t been used in more than four decades, they urged Louisiana residents living nearby to move out as soon as possible. While the floodwaters will be nothing like flash floods that can wash you away in mere moments, there will be a certain amount of damage.
The water is set to fill Louisiana Cajun country slowly, like a big bathtub. In light of that information, many residents are relocating to higher ground. Why are officials purposely flooding these areas? The main reason is to save both Baton Rouge and New Orleans from more disaster.
Last week, the news of the floodgate decision spread quickly and many locals began filling sandbags around buildings and moved out personal belongings. By Sunday afternoon, many areas were empty of people as the water from the swollen Mississippi River filled the Atchafalaya River Basin.
Experts say that the floodwaters could reach up to 20 feet over the next few weeks, though at the moment, levels aren’t even close to that.
The spillway is definitely diverting plenty of water away from New Orleans and Baton Rouge, but also away from chemical plants and oil refineries. Hopefully, this will prevent any mishaps with the levees down in those areas.
While no one knows what is going to happen ultimately, we can expect some level of damage from the water. Let’s just hope when all of this is over, people can move back to the place they call home.
Jon Huser
