Although most of our time was spent in and around Algiers, visiting with friends and family (and checking out their cool FEMA trailer living accommodations), we took part of New Year’s Eve to drive around the city.
As has been said by many folks – the scale of the disaster really can’t be appreciated without seeing it. We were unsurprised (and unoffended) to see many signs in the devastated neighborhoods asking sightseers to please not take pictures of their difficulties. (Okay, so maybe I didn’t see please. That’s kind of unsurprising, too. Smile…) We took only a very few pix, and none of them show anything different than we’ve all seen already.
Related to this, though: in Lakeview, at ground zero of the levee breach – water is still seeping! It is running across the road! Is anybody but me bothered by this?
My primary thought while driving around there, after we’d seen the water running into the neighborhood from the breach?
I didn’t feel safe!
Scary.
Lakeview and the Breach
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When we were out there about 6 weeks ago, there were very few people there. The pictures I took were only on one block, nearest the levee breach. The few people we did see, were workers in hazmat suits. It was damn eerie. And yes, the breach was seeping then. I remember talking about how huge the breach was, which no picture can really show, and that as I looked at the piles of debris, there was still water in the gutters and it wasn’t leftover water, it was NEW water seeping under the sandbags to the right of the giant metal pilings. You’re not the only one worried about this. And yes, it is frightening. What worries me most is that no one’s talking about it really. Sort of a cover your ears and go la la la mentality. Very strange.
It was so lovely to see you. And am so glad you enjoyed your visit! Thanks for coming!
Yes, these are temporary patches only. They are mostly made of rock which has large spaces between the pieces so the water seeps through. That’s why most levees are made of clay.
The London Canal has two leaky patches near my house. One day a few weeks ago, you couldn’t even drive down the street because it was filled with water.
The Corps is planning to close off the canals at the lake so there’s no need to put a lot of effort into fixing the breaches.
Great blog, I enjoy it!