JOINT INFORMATION CENTER

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 12, 2008

Office of Coastal Protection and Restoration News Update

GOVERNOR JINDAL - HURRICANE IKE FLOODING SITUATION REPORT

Office of Coastal Protection and Restoration/National Guard/US Army Corps of Engineers

COASTAL FLOODING UPDATE
SEPTEMBER 12, 2008 2:30 p.m.

Water levels in the Breton Sound are beginning to fall, the water levels in the Barataria system have crested. Terrebonne and areas west continue to experience rising water levels.

Parish Reports (Listed East to West)

St Tammany: Madisonville streets inundated. Shelter in Mandeville has opened. Water is expected to rise to Rita levels. No mandatory evacuations. Possibility of opening two shelters.

St. Bernard: Federal protection system is holding, but non-federal protection has been compromised. Hopedale, Shell Beach, and Yscloskey communities are flooded. Water level gage at Bay Gardene, south of Caernarvon, shows water level is beginning to fall.

Plaquemines: Fifty-foot wide, five foot deep scour confirmed near Scarsdale. Parish is addressing. Louisiana National Guard is mobilizing 5000 sandbags to send to the site. Water has crested is receding. Active flood fights on both east and west banks. East bank communities of Braithwaite, Port Nichols, Scarsdale are beginning to flood. Caernarvon diversion structure has been opened to "drain" the protected area between river levee and back levee into the Mississippi River. Communities are being evacuated. Myrtle Grove area on west bank is also overtopping back levee. Levee was also compromised during Gustav.

Orleans/Jefferson: London Avenue outfall canal on Lake Pontchartrain has been closed. 17th Street Canal gate was closed too. Harvey Canal Gate on Westbank of Jefferson has been closed.

Inner Harbor Navigation Canal: Current water elevation is eight feet. Flood wa! lls are built to 12 feet. Water is not expected to threaten walls. No vessels dislodged.

Lafitte: Lower points on levees and interim protection is being overtopped. Evacuations of lower areas are taking place.

Grand Isle: Island is currently cut off due to inundation of three-four feet of water below Leeville. Military is staged to respond as soon as water subsides. Mayor David Camardelle reports three feet of water over La. Hwy 1. All temporary sand-levee work destroyed and several breaches have formed in original levee on east end of island. Gages in Barataria Bay are indicating peak surge equal to or slightly higher than Gustav peak.

Lafourche: All areas below Golden Meadow are inundated.

Terrebonne: Non-federal levees in lower Terrebonne have been compromised. Communities of Pointe Aux Chenes, Montegut, Dulac, and Dularge are all experiencing flo! oding. Ten to 12 feet of water, mainly on local streets. Most main roa ds are passable. The town of Theriot, north of the Falgout Canal, is now experiencing water coming over the road. Flooding has been reported at Chauvin as well. Monitoring stations offshore of Timbalier Island are reporting surge heights approaching Gustav levels, with wave heights of 11 feet.

St. Mary: Bayou Sale levees (Hwy 317) west of Berwick are being overtopped. Two feet of inundation reported in lower parish. HWY 387 is closed.

Iberia: Areas south of Hwy 90 and East of Hwy 675 have been evacuated. Assets are in place should further evacuations be necessary. Peak surges were anticipated noon today.

Vermilion: Intercoastal City, Henry Water levels five feet above normal. No requirements at this time and all assets on standby. Floodgates and levees reported to be holding. Water has been reported on road at Avery Island bridge.

Calcasieu: Calcasieu locks a! ll closed and are scheduled to reopen 8 a.m. Sunday. Louisiana National Guard assets in place.

Cameron: Hwy 82 to Texas line (including Cameron Court House) and Hwy 27 are inundated with up to five feet of water. Louisiana National Guard has high water vehicles and boats in place for assistance with evacuations. Parish EOC moved to Calcasieu Parish Sheriff's Office.

For the latest information on Hurricanes Gustav and Ike, you can visit emergency.louisiana.gov or call the state's emergency hotline at 1-866-288-2484 to listen to a recorded message with the most up-to-date information.

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