Drainage has been a major concern since the founding of New Orleans in the early 18th century, and an important factor in the city's history. Drainage is the natural or artificial removal of surface and sub-surface water from a given area. ... New Orleans is the largest city in the state of Louisiana, United States of America. ... (17th century - 18th century - 19th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 18th century refers to the century that lasted from 1701 through 1800. ... The history of New Orleans, Louisiana traces its development from its founding by the French, through its period under Spanish control, then back to French rule before being sold to the United States in the Louisiana Purchase. ...

Elevation map of New Orleans. Hotter (pink) shades are below the level of Lake Pontchartrain, cool browns and greens are above.

Flooding threatens New Orleans from three sources: the Mississippi River, Lake Pontchartrain, and rainfall. While raised, artificial levees help to keep out rising waters of the river and lake, while keeping rainfall in. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1200x949, 351 KB)Elevation profile of New Orleans. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1200x949, 351 KB)Elevation profile of New Orleans. ... Look up Flood in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... New Orleans is the largest city in the state of Louisiana, United States of America. ... This article is about the river in the United States. ... Landsat image of Lake Pontchartrain Map showing Lake Pontchartrain Lake Pontchartrains north shore at Fontainebleau State Park near Mandeville, Louisiana in 2004 Lake Pontchartrain at New Orleans during Hurricane Georges in 1998 Lake Pontchartrain (local English pronunciation ) (French: Lac Pontchartrain, pronounced ) is a brackish lake in southeastern Louisiana, the... In meteorology, precipitation is any kind of water that falls from the sky as part of the weather. ... This article is about the type of dam. ...

History

New Orleans was originally built on natural river levees. This was a strategic location for trade, but natural flodding was an issue. New Orleans is the largest city in the state of Louisiana, United States of America. ...

The first artificial levees and canals were built in early colonial times. They were erected to protect against disastrous flooding from the Mississippi River. The "back of town" away from the river originally drained down into the swamps running toward the lake. Flooding from the lake side was more rare and less severe as the town remained on high ground along the riverfront. The Canal du Midi in Toulouse, France. ... Official language(s) English and French Capital Largest city Baton Rouge New Orleans at last census; probably Baton Rouge since Hurricane Katrina Area  - Total   - Width   - Length    - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 31st 51,885 sq mi  134,382 km² 130 miles  210 km 379 miles  610 km 16 29°N to...

As the city grew, demand for more land encouraged expansion into lower areas more prone to periodic flooding. For most of the 19th century most residential buildings were raised up at least a foot above street level (often several feet), since, at that time, flooding of the streets was a given. Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ...

In the 1830s, state engineer George T. Dunbar proposed an ambitious system of underground drainage canals beneath the streets. The goal was to drain water by gravity into the low lying swamps, supplemented with canals and mechanical pumps. The first of the city's steam engine powered drainage pumps, adapted from a ship's paddle wheel and used to push water along the Orleans Canal out to Bayou St. John, was constucted in this decade. However, only a few of Dunbar's plans were actually implemented as the panic of 1837 largely ended major systematic improvements for a generation. Events and Trends Electromagnetic induction discovered by Michael Faraday Dutch-speaking farmers known as Voortrekkers emigrate northwards from the Cape Colony Croquet invented in Ireland Railroad construction begins in earnest in the United States Egba refugees fleeing the Yoruba civil wars found the city of Abeokuta in south-west Nigeria... Manual water pump in Košice-Ťahanovce, Slovakia An electric driven pump of water works nearby the Hengstey See, Germany 19th century Dutch diesel pump in Rijswijk, Netherlands Manual pump used to obtain water in Afghanistan This article is about the mechanical device. ... A steam engine is an external combustion heat engine that makes use of the thermal energy that exists in steam, converting it to mechanical work. ... The Orleans Canal is a drainage canal in New Orleans, Louisiana. ... Bayou St. ... 1840 Whig campaign poster blames Van Buren for hard times The Panic of 1837 was an economic depression, one of the most severe financial crises in the history of the United States. ...

In 1859 surveyor Louis H. Pilié improved the drainage canals, bricking in some portions. This resulted in a total of 4 large steam "draining machines" pushing water into the lake. 1859 is a common year starting on Saturday. ... A weathered brick wall. ...

Vertical cross-section of New Orleans, showing maximum levee height of 23 feet.

In 1871, some 36 miles of canals were built in the city for both improved drainage and small vessel shipping within town. However, despite earlier efforts, at the end of the 19th century, it was still common for water to cover streets from curb to curb after rainstorms, sometimes for days. Image File history File links New_Orleans_Levee_System. ... Image File history File links New_Orleans_Levee_System. ... A levee, levée (from the feminine past participle of the French verb lever, to raise), floodbank or stopbank is a natural or artificial embankment or dike, usually earthen, which parallels the course of a river. ... 1871 (MDCCCLXXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ...

In 1893, the city government formed the Drainage Advisory Board to come up with better solutions to the city's drainage problems. Extensive topographical maps were made, and some of the nation's top engineers were consulted. In 1899, a bond was floated, and a $2 mil USD per dollar property tax approved, which funded and founded the Sewerage & Water Board of New Orleans. The Sewerage & Water Board had the responsibility of draining the city along with constructing a modern sewage and tap water system for the city, which, at the time, still relied heavily on cisterns and outhouses. (A different entity, the Orleans Levee Board, is in charge of supervision of the city's levee and floodwall system.) 1893 (MDCCCXCIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... 1899 (MDCCCXCIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... In finance, a bond is a debt security, in which the issuer owes the holders a debt and is obliged to repay the principal and interest (the coupon). ... Sewage includes domestic, municipal, or industrial liquid waste products disposed of via a pipe or similar structure. ... A cistern (Middle English cisterne, from Latin cisterna, from cista, box, from Greek kistê, basket) is a receptacle for holding liquids, usually water. ... Outhouse near Crabapple Lake, USA, with chipboard walls, and a fiberglass ceiling An outhouse, privy or kybo is an old type of toilet in a small structure separate from the main building which does not have a flush or sewer attached. ... This article needs to be wikified. ...

The Sewerage & Water Board found A. Baldwin Wood, a young engineer who not only supervised the plans for improved drainage and pumping, but also invented a number of improvements in pumps and plumbing in the process. These improvements were not only used in New Orleans, but adopted all over the world. Albert Baldwin Wood (December 1, 1879 - May 10, 1956) was an inventor and engineer from New Orleans, Louisiana. ... New Orleans is the largest city in the state of Louisiana, United States of America. ...

As the 20th century progressed, much of the land that had previously been swampland or considered fit for no other use than cow pasture (due to periodic flooding), was drained. The city then expanded back from the natural higher ground close to the river and natural bayou formed ridges. A bayou (pronounced or ) is a small, slow-moving stream or creek formed in the former bed of a river. ...

On 15 April 1927, the city was deluged by a downpour of some 15 inches of rain within 19 hours. At the time, almost all of the city's pumps relied completely on the municipal electricity system, which went out early in the storm, thus knocking the pumps off line, which lead to extensive flooding in the city. After this, back up diesel generators with enough fuel to run the pumps for at least a day if electricity failed were added to the pumping stations. The "Good Friday Flood", as it was known locally, happened during the Great Mississippi Flood when the Mississippi River levels were dangerously high along the levees at the city, but was not directly connected to the more wide-ranging flood. April 15 is the 105th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (106th in leap years). ... 1927 (MCMXXVII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... Lightning strikes during a night-time thunderstorm. ... Diesel or Diesel fuel is a specific fractional distillate of fuel oil (mostly petroleum) that is used as fuel in a diesel engine invented by German engineer Rudolf Diesel. ... Pumping stations are buildings designed to hold pumps and equipment for pumping fluids from one place to another. ... The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 was the most destructive river flood in United States history until the Hurricane Katrina flood of 2005. ...

1927 also saw the start of a project to build a more extensive system of levees on the shoreline of Lake Pontchartrain. After 1945, all land up to the lake had been developed. 1927 (MCMXXVII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... Landsat image of Lake Pontchartrain Map showing Lake Pontchartrain Lake Pontchartrains north shore at Fontainebleau State Park near Mandeville, Louisiana in 2004 Lake Pontchartrain at New Orleans during Hurricane Georges in 1998 Lake Pontchartrain (local English pronunciation ) (French: Lac Pontchartrain, pronounced ) is a brackish lake in southeastern Louisiana, the... 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1945 calendar). ...

The city's system demonstrated its worth in times of crisis when the 1947 Fort Lauderdale Hurricane directly hit the city. Wood's drainage pumps kept the city proper mostly dry, while the neighboring suburbs on the East Bank of Jefferson Parish (which at the time did not have a comparable system operational), flooded under up to 6 feet of water. The Fort Lauderdale Hurricane (or Pompano Beach Hurricane or Forgotten Hurricane) was an intense category 5 hurricane that affected Florida, Louisiana, and Mississippi in September of 1947. ... Jefferson Parish is a parish in the U.S. state of Louisiana. ...

Most of the city weathered Hurricane Betsy in 1965 without severe floodings, with the major exception of the Lower Ninth Ward neighborhood. The Lower Ninth Ward is separated from the rest of the city by the Industrial Canal and Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. It was flooded not by rainfall, but by a breach in the Industrial Canal levee, resulting in catastrophic flooding and loss of life in the neighborhood. Hurricane Betsy was a powerful hurricane of the 1965 Atlantic hurricane season which caused enormous damage in the Bahamas, Florida, and Louisiana. ... 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1965 calendar). ... The 9th ward is a distinctive region of New Orleans, Louisiana that is located in the eastern downriver portion of the city. ... The Industrial Canal is the common term for the Inner Harbor Navigational Canal (IHNC), a 5. ... Categories: Stub ...

By the 1980s, the city boasted a system of 20 pumping stations with 89 pumps, with a combined capacity of 15,642,000 gallons per minute, 22.5 billion gallons per day, equal to the flow of the Ohio River. MacGyver is one of the symbols of 1980s The 1980s decade refers to the years from 1980 to 1989, inclusive. ... The gallon (abbr. ... Ohio River viewed from Liberty Hill in Ripley, Ohio. ...

In May of 1995, torrential rains (up to 20 inches in 12 hours in some places) overwhelmed pumping capacity (compounded, according to some, by a few pumps not being turned on until the deluge was already well underway), flooding substantial portions of the city. Slab houses in some low areas were flooded, and great numbers of automobiles on the city's flooded streets were declared totaled. This prompted projects increasing drainage capacity in the worst hit areas. 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

By early 2005, the city had 148 drainage pumps.

Hurricane Katrina

"This is the largest civil engineering disaster in the history of the United States. Nothing has come close to the $300 billion in damages and half-million people out of their homes and the lives lost." [1]

The greatest catastrophe in the city's drainage history started at the end of August 2005, when the city was hit by Hurricane Katrina, after which the majority of the city flooded. Katrina brought tropical storm conditions to the city starting the night of 28 August, with Hurricane conditions the following day through the afternoon. 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Lowest pressure 902 mbar (hPa) Damages $75 billion (2005 USD) (costliest Atlantic hurricane in history) Fatalities ≥1,605 Areas affected Bahamas, South Florida, Cuba, Louisiana (especially Greater New Orleans), Mississippi, Alabama, Florida Panhandle, most of eastern North America Part of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season Hurricane Katrina was the costliest... August 28 is the 240th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (241st in leap years), with 125 days remaining. ...

The hurricane itself did not flood the city. In much of town, residents who did not evacuate before the storm reported that after the storm they were relieved to see their streets dry and the precipitation from the storm successfully pumped out. However, disaster was already spreading from a series of levee breaches.

The Industrial Canal was overwhelmed when storm surge, funneled in by the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet, overflowed and breached levees and floodwalls in several locations, flooding not only the Lower Ninth Ward, but also New Orleans East and portions of the Ninth Ward west of the Canal. ... The Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet Canal (also known as MRGO, MR-GO or Mr. ... The Ninth ward is a distinctive region of New Orleans, Louisiana, United States that is located in the eastern downriver portion of the city. ... The Ninth ward is a distinctive region of New Orleans, Louisiana, United States that is located in the eastern downriver portion of the city. ...

Meanwhile, waters from storm-swollen Lake Pontchartrain poured into the city, first from a breach in the 17th Street Canal, and then from a pair of breaches in both sides of the London Avenue Canal. These canals were among those used to channel water pumped from city streets into the Lake. The storm cause the flow to reverse, and as water levels rose the entire drainage system failed. Examinations afterwards showed that water levels in these locations never topped the floodwalls, but instead the levees failed with a water level supposedly within their safe tolerance. Landsat image of Lake Pontchartrain Map showing Lake Pontchartrain Lake Pontchartrains north shore at Fontainebleau State Park near Mandeville, Louisiana in 2004 Lake Pontchartrain at New Orleans during Hurricane Georges in 1998 Lake Pontchartrain (local English pronunciation ) (French: Lac Pontchartrain, pronounced ) is a brackish lake in southeastern Louisiana, the... Woman walks dog along the levee beside the floodwall on the Metarie side of the Canal, 11 November, 2005. ... The London Avenue Canal in New Orleans, Louisiana does not connect Lake Pontchartrain to the Mississippi River. ...

In areas of town far from the breaches, flood water came not in through the streets, but up from the storm drains beneath the street, in some places changing streets from dry to under 3 feet of water within half an hour.

Flood lines show levels of high water on this Mid City New Orleans house

By the evening of August 30th, some 80% of the city was under water. (This figure includes areas of widely differing flood levels, ranging from areas where streets were covered with water which never rose into homes to areas where homes were entirely submerged over the rooftops.) Most of the city's pumping stations were submerged. The few above the water line had no power and the emergency diesel fuel had run out. These few were often tiny islands in the flood, inaccessible even if intact enough to hypothetically be turned back on. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2592x1944, 1758 KB) Summary One story building flooded after Hurricane Katrina, S. Carrollton Avenue, Mid City New Orleans. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2592x1944, 1758 KB) Summary One story building flooded after Hurricane Katrina, S. Carrollton Avenue, Mid City New Orleans. ...

For most of the city to the west of the Industrial Canal, the flood levels were much the same as occurred in mid 19th century storms and most recently before in the Great Storm of 1909, when, like Katrina, major hurricanes created a "lake flood", pushing Lake Pontchartrain up into the South Shore. However during those earlier storms, most of the lower lying areas of the city had little development, so effects on life and property were much less severe.

West of the Industrial Canal, the parts of the city unflooded or minimally flooded largely corresponded with areas of the city developed on naturally higher ground before 1900.

On August 31st, flood levels started to subside. The water level in the city had reached that of Lake Pontchartrain, and as the lake started to drain back into the Gulf, some water in the city started to flow into the lake via the same levee breeches they had entered through. In 19th century lake floods, the water soon flowed back into the lake as there were no levees on that side. In 2005, while the levees proved inadequate to keep the lake out of the city, even in breached form they were sufficient to keep much of the flooding from flowing back out. As breaches were gradually filled, some city pumps were reactivated, supplemented by additional pumps brought in by the Corps of Engineers. Some of the city's pumps which survived could not be reactivated because of the failures of the canals that they pumped flood waters into. The combined task of closing breaches and pumping the flood waters out took weeks and was compounded by a setback in late September due to further flooding from Hurricane Rita. See: Civil engineering and infrastructure repair in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. Landsat image of Lake Pontchartrain Map showing Lake Pontchartrain Lake Pontchartrains north shore at Fontainebleau State Park near Mandeville, Louisiana in 2004 Lake Pontchartrain at New Orleans during Hurricane Georges in 1998 Lake Pontchartrain (local English pronunciation ) (French: Lac Pontchartrain, pronounced ) is a brackish lake in southeastern Louisiana, the... Hurricane Rita is the fourth-most-intense Atlantic hurricane ever recorded and the most intense tropical cyclone observed in the Gulf of Mexico. ... When Category 4 storm Hurricane Katrina slammed into New Orleans, on the night before August 29, 2005, storm surges estimated at 20 feet took place; levee height was about 17 feet. ...

By the start of October, only a few small areas of flood waters remained within the city, but the disastrous flooding in the aftermath of Katrina left the majority of the city's houses and businesses so damaged as to be unusable until major renovations or repairs could be made. An article in the New Orleans Times-Picayune on 30 November, 2005 reported that studies showed the 17th Street Canal levee was "destined to fail" as a result of fundamental design mistakes by the Army Corps of Engineers [2]. The front page of the September 2, 2005 edition. ... November 30 is the 334th day (335th on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 31 days remaining, as the final day of November. ... United States Army Corps of Engineers logo The United States Army Corps of Engineers, or USACE, is made up of some 34,600 military men and women. ...

Waterways

Natural waterways in and around New Orleans include:

• Bayou Bienvenue
• Bayou Metairie
• Bayou St. John
• Chef Menteur Pass
• Lake Borgne
• Lake Cataouatche
• Lake Saint Catherine
• Lake Pontchartrain
• Mississippi River
• The Rigolets

Bayou Bienvenue is a bayou in southeastern Louisiana. ... Bayou St. ... The Chef Menteur Pass is a narrow natural waterway which, along with the Rigolets, connects Lake Pontchartrain and Lake Borgne in New Orleans, Louisiana. ... Lake Borgne is a lagoon in eastern Louisiana of the Gulf of Mexico. ... Lake St. ... Landsat image of Lake Pontchartrain Map showing Lake Pontchartrain Lake Pontchartrains north shore at Fontainebleau State Park near Mandeville, Louisiana in 2004 Lake Pontchartrain at New Orleans during Hurricane Georges in 1998 Lake Pontchartrain (local English pronunciation ) (French: Lac Pontchartrain, pronounced ) is a brackish lake in southeastern Louisiana, the... This article is about the river in the United States. ... The Rigolets (locally pronounced RIG-uh-leez) is a strait in Louisiana that, along with Chef Menteur Pass, connects Lake Pontchartrain and Lake St. ...

Canals

Metarie Pumping Station, also known as Pumping Station 6, building, constructed in 1899, near Metarie Road and the head of the 17th Street Canal. Now housing 15 Wood Screw Pumps, it can move over 6 billion gallons of water a day.

Historic and present day man-made canals in and around New Orleans include: Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1000x750, 393 KB) Summary Metarie Pumping Station on the 17th Street Canal, lakeward of Metarie Road on the border of New Orleans and Metairie, Louisiana. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1000x750, 393 KB) Summary Metarie Pumping Station on the 17th Street Canal, lakeward of Metarie Road on the border of New Orleans and Metairie, Louisiana. ...

• 17th Street Canal
• Algiers Canal
• Carondelet Canal
• Claiborne Canal
• Duncart Canal
• Florida Canal also known as the 40 Arpent Canal
• Gulf Intracoastal Waterway
• Harvey Canal
• Industrial Canal
• Inner Cataouatche Canal
• London Avenue Canal
• Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet Canal
• New Basin Canal
• Orleans Canal
• Outer Cataouatche Canal
• Paris Avenue Canal
• People's Avenue Canal
• Twenty Arpent Canal

Woman walks dog along the levee beside the floodwall on the Metarie side of the Canal, 11 November, 2005. ... The Carondelet Canal, also known as the Old Basin Canal, was a canal in New Orleans, Louisiana from 1794 through 1938. ... The Florida Canal or 40 Arpent Canal is a canal in Greater New Orleans and land down river. ... Categories: Stub ... The Industrial Canal is the common term for the Inner Harbor Navigational Canal (IHNC), a 5. ... The London Avenue Canal in New Orleans, Louisiana does not connect Lake Pontchartrain to the Mississippi River. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The New Basin Canal, also known as the New Orleans Canal and the New Canal, was a shipping canal in New Orleans, Louisiana from the 1830s through the 1940s. ... The Orleans Canal is a drainage canal in New Orleans, Louisiana. ...

Other features

Other important hydraulic features in the area include:

• Bohemia Spillway
• Bonnet Carré Spillway

This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ...

Events

Natural disasters important to the subject have included:

• Louisiana Hurricane of 1915
• Great Mississippi Flood
• 1947 Fort Lauderdale Hurricane
• Hurricane Betsy
• May 8th 1995 Louisiana Flood
• Hurricane Katrina
• Hurricane Rita

Louisiana Hurricane of 1915 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 was the most destructive river flood in United States history until the Hurricane Katrina flood of 2005. ... The Fort Lauderdale Hurricane (or Pompano Beach Hurricane or Forgotten Hurricane) was an intense category 5 hurricane that affected Florida, Louisiana, and Mississippi in September of 1947. ... Hurricane Betsy was a powerful hurricane of the 1965 Atlantic hurricane season which caused enormous damage in the Bahamas, Florida, and Louisiana. ... The May 8th 1995 New Orleans Flood struck the Greater New Orleans metropolitan area, shutting down the city for two days. ... Lowest pressure 902 mbar (hPa) Damages $75 billion (2005 USD) (costliest Atlantic hurricane in history) Fatalities ≥1,605 Areas affected Bahamas, South Florida, Cuba, Louisiana (especially Greater New Orleans), Mississippi, Alabama, Florida Panhandle, most of eastern North America Part of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season Hurricane Katrina was the costliest... Hurricane Rita is the fourth-most-intense Atlantic hurricane ever recorded and the most intense tropical cyclone observed in the Gulf of Mexico. ...

See also

• Effect of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans
• Levee failures in Greater New Orleans, 2005

This article needs to be updated. ... This article or section contains information that has not been verified and thus might not be reliable. ...

Further reading

"An Unnatural Metropolis: Wresting New Orleans From Nature" by Craig E. Colten, Louisiana State University Press, Baton Rouge, 2005

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Drainage in New Orleans

• 1914 article