!! History Commons Alert, Exciting News Context of '4:00-6:00 am August 29, 2005: Flooding, Strong Winds Reported West of New Orleans' This is a scalable context timeline. It contains events related to the event 4:00-6:00 am August 29, 2005: Flooding, Strong Winds Reported West of New Orleans. You can narrow or broaden the context of this timeline by adjusting the zoom level. The lower the scale, the more relevant the items on average will be, while the higher the scale, the less relevant the items, on average, will be.
New Orleans Fire’ Department reports a one-alarm fire on Panama Court near Colapissa Street around 12:15 am Later, Kenner’s Fire Department reports a fire at a daycare center. Fanned by Katrina’s advance winds, the fire destroyed the building. [Times-Picayune Blog, 8/29/2005] Kenner police receive reports of street flooding in the 900 to 1200 blocks of Williams Boulevard, and reports that the Duncan Canal is close to overflowing. (Kenner is located just south of Lake Pontchartrain, in Jefferson Parish) Armstrong International Airport and St Charles Parish each record winds of at least 80 mph. St. Bernard records winds up to 70 mph and loses power by 5:00 am. More than 348,000 area residents lose power. Some East Jefferson drainage canals already are topping out as huge pumps struggle to drain the rain out of neighborhoods and into Lake Pontchartrain, according to Walter Maestri, Director of the Emergency Management Center in Jefferson Parish. Jefferson Parish streets near Transcontinental Drive and Kawanee Avenue, a frequent trouble spot about halfway between the Suburban and Elmwood canals, are also flooded. However, according to Maestri, “We have had no reports of serious wind damage, and we don’t see any indication of tidal surge problems. But of course it’s still really early. The next four to five hours will tell the tale.”
[Times-Picayune Blog, 8/29/2005; Schleifstein and Broach, 8/29/2005 Sources: Walter Maestri] The Associated Press reports that, according to the National Weather Service, a floodwall has been breached on the Industrial Canal near the St. Bernard-Orleans parish line (see (9:00 am) August 29, 2005). Three to eight feed of flooding is possible. [Associated Press, 8/29/2005 Sources: National Weather Service] The Associated Press will report on breaches in New Orleans’ levee system at least 15 times before the end of the day, identifying both the Industrial Canal floodwall breach and the 17th Street Canal floodwall-levee breach. According to Kenner officials, Williams Boulevard is now flooded north of I-10 to just before the lake levee, although Lake Pontchartrain has not overtopped the levees. Officials report that throughout Williams and elsewhere, businesses, homes, and apartments flooded and have significant roof damage. [Times-Picayune Blog, 8/29/2005] (Kenner is located in Jefferson Parish.) New Orleans Firefighter Nick Felton reports that “downtown has major damage with windows and parts of buildings gone and, of course, major flooding with the water still rising. At this time feeder bands are still coming through the area and they are not responding yet. There are people on their rooftops waiting to be rescued. There have been three breaches of the levee system—in Kenner, at Lakefront along Lake Pontchartrain and west bank. Officials are very concerned about lower New Orleans and St. Bernard Parish. No one has been able to communicate with any [firefighters in St. Bernard Parish].”
[International Association of Fire Fighters, 8/29/2005]
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