[StBernard] St. Bernard prepares for rising Mississippi River

[Westley Annis]

St. Bernard prepares for rising Mississippi River
	 Reported by: Allison Braxton, Reporter 
Email: abraxton at fox8tv.net 
Contributor: Phin Percy, Photographer 
Last Update: 5/07 10:03 pm
 
			
Crews prepare sand berms to be used on the Mississippi River in St. Bernard
Parish (Phin Percy, FOX 8 News)
As drivers wait to catch a ride on the Chalmette Ferry, they keep close
watch on the rising river. 

As the levels rise, Saint Bernard Parish residents worry. 

They've been through the worst and don't want a repeat of Katrina. 

"It's definitley a concern here in New Orleans because being at the mouth of
the Mississippi River is a big issue," says Anthony Jackson.

Back in 2008 this area of the levee just yards from the ferry suffered from
seepage during the spring flood.

"Any little area along the river could have devastating consequences if we
were to loose a section of that," says Robert Turner, Regional Director of
the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority East.

Crews with the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority are working
closely with the Army Corps of Engineers to monitor the levee throughout the
days ahead. 

Today, they spent hours shaping sand into approximately 66 berms, that
spreads about 200-feet. 

"These green things are called hepco baskets. They provide a way to put sand
in a contained area. This is a barrier so that we can fill from those
baskets to the levee. There's about a three foot high sand berm to add
weight to that structure and add some stability," says Turner.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is not allowing any type of excavating or
pile driving within 15-hundred feet of this levee until the river level goes
down.

"The reason for that when someone comes out here inadvertently and goes to
do an excavation or drive pilings, they could actually fail this levee and
we could actually have a flood throughout the entire parish," says Turner.

The sand berms are expected to remain in Saint Bernard Parish until the end
of June.