Plug It Up, Pump It Out

The levee is plugged, and the floodwaters have begun to be pumped out. It may take up to 80 days to drain New Orleans.

Be prepared for the horrors that are likely to be revealed when the waters recede.

The brew of chemicals and human waste in the New Orleans floodwaters will have to be pumped into the Mississippi River or Lake Pontchartrain, raising the specter of an environmental disaster.

Experts say the vile, stagnant chemical soup that sits in the streets of the city known as The Big Easy will contain traces of everything imaginable.

The risk of disease is staggering.

The result could be an second wave of disaster for southern Louisiana.

“In effect, it’s going to kill everything in those waters,”

“Most of the buildings will have to be destroyed.”

Yet, some stubborn souls still refuse to evacuate.
--LynZee

Deputy Chief Warren Riley: "We advise people that this city has been destroyed. It has been completely destroyed....there is no reason -- no jobs, no food -- no reason for them to stay."