Local law enforcement in Lafitte, about 30 miles south of New Orleans, report their levee has either been overtopped or failed. The National Weather Service has issued a flash flood warning for resident to seek higher ground, warning of catastrophic damage.
People from the area or relatives who’ve lost contact with residents are on Twitter begging for help.
Jean Lafitte Mayor Tim Kerner warns that the Barataria Bridge was struck by a ship & warns not to use it. Some reports say it’s damaged, some say it’s collapsed.
Jean Lafitte Police Chief Marcel Rodriguez told New Orleans Public Radio WWNO that the situation is worse than what the little towns faced during Hurricane Katrina.
“I'm hearing that they feel like they’re trapped and they understand that nobody can get there, but they are in panic mode and they've got a good right to be. I mean, right now, if they have 10 foot of water, they're basically there in the Gulf of Mexico in a hurricane.” Jean Lafitte police chief Rodriguez
WWNO Radio
The sheriff said he believed about 400 residents stayed behind. The mayor put the number at 200 & said there are multiple reports of people trapped in attics or on their roofs begging to be rescued, but conditions are too dangerous to send crews out.
The Jefferson Parish fire chief was heard on an emergency scanner saying he fears the entire town of Jean Lafitte will be under water within two hours.
Lafitte and Jean Lafitte lie across a broad marsh along the west side of the Mississippi River. Levees follow on both sides of the river until it gets to New Orleans, as part of the levee system that protects the city. Correction: Early tweets said the towns were along the Mississippi, which I thought meant they were part of the levee system from the mouth of the Mississippi north to New Orleans, but no one is speculating about this possibly affecting NO, so I think a later tweet saying the levees in Lafitte are smaller earthen ones, not part of the big new New Orleans levee system.
Finally, someone tweeted a map of the are. You’ll see New Orleans at the very top, just left of center. Lafitte levee is the red mark on the left. I haven’t see anything about the levee marked in red on the right.
There are conflicting reports about whether the levee was simply overtopped by the storm surge or if it collapsed. Most reports say 200 residents are in imminent danger, white some put the number as high as 500.
Also conflicting reports about whether they’re attempting to rescue people or whether it’s too dangerous to go out. It’s dark.there may be downed power lines or debris. There are alligators.
As I said, conflicting reports …
People are asking the so-called Cajun Navy for help, and it’s also not clear whether they’re conducting rescues at this time. The Cajun Navy is local boaters who, on their own, go out after storms and into flooded areas to try to rescue people.
The damaged bridge is the Leo Kerner swing bridge.
UPDATE: It’s getting worse. Seeing news about more levees either being overtopped or failing.
No one is saying these levees are part of the new, very expensive levee system that protects the city of New Orleans.