The funny thing about all the flooding is that we haven't really had any significant rain in weeks and weeks. It's one thing to think about your house potentially flooding when it's raining heavy and frequently, but here it's not the case.
A few weeks ago I was going for a 'driftwood walk' around the levee to see if there was any nice pieces there. You can never have enough nice driftwood, even if it just sits in a pile in the back of your house. I noticed the water was significantly higher than normal and many of my favorite spots were inundated.
That was well before the news started reporting it. I blew it off and just figured it would go back down shortly. Frankly, when ever the water is high I usually get excited about new wood depositions.
In the photo above is traditionally a good spot for wood. Now the trees, around which I walk to get pieces, are submerged by perhaps 10 feet plus of water. These photos are a day after the Morganza Spillway was partially opened and the water is lower than days before. The peak of the flooding won't be for several days.
By all accounts, New Orleans will be alright in this flooding. All measures have been taken to ensure it. It makes me very uncomfortable though that this safety has come with enormous costs to people in the paths of the spillways. Even though we're not assured safety of our homes and belongings, others have been assured that their houses will be lost.
When I first moved here I wasn't really sure what a levee even was, aside from raised ground. It was a word that prior to Katrina, I never really heard used much. These photos are all from an area called 'The Fly' a park area on the levee where people often have parties and grill.
The people here are among the friendliest and most diverse and fun in the world. Just walking around with a big camera gets you lots of shouts and invites to share some food and drink with the parties on the levee.
I thought a few photos would make this a little more personal for those not in the area.
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