What an odd phrase.
The pumps were formally declared complete by the Corps, which is
responsible for building $14.5 billion in flood protection upgrades in
the metro area.
They've now been turned over to the Flood
Protection Authority, which is responsible for the rest of the system of
floodwalls, levees and gates that surround the east banks of Orleans,
Jefferson and St. Bernard parishes.
That system is designed to handle storms that have a 1 percent chance
of occurring each year, though Col. Michael Clancy, the Corps’
commander and district engineer for the New Orleans district, warned
that storms could exceed the its capabilities.
“We still live in a
high-risk area and it’s a matter of fact that the full fury of Mother
Nature can overwhelm our system as great as it is and it’s safe to say
we’re the most risk-reduced city, structurally, in the world,” Clancy
said. “But we’re still a high-risk city. With the surrounding area,
we’re essentially an island in the Gulf of Mexico.”
Also the word "robust" shows up in this article so, you know, trigger warning. Also, I don't know about you guys, but I am gonna ride out the next storm at the pumping station.
When needed, the pump stations can operate more or less autonomously.
When run in what Derek Boese termed “storm mode,” the stations will
automatically determine the water levels in the canals and make
adjustments to the pumps accordingly.
Crews can also control the
pumps using computers from within a safe-house inside the station or
manually at the pumps themselves.
All three buildings are designed to withstand the sustained winds of a Category 5 Hurricane and 200 mph gusts of wind.
Anyway, Happy Hurricane Season.
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