Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans prepping ahead of possible tropical weather

NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — As a potential tropical development continues to move west into the Gulf, New Orleans residents are filling sandbags as heavy rains are expected across the area.

“I’ve been through everything, and with Katrina, all of it, you know, was really a surprise. I don’t see or think it’s going to be that bad. But I still want to be prepared,” said Malcolm Johnson.

New Orleans Sewerage and Water Board Superintendent Steve Nelson says there have been a lot of moving parts to prepare for potential flooding.

“We’re working to clean as much as possible. We’re out there cleaning seven days a week. Our contractor is in there for the first 10 days and has removed half a million pounds of debris. So, there is a lot of debris in the system, we are working to clean it out,” said Nelson.

Currently, 86 of 93 drainage pumps are operational and ready, and Nelson is asking all residents to clear leaves and trash from catch basins before the rain begins.

“Remove leaves from the front, garbage and debris from the gutter lines, everything that stays out of the system, we don’t have to remove from it, and it helps the capacity,” said Nelson.

Nelson says the system can handle an inch of rain in the first hour, then half an inch every hour after that. Heavy rains exceeding those totals could overwhelm the system.

“We’ve been able to adjust over the last number of years our operational requirements, getting folks to certain pump stations early, turning pumps on at certain times,” said Nelson.

Johnson says even though it’s not predicted to be too bad, he’s watching closely, adding you can never be too careful.

“I’ve learned if they say go, leave. You know, I don’t want to take any chances. They’re not really saying leave, you know. So, you know, basically I just want to have all the basics that I need. I want to be fully prepared,” said Johnson.

If you see street flooding or blocked catch basins, you can call 311. You can also visit swbno.org to check your pumping station’s status.

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