Page 4 - aruba today 12aug2017

A4 U.S. NEWS
Saturday 12 auguSt 2017

Soggy New Orleans looks warily at more rain, possible floods

thing was working, and the the extra precaution of
next day the story was a sandbagging their homes.
little bit different, and then Schools closed for the
the next day the story was week, and the mayor
a lot different,” she said. urged residents to park
“I’m the kind of person their cars on high ground.
that trusts anyone until they Gov. John Bel Edwards
prove otherwise. So, I don’t described his emergency
feel like I have a lot of rea- declaration Thursday as a
son to trust what I’m being precautionary measure.
told anymore.” The National Weather Ser-
A control panel on one of vice forecast a 60 percent
two working turbines had chance of rain Friday,
been fixed by Friday morn- primarily during the late
ing, but the system remains morning and afternoon,
well below full power, May- with a chance that heavy
or Mitch Landrieu said at a rainfall could lead to more
morning news conference. flooding. The city’s infra-
The turbine powers some of structure had been crum-
the city’s pumps. bling for years before the
“We remain at risk until ad- devastation unleashed in
ditional turbines are back 2005 by levee breaches in
up,” Landrieu said, add- Hurricane Katrina’s after-
In this Saturday, Aug. 5, 2017 photo people stand outside their home in floodwaters in New Or- ing that he hopes that will math. The federal govern-
leans. With more rain in the forecast and city water pumps malfunctioning after weekend floods, happen by the end of the ment earmarked billions of
New Orleans’ mayor is urging residents of some waterlogged neighborhoods to move their ve- month. Still, he said, “Panic dollars for repairs and up-
hicles to higher ground.
(Brett Duke/NOLA.com The Times-Picayune via AP) is not where we need to be grades after the hurricane,
right now.” but the problems have
By JANET McCONNAUGHEY malfunctioning pump sys- hoods. He said the latest to go of- persisted. Streets are pock-
Associated Press tem. Annie Hutchins says she’s fline will be powered up marked with potholes and
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — With The city scrambled to re- “traumatized” every time over 24 hours. Meanwhile, sinkholes. The city’s water
debris from last weekend’s pair fire-damaged equip- she sees clouds in the sky Landrieu said, 26 genera- system has been plagued
flash flood still piled up on ment at a power plant and since an Aug. 5 flood. She tors have been ordered by leaks from broken pipes
sidewalks and their city un- shore up its drainage sys- had to walk through knee- and will remain through and power outages lead-
der a state of emergency, tem less than a week after high water to get to her hurricane season. ing to boil water advisories.
New Orleans residents a flash flood from torren- house in the Treme neigh- He also said a location New Orleans’ municipal
looked ahead warily on tial rain overwhelmed the borhood. was being set up Friday for pumping system is sup-
Friday to the prospect of city’s pumping system and “It’s a little bit unnerving residents to get sandbags posed to move water out
more rain to tax the city’s inundated many neighbor- that we were told every- should they want to take of the low-lying city.q
Fire blocks route for dozens in Glacier National Park chalet

By MATT VOLZ country campsites near along a steep trail nearly 7 and three stayed behind, For those who stay, the
Associated Press fires that broke out after a miles (11 kilometers) from said Suzie Menke, the of- chalet has running water,
HELENA, Mont. (AP) — A passing lightning storm on Lake McDonald Lodge on fice manager of Benton a full-service kitchen and
wildfire has cut off the re- Thursday, Glacier spokes- the park’s main roadway. Chalets Inc., which runs the 17 private rooms — but it
turn route for dozens of woman Lauren Alley said. A lightning strike ignited a chalet. doesn’t have electricity
people staying in a Glacier It’s peak tourist season at fire in the forest somewhere They must take a rugged and only spotty cellphone
National Park backcountry the Montana park, and between the lodge and trail more than 13 miles coverage.
chalet, leaving them the the stone chalet built more the chalet. Neither struc- (21 kilometers) long that “The good news is they
choice of remaining until than a century ago is a top ture is threatened, but park crosses two mountain pass- got resupplied yesterday,”
rangers tell them it’s safe or attraction in one of the bus- officials determined that es and can take eight to Alley said. Park officials
hiking out along a longer iest parts of Glacier. There it was unsafe for those at 10 hours to walk. That trail confirmed three small fires
and more difficult trail, park are typically between 40 the chalet to return by the ends up on the eastern side started after Thursday’s
officials said Friday. and 50 guests and 10 staff same trail Friday. of the park, on the other lightning storm. The one af-
Park rangers also planned members at the chalet Thirty-nine of the 42 guests side of the Continental Di- fecting Sperry Chalet is the
to lead out 39 other hikers each night, with most visi- staying at the Sperry Cha- vide from Lake McDonald largest at about 10 acres
who were staying in back- tors arriving by foot or horse let decided to hike out Lodge. (40,500 square meters).q