Water recedes in St. Bernard

New Orleans Times-Picayune via NOLA.com ^ | 09/07/05 | Manuel Torres

[conservative in nyc]

Emergency response personnel faced grueling tasks across St. Bernard Parish on Wednesday, as the receding waters showed the full impact of Hurricane Katrina.

Clean up crews labored to skim off a thick layer of crude oil, spilled from a tank at the Murphy Oil refinery, that soiled east Chalmette homes as far west as Paris Road. All the while, rescue teams tended to dozens of calls from residents seeking a way out — many of them people who turned down rescuers just days ago but are now running out of water and food or just had enough of the stench that impregnates the place.

The response to the effects of the hurricane was eased as many areas of the parish have drained enough to greatly improve mobility. St. Bernard Highway was open from Orleans Parish all the way into Plaquemines Parish. Sections of Judge Perez Drive in east Chalmette were dry and crews worked to remove debris. Paris Road was clear.

But cleaning crews were still having trouble getting access to the areas covered by the oil spill, said Kevin Fitzgerald, treasurer of Murphy Oil. He said the spill originated in a tank that contained as much as 85,000 gallons of crude, but it was unclear how much of the oil spilled.

Fitzgerald, however, said most of the spill was contained by the refinery’s dikes. He said the oil that reached into Chalmette escaped through a breach on the dike caused by the storm or was raised by the high water levels. He said it’s unclear how long it will take to clean it up.

“We’re working fast and furious to clean it,” he said.

[conservative in nyc]

Sounds like things are improving in the parish most hard-hit immediately after the hurricane.

[JLS]

Right those Parishes south of New Orleans took a realy big hit.

[NonValueAdded]

Someone should ask Blank-o if the water in St. Bernard is safe or not. Maybe she can organize a group to come in with some Dawn detergent and wash off the remaining citizens so they don't need to be evacuated. Crude oil spills ... next thing you know we'll have soldiers coming down with GW-I symptoms again. No, Blank-o, it's not toxic in there ... why don;t you relocate your staff to NO?

[afraidfortherepublic]

Does anyone know the current situation in Jefferson Parish or St. Charles Parish?

[conservative in nyc]

They're letting people back into Jefferson Parish until tomorrow to inspect damage. Water is back in some areas. The parish will be closed for a few weeks to allow recovery efforts to proceed quickly. There's some flooding in Old Metairie and near Airline at the end of the 17th Street Canal. Some reports have said 15% of the parish is or was flooded.

St. Charles Parish faired very well. Water's back on in at least some of the parish, and the public schools set a tentative reopening date for the week of September 12.

[afraidfortherepublic]

Good news about St. Bernard. I know about the flooding in Metairie, but does anyone know about Harahan, which is at the other end of the Parish on the Mississippi River side? A lot of it is industrial. I wondered about fires, or looting. I don't think they got flooded, or ot very much.They are a whole 7 feet above sea level! Destrehan in St. Bernard is 10 feet above.

[afraidfortherepublic]

I meant St. Charles, no St. Bernard. Haven't had my coffee yet.

[conservative in nyc]

Jeff Parish could reopen sooner than expected

Thursday, 9:20 a.m.

[Emergency Management Director Walter Maestri] said the situation is improving rapidly in Kenner and Harahan is in good shape in East Jefferson, while work parishwide on the water, electrical and sewer systems also is going well.

[afraidfortherepublic]

I'm grateful for the news!