Getting Floodwaters Out of New Orleans

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Efforts to remove flood water from New Orleans and other areas affected by Hurricane Katrina, at this point, should focus on flood bypass, strategic pumping and channel improvement, according to Christina Tsai, Ph.D., an expert on open-channel hydraulics and water-resources engineering at the University at Buffalo.

"Channel improvement and modifications might be doable at this point," says Tsai, an assistant professor of civil, structural and environmental engineering. "If you can elevate some of the flooded locations or steepen the slope of a channel by dredging or using sandbags, the flow will go faster."

Tsai also recommends using flood bypass techniques to "divert the flow of water to somewhere it won't cause further harm.

"In terms of pumping the water, there's not much you can do right now," she says. "You need to do strategic pumping and set mitigation priorities, especially for areas of low elevation.

Christina Tsai, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering
University at Buffalo
716-645-2114, ext. 2414
ctsai4@eng.buffalo.edu