CNN 2011-05-16

Louisiana is trying to prepare as this bulge¹ of flood water moves south down the Mississippi River. In New Orleans yesterday, the water level was at 17 feet. But officials don't think the river will crest² -- hit its highest point -- until it hits 19 feet. And they expect that to happen more than a week from now. Next door, in Mississippi, 14 counties have been declared major disaster areas by the governor. That'll help free up money for the relief efforts. Ed Lavandera is in Louisiana. He's looking at how officials -- and individuals -- are preparing to deal with the water that's heading their way. 

They going to start pumping the water out when it starts coming in. 

Gerald Gaudet will fight off the rising water with a little Louisiana bayou ingenuity³: his own homemade levee wall. Gerald, do you really think this wall will be enough? 

I'm hoping so. If it gets any higher, there ain't going to be much in the neighborhood for sure. 

Disaster is flowing downstream and residents in towns like Stephenville and Morgan City are at the end of the line. 

Getting pretty ready now. The more closer it gets, starting to get worried about it. 

Worried because the Morganza Spillway will likely be opened in the coming days. That will redirect Mississippi River water away from Baton⁴ Rouge⁵ and New Orleans west into the Atchafalaya River basin. Army Corps⁶ of Engineers Colonel Ed Fleming will decide when to open the floodgates. 

So, what these structures are designed for is to take excess water beyond the design capacity for the levee system off the top of the river. 

This is one of the floodgates of the Morganza flood structure. On the other side, the pressure from the flood waters is already starting to rise. This structure is almost 5,000 feet long, and it has 125 gates. In the coming days, some of those gates will be opened up, and when that does, a massive wall of water will continue to flow out this way, drowning out this area and flowing toward the Gulf⁷ of Mexico.

These floodgates have only been opened once, back in 1973, bringing the kind of images people around here have never forgotten, like Morgan City Mayor Tim Matte. 

This is where the water level reached in '73. 

'73. 

Yes.

This is part of the wall that held it back. 

That's correct. 

Now, a 22-foot wall protects historic downtown Morgan City. 

It will be water all the way. Of course, it will touch this wall and it will extend all the way to that wall over there. 

You're confident about these walls holding up? 

I have to be. Yes. Have to be. 

And if for whatever reason they fail? 

Total catastrophe⁸. This entire city would flood. 

National Guard soldiers are building up levees around town, and it seems like everyone in these neighborhoods has a boat in the driveway ready to go. But Gerald Gaudet will stay on the back porch. So, you'll just sit back here and watch that water start creeping up here in a few days?

 That's it. I'm going to pull my chairs over here and my swing, and we'll sit here and watch. Maybe catch some fish.

Ed Lavandera, CNN, Morgan City, Louisiana

1 bulge   

n.突出，膨胀，激增；vt.突出，膨胀

参考例句：

• The apple made a bulge in his pocket.苹果把他口袋塞得鼓了起来。
• What's that awkward bulge in your pocket?你口袋里那块鼓鼓囊囊的东西是什么？

2 crest   

n.顶点；饰章；羽冠；vt.达到顶点；vi.形成浪尖

参考例句：

• The rooster bristled his crest.公鸡竖起了鸡冠。
• He reached the crest of the hill before dawn.他于黎明前到达山顶。

3 ingenuity   

n.别出心裁；善于发明创造

参考例句：

• The boy showed ingenuity in making toys.那个小男孩做玩具很有创造力。
• I admire your ingenuity and perseverance.我钦佩你的别出心裁和毅力。

4 baton   

n.乐队用指挥杖

参考例句：

• With the baton the conductor was beating time.乐队指挥用指挥棒打拍子。
• The conductor waved his baton,and the band started up.指挥挥动指挥棒，乐队开始演奏起来。

5 rouge   

n.胭脂，口红唇膏；v.(在…上)擦口红

参考例句：

• Women put rouge on their cheeks to make their faces pretty.女人往面颊上涂胭脂，使脸更漂亮。
• She didn't need any powder or lip rouge to make her pretty.她天生漂亮，不需要任何脂粉唇膏打扮自己。

6 corps   

n.(通信等兵种的)部队；(同类作的)一组

参考例句：

• The medical corps were cited for bravery in combat.医疗队由于在战场上的英勇表现而受嘉奖。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

7 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

8 catastrophe   

n.大灾难，大祸

参考例句：

• I owe it to you that I survived the catastrophe.亏得你我才大难不死。
• This is a catastrophe beyond human control.这是一场人类无法控制的灾难。