Jun 13, 2024 - News

Here's the status of New Orleans' levees and power grid heading into hurricane season

All eyes are on New Orleans' infrastructure as another hurricane season begins — especially the power grid, drains and levees.

Why it matters: Leaders say storm-related power outages will be the biggest challenge this season.

The big picture: Early forecasts say we should prepare for an extraordinarily busy season.

Historically, the most active period for strong storms in the Gulf of Mexico is August and September.
Hurricanes and tropical systems can bring life-threatening flooding, winds and storm surge. They often knock out power during the deadly summer heat too.

State of play: Here's what the various agencies are saying about their preparations.

Drainage system

The Sewerage and Water Board says that 90 of the city's 99 major drainage pumps are working as of Tuesday. (Check the status of pumps closest to you.)
S&WB says it needs 44 megawatts of power available to run the system at peak demand and it currently has 49. Turbine 4 is expected to come online later this month and add another boost in power.
Officials had hoped to get $29 million from the state to replace the turbines and generators, WWL said, but it didn't make it into the approved budget.

Entergy New Orleans says it has conducted multiple drills and continues to inspect its grid.
The city has worked with the company to identify buildings to prioritize for power restoration, including hospitals and independent living facilities.
Also, the transmission line that crosses the Mississippi River has been rebuilt and reinforced to withstand wind speeds of up to 175mph.

All levees, flood walls, floodgates and surge barriers have been inspected going into the season, according to the Flood Protection Authority East.
The pumps at the outfall closure structures are also working after several repairs.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said its pumps are working too.

The city bought a warehouse near the Caesars Superdome that officials say will "better facilitate daily operations and critical logistics operations" among agencies during hurricane response, a press release said.
The city got the warehouse for $7 million from a firm owned by Mardi Gras World CEO Barry Kern, according to NOLA.com | Times-Picayune. Kern paid $1.5 million for it in 2014.

The city this week paid for and installed solar panels at another church so it can serve as a community hub if the power goes out. It's the 11th hub in the Community Lighthouse project.
The goal is to create 86 across the city.
City leaders are planning to launch up to 16 facilities as emergency resource centers, Axios' Chelsea Brasted writes. They'll have air conditioning and charging stations. The city did a test run of them earlier this year.

Verizon says it has checked the backup systems and ensured batteries and generators are working.

It also has generator-powered cell sites and satellite-based portable assets to deploy in places where towers and fiber connections are compromised during storms, the company said. Go deeper.

Officials say they have contracts in place for emergency debris removal, along with plans to resume solid waste collection within 72 hours of a storm.
The city continues to focus on clearing illegal dumping sites to reduce flooding and risks of projectile objects, leaders say.

The city's 911 system temporarily stopped working after Hurricane Ida. Leaders say they are working with partners to ensure the 911 and 311 systems remain fully functional this season.
The Orleans Parish Communication District also said it will have extra staffing during storms to handle the increased call volume.

The city is expanding its outreach to community members who speak Spanish and Vietnamese, according to a press release.
Mayor LaToya Cantrell and other officials are encouraging residents to sign up for emergency text alerts by texting NOLAREADY to 77295 and follow @nolaready on social media.