CNN 2011-05-16

Louisiana is trying to prepare as this bulge 1 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 crest 2 -- 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 ingenuity 3: 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 Baton 4 Rouge 5 and New Orleans west into the Atchafalaya River basin. Army Corps 6 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 Gulf 7 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 catastrophe 8. 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