City making progress on highwater-mark project

Public Works sign division staffers have applied K-lines to more than a dozen utility poles in the city as part of a project to display more than 70 Katrina highwater marks throughout the city.

The city’s Community Development Department, using contour and high-water marks provided by FEMA, created a list of Katrina water marks at high-traffic locations.

“People often hear how high the water was above sea level, but that doesn’t really mean anything to residents who don’t live near the waterfront,” Mayor A.J. Holloway said. “What this report shows is the height of the water above ground, according to FEMA, at more than 70 locations throughout the city.”

Highest levels in the report: 17.79 feet above ground, which was recorded on U.S. 90 between Lee and Caillavet streets

Holloway said the city plans to mark various locations over the next several weeks “to illustrate for visitors the dramatic water levels we sustained, and remind residents just how far the water moved across the city.”

Community Development staffer Eric Nolan plotted more than 70 watermarks at key locations in the city using FEMA contour maps and FEMA highwater marks.

To see the complete list and its methodology, click here.