Through a friend and colleague, Kavita, I now have some word of Shell operations after Hurricane Katrina. The company is understandably quite scattered and disorganized at the present time, but Shell emergency personnel and Human Resources wish that you check in with them via phone or in person at the Houston Woodcreek office ASAP.

The toll-free number is (866) 745-5489. Shell hurricane updates here.

The unofficial word right now is that it may be a month or so before we can return to work at One Shell Square in downtown New Orleans. Until then, space will be made on a critical-need basis in the Houston offices so that we continue to work.

Mars Tension Leg Platform In Gulf of Mexico – Destroyed Topside

West Delta 143 and the Mars TLP have sustained severe damages, as well as a number of drilling platforms. More importantly, no Shell personnel have been hurt as far as the company knows. So, I urge you to check in through phone or in person at your earliest convenience.

If you wish to stay in contact with me, please do not hesitate to email. We WILL see each other in New Orleans and soon. Until then, my best to you.

I’ve received quite a few emails from friends and scared evacuees wondering about their friends and homes back in New Orleans. When all one’s got is CNN TV and a barrage of (good) information from the Times Picayune, one is bound to get frustrated not knowing what to believe.

Before you read any further, keep in mind that there are several different types of damage: flood, wind, downed trees, structural damage, break ins, and more. The following deals with Orleans Parish neighborhoods flooded by compromised levees.

In order to keep yourselves from getting confused, go online and find a map of New Orleans with all of the neighborhoods marked, like the one below. Now, for the third dimension, i.e. altitude, divide the portion of New Orleans between the lake and the river into two roughly-horizontal strips that are two bowls within the larger bowl of New Orleans, separated by the Metairie or Gentilly Ridges. See here for a cross-section from the river (by the FQ) to the lake (NO East). Also, Jon just sent me a CNN graphic with another cross-section that illustrates my point.

High-resolution elevation data of New Orleans, La., derived from LIDAR data collected in 2002, in Topography-based analysis of Hurricane Katrina inundation of New Orleans by D. Gesch, Environmental Science, 2007

The upper (dark blue) strip containing City Park, Lakeview (west of City Park), Gentilly and New Orleans East form the northern and lower-lying bowl/sink. Mid City, Broadmoor, Bayou St John and others form a bowl-within-a-bowl just to the south. Uptown, the Garden District, the Central Business District (Superdome, tall buildings, energy companies) the French Quarter, and most of Marigny and the Bywater are much higher.

Disclaimer: The above topographic description of New Orleans is not entirely exact, but it works for the purpose of this exercise.

The higher bowl has not experienced too much flooding yet, mostly because rising water has to cross a small saddle to spill over. This is what we don’t want. However, if a few more levees are breached “pouring hundreds of thousands of gallons of lake water per second into the New Orleans area,” I’m going into the gondola tour business.

Please hold while I go lose my coffee.

New rule: I refuse to believe any media coverage of Katrina’s effect on New Orleans until I read it in the Times Picayune. That, too, I will cross-check with their previous posts. Since pictures speak a thousand words in such a circumstance, it is worth it for evacuees and concerned parties to keep abreast with the T-P photo galleries.

In one segment of CNN’s Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer this evening, two different reporters stated that the French Quarter is dry and the water is rising in the Quarter, respectively.

Patrick, another evacuee, and I concur that there is something fishy about “the news saying the water is rising, but then one of the senators from LA said that many areas of the city are dry.” So, where is the rising water going?

Additionally, these big news companies sensationalize and don’t realize that it frustrates evacuees who just want simple facts instead of played-out footage. In other words, give us new and relevant CONTENT or stop fluttering.

Yes, there is looting at the Lower Garden District’s (most hated) SprawlMart. Nice to know that these fine folk are taking away large electronics which are essential to post-hurricane survival just like food, water, basic clothing and personal hygiene products, never mind that they require, ahem, power. Notice that there is not a drop of water in the parking lot. The Lower Garden District appears to have a long way to go before it is flooded.

Can anyone confirm that the two breaches in the Florida Street levee constitute the third levee breach so far?

For those of you looking for neighborhood updates, my house is on the 1400 block of Magazine and Dave lives on St. Mary by the Half Moon.

Dave & Maitri, your homes are fine.

Steve – It’s dry at Toulouse & Burgundy, but about a foot at Rampart.

Fahy’s was open earlier but now is closed.

The water is not rising & the levee did not break downtown.

Everybody’s looting, but just stores not houses.

The governor has just asked remaining residents to leave immediately. The I-10 twin spans are damaged and cannot be used as a path of return. CNN‘s John Zarella reports that water is rising downtown and on Canal St., but Bourbon St. is largely dry. Either this is a very new development or it’s really not that bad. Again, the frustration lies in receiving second-hand information.

More as news trickles in.