Louisiana levees over top — but New Orleans structures are still holding

Sixteen years ago, in 2005, the failed levees flooded New Orleans leaving many desperately begging for help. As Hurricane Ida moves through the state Sunday, many of the rebuilt New Orleans levees are holding while other structures outside of New Orleans are overflowing from the storm surge.

Reporter Tristan Baurick said that the Braithwaite area of Plaquemines Parish has an overtopped levee and he cautioned everyone in the area to flee for higher ground immediately. Emergency Manager Patrick Harvey said that despite the 10.5-foot water, there is likely more coming.

Paul Murphy at WWL-TV news posted a video of what he said is Delacroix as the massive storm surges pushed in over a back levee, flooding the area. In St. Bernard Parish, they are expecting massive surges as well, up to 12 feet. In an earlier tweet, he said that St. Bernard President Guy McInnis told him that the levees in Reggio, Wood Lake and the Delacroix area would likely overtop.

One area of New Orleans that is outside of the levee protection system also saw flooding, as WDSU reporter Christina Watkins tweeted.

As of this afternoon, the 9th Ward levee was holding.

The Grand Isle levee also seems to have breached, one person said looking down at the dramatic increase in flooding.

This startling video records the horrifying sounds of 150+ mph wind gusts as the eyewall made landfall in Louisiana.

Even gators seemed confused as one tried to swim through the frantic waves.