Five am Sunday morning was the moment of criticality for the streets of New Orleans. Rainfall totals beyond two-inches-an-hour were outstipping pump capacity and major intersections across the downtown were filling up with water.
At the intersection of Poydras and South Claiborne, traffic coming off the Riverbound Expressway backed up and many drivers parked their cars on either side of road rather than chance driving through deep water on Poydras Street in front of the Superdome.
Taxi drivers, with vans and SUV's made it through, pick ups, too. But some in cars didn't. Claiborne was no escape, it was flooded with rain water draining from the expressway overhead on the street in cascade.
As many as 14 major intersections flooded out, leaving driver either stuck in ankle deep water or sitting on high spots as water rose around them. WWL-TV listed these:
N. Carrollton at I-10City Park Ave. at I-10Canal Blvd. at Pontalba St.Marconi Dr. at I-610St. Bernard Ave at Florida Ave.Paris Ave. at I-610Gentilly at I-610Broad St. at Florida AveFranklin Ave at I-10Gentilly at Chef MenteurPress Dr. at Leon C. SimonDowman at LakeshoreGen. DeGaulle at WoodlandGen. DeGaulle at WestBank Expressway