Officials have expanded the evacuation zone around the crumbling structure of the Hard Rock Hotel as incoming rains pose a threat of causing more of the structure to collapse.
New Orleans Fire Chief Tim McConnell warned, "Obvisouly any weight that gets put on that building causes a little more possibility of damage... collapse."
McConnell says rescue and recovery operations remain underway, but will be halted should rains begin, "The possibility with this water coming in, with the rain adding water to the building. The possibility of things moving around, I want people to be aware."
In response to the possiblity of a greater failure of the structure, including the potential for the two damaged construction cranes to topple, the evacuation zone around the scene has expanded.
Meanwhile, McConnell says, the building continues to move. The addition of water to the site just makes the possibility of a further collapse a more likely.
"We've had over the course of the last couple of days you'll see some concrete sliding, some pieces dropping off, obviously waters going to add weight, it's going to take away friction that's holding pieces on to this building."
A large swimming pool that was lifted to the top of the building just hours before the structure collapsed has been connected to a drain, so any water collected will be drained.