2013 February 15, Friday
Bayou Corne, Louisiana
"That old sinkhole, she ain't what she used to be!" She's a bit bigger. And uglier.
We grabbed the first day of decent visibility and flying weather to go check this out again, since the latest news was that an additional 5000-square-foot area had just caved in. There was little activity in the immediate vicinity of the sinkhole; most of the equipment, air boats, and manpower that used to be there have moved farther away. But there is quite a bit of work going on in the land surrounding it. We're going to let the photos and video speak for themselves today. Apologies for a video that mght make you feel airsick -- the air was quite turbulent with wind shear at the 1500-2000' level.
{gallery}20130215-BayouCorne-Teasers{/gallery}
Here's what things looked like from a distance, as we approached the sinkhole:{gallery}20130215-BayouCorne2-sinkhole-far-away{/gallery}
Here are some close-ups of the sinkhole and immediate surroundings:
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Here are photos of the activities going on in the surroundings:
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Here is a video of the sinkhole from today:
Finally, here are some of the views between New Orleans and Bayou Corne. The refinery at the southwest corner of Lake Pontchartrain was flaring, dramatically so!
{gallery}20130215-BayouCorne1-Between-KNEW-BayouCorne{/gallery}