East Baton Rouge Parish is under a flood warning, despite pushing the Mississippi River crest date back to Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service.

The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development closed the northbound and southbound outside lanes of River Road between North Third Street and State Capitol Drive to pump out water caused from seepage, according to a Governor’s Office news release.

In addition, DOTD is continuing to monitor Scenic Highway south of U.S. 190, River Road south of Brightside, U.S. 61 near Thompson Creek and U.S. 190 at the base of the Mississippi River Bridge in East Baton Rouge Parish for possible seepage, though the roads remain open at this time, according to the release.

William White, LEM Emergency Preparedness Specialist with the Mayor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, said the biggest threat to the Parish right now is seepage.

He said the threat of seepage will continue as the river remains at its 45 foot crest for seven to 10 days.

In addition to seepage, the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers and the National Guard are monitoring the levees for possible weak points caused by the added pressure from high river levels, White said.

White said the lowest levee point in Baton Rouge was 47.3 feet, but has been extended to 50 feet with the installation of Tiger Dams — easing concerns for overtopping.

On campus, the University is continuing to monitor seepage and sand boils, particularly in areas west of Nicholson Drive, according to a news release the University issued Monday.

So, after that draft lottery, we finally have a set order. Enes Kanter could go 2-5, although the fourth pick seems to be the early favorite. Brandon Knight could go as high as three, although going to the in the 5+ range seems likelier.

Here’s my ultimate thoughts, before we go any further: there’s still over a month to go before teams actually make a decision. Enough can change, from player rankings (Derrick Williams seems to be rated higher than Kanter right now, but that could flip, and the Kemba/Knight decision seems to be a difficult one right now but could be solidified after workouts) to trades if a team feels the need to move up. With that said, here’s a look at some possible destinations for Kanter and Knight.

1) Cleveland – Kyrie Irving seems to be locked in here.
2) Minnesota – Probably Derrick Williams, with a very outside shot of Enes Kanter. They have Kevin Love at the center spot, but he’s not guaranteed to be their long-term big man.
3) Utah – Could they go Kanter? Maybe, even though they already have Derrick Favors. Sam Amick of SI says they should be looking to find a point guard of the future because Devin Harris won’t be that, meaning Brandon Knight could, theoretically, jump here. No. 3 seems high, but two of the five ESPN writers in a recent draft article said Knight is the third-best prospect in the draft, and Chad Ford said today on Bill Simmons’ podcast that Knight is one of those guys a couple teams feel is a “big-time prospect” and worth going after. (UPDATE: Chad Ford’s Mock 2.0 does indeed have Knight going here.)
4) Cleveland – Probably the likeliest destination for Kanter if he isn’t off the board, assuming they don’t try and swap this pick for some immediate help. (UPDATE: Ford’s Mock also has Kanter here.)
5) Toronto – Definitely a place Kanter could end up, and I see this as the farthest Kanter would fall down the board. Their front court still needs to replace Chris Bosh, although point guard is also a need, making this a possible landing spot for Knight.
6) Washington – This was a team that could have really used a high pick for Derrick Williams or Enes Kanter (plus the added joy of seeing Wall/Kanter paired up and trying to figure out just how much we can consider them ex-teammates, because that’s what it would have seemed to be). They probably won’t end up with a UK product for a second consecutive year, however, as Kanter figures to be off the board and Knight won’t be replacing John Wall.
7) Sacramento – The Kings are looking for a point guard to help get an offense featuring Tyreke Evans and DeMarcus Cousins flowing. Could be a landing spot for Brandon Knight — if that happens, three-fifths of the lineup could be Calipari-produced.
8) Detroit – They have Rodney Stuckey, but he may be moving to an off-ball position, meaning Knight could go here.
9) Charlotte – Nope.

Knight should be gone by that point, considering he got a top-10 guarantee.

Me, personally? The word Cleveland makes you shudder, but considering he could be paired with Kyrie, I wouldn’t mind seeing Kanter go there. As for Knight, I would like a Sacremento destination, if only to see how Tyreke Evans, DeMarcus and Knight meld together.

Dani Rodrik is the Rafiq Hariri professor of International Political Economy at the John F. Kennedy School of Government. His father-in-law, Cetin Dogan, is a lead defendant in Turkey’s Sledgehammer trial.

Harvard Political Review: How has Turkey responded to the recent events and uprisings in the Middle East?

Dani Rodrik: Turkey was caught unaware by the Middle East revolutions. Turkey’s relationship with the countries of the Middle East was largely based on a strategy of establishing good relationships with the existing political leadership. To that extent, I think that Turkish leadership was at a loss as to how to respond and they did so in a relatively ad-hoc manner.

HPR: Do you think Turkey would like to see democracy throughout the Middle East, in an ideal situation?

DR: I think ultimately Turkey would like to see itself as a leader in a broadly democratic Middle East. There are a couple of things mitigating against that: Some economic interests with existing governments played a conflicting role. Part of the reason Turkey was behind the ball in Libya was that a significant amount of Turkish investment existed in Libya, and Turkey wanted to ensure the safety of those investments, thus delaying their willingness to be on the side of popular protests.

I think the second important factor that’s going to make it hard for Turkey to lead is that if Egypt does become a democratic country, it is going to be a much more central focus in a democratic Middle East, given its size and importance. Turkey could find itself in competition with Egypt if Egypt, as one hopes, emerges as a robust democracy.

HPR: You published a book in December on the trials of a broad range of individuals allegedly part of the “Sledgehammer plot” to overthrow the Turkish government. You wrote on your blog that you never imagined yourself having to write this book. Is this a sign of how much Turkey has changed recently?

DR: Turkey faces huge problems in terms of its political system. I think it is unfortunately going in an authoritarian direction, just as the rest of the region is going in the opposite direction.

I was hopeful until two years ago that the current government was interested in deepening democracy in Turkey and in strengthening the rule of law. Unfortunately, having watched the ongoing political and military trials closely, it is clear that the rule of law is being systematically undermined and that this would be impossible without the support of the government behind the scenes. Therefore, I see that the government is moving Turkey in a direction that is increasingly authoritarian rather than more democratic. I think the Western media missed this because of Turkey’s story—it looked like a straightforward and appealing narrative of a popularly elected government finally prevailing and enabling the judiciary to address the transgressions of the secular old guard. However, these trials are much closer to show trials.  Look at them closer, and what you find is that the evidence used to lock defendants up ranges from the circumstantial to the demonstrably fabricated. Their real purpose seems to be to demonize the opposition, mobilize domestic support and ensure that state institutions remain under the control of the government for a very long time, rather than to enforce the rule of law.

HPR: Could you describe Turkey’s current political situation in greater detail?

DR: There are three groups you need to consider to understand Turkish politics. The first are the representatives of the old order—the military, and the ultra secular groups of the past, which tended to dominate the universities, state institutions, and the higher courts until recently. This group has been the big loser during the last decade.

That leaves the other two groups in charge. One is the governing party, the Justice and Development Party (AKP), led by Prime Minister Recep Erdogan.

And the third group, which very few people know much about, is a religious network—the Gulen network—directed by an Islamic preacher, Fetullah Gulen, who lives in Pennsylvania. This is a vast network, very wealthy and very influential, which runs an educational and media empire. Its representatives occupy key positions in the national police and the judiciary. The Gulenists and the AKP have made common cause against the old guard. But given that the old guard has now lost its power, it may turn out that the tension between these two groups will come out into the open in the form of direct competition. I see neither Erdogan nor the Gulenists as a force for democracy.

HPR: Does the AKP have an Islamist agenda to turn Turkey into an Islamic state? Is that something that people should fear, either about the AKP, or about the Gulenist movement?

DR: I’m more worried about the Gulen movement, because it lacks transparency and much of the dirty tricks in Turkish politics and judiciary seem to be linked to it. Gulenist police and prosecutors have mounted sham trials under the guise of cleansing the system from coup plotters.  Gulenist media are engaged in systematic disinformation about these trials. These activities are very difficult to reconcile with the moderate, liberal and humane version of Islam that the movement preaches. As for the AKP, I worry less about its Islamist leanings, and more about an ingrained authoritarianism. My worry is less that Turkey will become the next Iran, but that Turkey will become a worse version of Russia, where the media and the judiciary are effectively controlled and manipulated by pro-government forces.

HPR: Do you think the central tenets of your most recent book, The Globalization Paradox—that economic globalization, national sovereignty and democracy are incompatible—can be applied to the current situation of the Turkey and the Middle East?

DR: The Middle East crisis reminds us of the centrality of national governments in people’s lives, in economic, political and social affairs, and of the need to have good governance at the national level.

Despite all the talk about how the world has become “flat” and national borders don’t matter anymore, the well-being of people by and large still revolves around what national governments do and don’t do. The countries that are in the best position to reap the rewards of economic globalization are in fact the ones that have strong, well-governed states and national governments.

This interview has been edited and condensed.

One hundred and fifty years ago, a historically bloody war began that changed the destiny of the United States.

This year marks the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, a war between states of the North and South.

Officials said that Ohio, part of the Union, or Northern states, played a significant role in the fight against the Southern states, or the Confederacy.

“Just about any American historian would tell you the Civil War was one of the two most important events in our country’s history, the other being the revolution,” said Mark Grimsley, an associate professor in the history department at Ohio State.

However, some argue that the Civil War is more important, Grimsley said.

“One thing about the Civil War is that it kind of defined our country. We went from being ‘the United States are’ before the war to ‘the United States is’ after the war,” said Mike Davis, captain of the Sixth Ohio Volunteer Infantry.

The Sixth Ohio is a company of Civil War re-enactors that plan to take part in many events in Ohio and other states during the 150th anniversary celebration.

“To me, it is very important to commemorate. … The United States wouldn’t be as influential or powerful today without all 50 states,” said Justin Stanek, a fourth-year in history and political science.

Davis said some might not know the importance of Ohio’s role in the war.

“Ohio had over 300,000 men volunteer in the war,” Davis said. “This was 60 percent of Ohio’s population.”

Ulysses S. Grant, a general from Ohio during the Civil War, went on to become president after the war.

Grimsley said OSU is not doing anything in particular to commemorate the 150th anniversary.

On the other hand, the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus held a Civil War encampment on May 6 and 7 that recreated what it was like in a military camp setting, according to a press release from the Statehouse. The encampment included re-enactors, interactive talks and demonstrations.

Other events that will be held in Ohio include living histories, re-enactments, displays and tours. More information on these events can be found at www.ohiocivilwar150.org.

“This is really something special and I’m telling (the re-enactors) over and over again: enjoy every second of it,” Davis said.

Kosovar independence was instrumental to ending genocide in the region, and international recognition of Kosovo’s sovereignty is essential to the country’s future stability, according to Jason Steinbaum, senior foreign affairs committee staffer for Rep. Eliot Engel, D-N.Y., who has focused on issues surrounding Kosovo for over 15 years. Steinbaum discussed the history of the region and his personal experiences in Kosovo in a lecture entitled “Free Cold Soda to Free Kosovo: From Ethnic Cleansing to Independence” in the Haldeman Center on Monday.

Steinbaum said he first began studying the region with Engel after joining his staff in November 1993. When Engel was elected in 1998, a group of Albanian-Americans drew Engel’s attention to the “quiet ethnic cleansing” orchestrated by Serbians living in Kosovo. The group brought Engel to a rally, where the participants’ heavy accents led Engel to think they were chanting “free cold soda” instead of “free Kosovo,” Steinbaum said.

Congressional response to the Kosovar conflict was much quicker than many Americans believe is possible from their government, according to Steinbaum.

“If anyone ever tells you that members of Congress don’t listen to their constituents, I can tell you that after 20 years of doing this, they do listen,” he said. “They have to listen to their constituents or their constituents will throw them out.”

Steinbaum said he and Engel helped form the Albanian Issues Caucus, an informal Congressional group dedicated to solving the crisis in Kosovo. As his focus on the violence against Albanians intensified, Steinbaum travelled to the region with other American government officials on numerous occasions, he said. His first trip may have been the most eventful. When his visa was denied, Steinbaum found his way into the country with the help of Mercy Corps, an international relief organization, by pretending to work with a peace group called the International Hope of the Planet, an organization that Steinbaum fabricated for the occasion in homage to the International House of Pancakes, he said.

As Steinbaum traced the history of the region, he urged audience members to support the Kosovar independence movement. The violence began when Slobodan Milosevic, who served as the president of Serbia at the time, delivered a speech calling Serbians to regain their “national heritage,” which led to the treatment of Albanians as second-class citizens and began the widespread genocide, according to Steinbaum.

The Albanians, led by a pacifist president, responded to the genocide by creating their own “parallel system,” including a separate government, schools and health clinics, according to Steinbaum. Serbia could have ended the conflict at this point but instead chose not to compromise, Steinbaum said.

Steinbaum helped advise the Albanians to settle for autonomy rather than independence, a provision they correctly guessed the Serbians would not grant them, at a conference in France, Steinbaum said. As a result, Albanians appeared willing to compromise in the eyes of the international community, causing NATO to begin bombing Serbian forces, he said.

Despite the prolonged fighting, the war did not end Serbian sovereignty over Kosovo, Steinbaum said. When three Albanian children were found drowned in the Ibar River, the Albanians quickly blamed the Serbians and proceeded to burn hundreds of Orthodox churches, according to Steinbaum.

When the Albanians began to commit atrocities against the Serbians, Steinbaum said he and other government officials realized that Kosovar independence was the only long-term solution to the problem. Although Kosovo declared independence on Feb. 18, 2008, Steinbaum said more countries need to recognize Kosovar sovereignty and the international community needs to aid Kosovo in solving its internal economic and corruption problems.

The lecture was sponsored by Dartmouth Hillel, which is planning a trip to Kosovo this summer directly following Commencement. The program, now in its 10th year, sends between 12 and 15 Dartmouth students around the globe annually to study the issue of genocide, according to Rabbi Edward Boraz, executive director of Hillel. The Dartmouth students on the trip, who made up most of the small audience in attendance at the lecture, will partner with students from the American University in Kosovo while studying issues relating to conflict and resolution.

It’s been a rough three weeks for the Alabama football team, but coach Nick Saban doesn’t like the notion that it could provide extra motivation for the 2011 season.

The season might provide a welcome distraction, though.

“I think they’re two different things and I think we should look at them that way,” he said. “The season will be a lot of fun, and it will be an escape for a lot of people who have had a lot of heartbreak, through what they’ve been through with this storm, but we’ll still be supporting, rebuilding and trying to help those who need it.”

Saban made the comments during the special radio broadcast of “Hey Coach Helping Out,” from Bryant-Denny Stadium on Monday. The fundraiser asked Crimson Tide fans to donate to UA’s Acts of Kindness Fund and other organizations involved in relief following the April 27 tornado.

It came a night after Saban, more than 30 players and several other Alabama coaches and school officials attended the memorial service for junior tackle Aaron Douglas at Cokesbury United Methodist Church’s Epworth Hall in Knoxville, Tenn. The 21-year-old was found dead last Thursday morning in Fernandina Beach, Fla., where authorities are still investigating the cause of death.

“We’ve never, ever lost a player the whole time I’ve been coaching,” Saban said. “When you lose your parents you’re an orphan. When your husband dies you’re a widow, or your wife dies you’re a widower. There’s no word when your child dies.”

Although the football team was essentially given May off, and most players have headed home before the start of summer workouts, more than 30 drove up for the service. Also in attendance were former Tennessee coaches Phillip Fulmer and John Majors, and numerous other former teammates as Douglas won a starting job as a freshman with the Volunteers before transferring to Arizona Western College.

“These things we’re talking about are about people,” Saban continued. “It has nothing to do with where you went to school or who you’re rooting for, how much passion you have when the game starts. It has nothing to do with that, it’s about people and doing the right thing to support people regardless.

“Having great rivalries, there’s nothing wrong with that either, but this is a great opportunity to keep those in perspective and keep them on the field.”

Others participating in the radio show were Tuscaloosa mayor Walt Maddox, men’s basketball coach Anthony Grant and gymnastics coach Sarah Patterson, who recently won her fifth national championship.

Cleanup from the storm is expected to take months, if not years, to complete.

“Everything makes a difference,” athletic director Mal Moore said.

For the last month of the spring semester, I had the opportunity to test out the Motorola XOOM, Google’s tablet competitor to Apple’s iPad 2.

Full disclosure: Before I received the XOOM in the mail, I didn’t see how a tablet would fit into my work flow. When I’m in my dorm, in class or doing work elsewhere, I’m on my laptop. When I’m on the go, I’m on my smartphone. There’s no in-between for me.

After seizing my free opportunity to test out a tablet, my work flow hasn’t changed, but I recognized how tablets could make a good fit for others.

Michael Murphy, a spokesperson for Verizon Wireless, cited QuickOffice and Google Docs as word processing applications that make XOOM a device for presenting and producing content, the latter being a key component for college students to consider.

“The XOOM is a versatile device that allows college students access to the Internet, documents and class notes, but also provides a high-def display to watch movies and play games on the go,” Murphy said. “It is a great all-in-one device for students looking for an alternative to a laptop.”

The key reason the XOOM (or any tablet) doesn’t fit into my work flow is its keyboard. Its size prevents me from typing at full speed, and if I were to go out and buy an external keyboard, or even a virtual keyboard, I’d be defeating the purpose of a tablet: portability. I’d prefer to use my laptop.

But once I finished all the work I have to do and had some leisure time, I had a hard time putting down the XOOM.

With that being said, I now will proceed with a complete review of the XOOM, and provide some info on its competitors.

Hardware
To the right is a complete chart of the specs between the five major tablets on the market with the iPad 2 and XOOM leading the pack. XOOM is clearly meant to be used landscape style, as it is slightly wider and much shorter than the iPad 2. The iPad 2’s main use is portrait style. The location of the front camera on both devices distinguishes the two viewing styles, but both devices run smoothly either way.

The amount of RAM and weight are a couple of notable differences between the iPad 2 and XOOM. The XOOM has twice as much RAM as the iPad 2, but is about a quarter of a pound heavier.

Multimedia
Multimedia consumption generally is a plus for all tablets, and the XOOM is no different. Its display is phenomenal, the fact that you are holding it and can literally flip through photos still fascinates first-time users, and its portability makes it great for viewing anywhere.

Google revamped its music application interface, giving it a similar user experience to Apple’s. Now the XOOM app is attractive but still very intuitive, which are two attributes that make the iPad 2 a top seller. I would still give the edge to iPad 2 in this department only because it is so easy to synchronize with iTunes, which is more widely used and far superior to Windows Media Player.

Gaming
Angry Birds. Angry Birds. Angry Birds. Need I say more? Angry Birds is one of the most popular games now, and after playing it on mobile, tablet and laptop, I can tell you the best nest lies in the tablet. The hands-on feel and beautiful display make it the ultimate in-class distraction. Another popular game, Words With Friends, is also a great fit for the XOOM.

Browser
Web browsing wasn’t as instant as it seemed in commercials. But with a good wireless and 3G connection,, but it wasn’t slow by any means. One thing I was shocked to discover was that the XOOM didn’t come ready supporting Flash, which is a clear advantage over Apple’s products. Once I manually installed Flash so my browser could display Flash elements, everything changed. According to some developers, HTML5 could replace Flash, but these conversations have been going on for more than a year and it doesn’t look like major changes will happen anytime soon. If it does, Apple products will be ready to support it and match Android’s Web functionality.

User Interface
The XOOM has a ton of customization options, but the interface as a whole is not nearly as intuitive as the iPad 2. Starting with the location of the power button (on the back of the device next to the camera), to the unclear buttons along the bottom and top edges of the interface, it evokes a nerdy feel. The iPad 2’s interface is so simplistic that I’m confident even people who repel technology could operate it without any questions. I happen to prefer the XOOM’s advanced look because I enjoy figuring out what every button does and learning the best ways to operate the device. In fact, I think its advanced look and customization gives it an edge over the iPad 2. But if you are looking for ease of use, I would suggest trying the iPad 2.

Last Monday morning, remnants of chalking efforts on the pavement in front of California Hall were the only tangible indicators in the area of the 12-day hunger strike that had concluded the evening before.

By the time of the strike’s termination on May 8, the remaining hunger strikers had not been given any of their demands, which were first stated by the original group of about 12 demonstrators who had sworn themselves to empty stomachs on April 26 to protest the staff consolidations in UC Berkeley’s departments of gender and women’s studies, African American studies and ethnic studies.

The strikers demanded the campus reinstate the full-time staff positions cut in the Ethnic Studies Department as a result of the Operational Excellence organizational simplification initiative, end the current process of Operational Excellence, support a California legislative resolution advocating for ethnics studies in the state and “publicly (acknowledging) the unfulfilled promise of the creation of a Third World College at UC Berkeley.”

But after two groups of five representatives for the hunger strikers met with Vice Chancellor for Equity and Inclusion Gibor Basri and Dean of the Division of Social Sciences Carla Hesse and failed to have any of the demands met – and only the last two being deemed by the administration to be the “most feasible” to address – hunger strikers eventually tapered off in front of California Hall.

“To agree to symbolic gestures without solid actions to back up your investment in our departments is to make empty promises,” a May 3 letter from the strikers states. “We will continue striking until we see acknowledgement that all four demands which are both well within reach of the UC Berkeley administration and are acted upon in good faith.”

Campus spokesperson Janet Gilmore said in an email that the campus made itself available for discussion with those involved in the demonstration throughout the duration of the strike.

“We were moved by the concern students have shown for the consequences of the current budget crisis on campus staff and staff in these academic departments in particular,” she said in the email.

Marco Amaral, a student organizer for the strike, did not respond to repeated requests for comment. Other protesters that were contacted were not able to comment as of press time.

According to Gilmore, staff reductions and “other efficiency measures” result from cuts in the state’s budget.

“Operational Excellence is designed for our campus to manage the budget challenges in a strategic way that helps us handle these cuts without destroying access, excellence and core services, especially those affecting students,” Gilmore said in the email.

Over the past few years, the campus has faced a deteriorating budget, impacted by severe state cuts to higher education as well as the economic downturn. Though the campus has attempted to combat the budget crises, students have still felt the impacts of the cuts in reduced library hours, reduced class offerings and increases in tuition costs for the UC system.

Most recently on March 24, Gov. Jerry Brown approved a $500 million cut each to both the UC and CSU systems. Brown has warned that more cuts could follow if other measures are not taken to further close the state’s budget deficit.

Gilmore added that so far, only one full-time staff in the ethnic studies department has been laid off and that the individual had been temporarily placed in another position on campus.

Additionally, there has only been one elimination of a part-time staff member, though the person still maintains another part-time job on campus, and there have been some positions that had their working hours reduced, Gilmore said in the email.

Overall, all those affected by the cuts are still employed on campus in other positions, according to Gilmore.

“The (UC) Berkeley campus has one of the earliest and strongest Ethnic Studies departments,” she said in the email. “We value that history and intend to maintain and increase its intellectual stature.”

Former Buckeye running back and 1995 Heisman Trophy winner Eddie George will be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

The announcement was made Monday on ESPN’s “College Football Live.”

The rest of the class, which will include 14 former players and two former coaches, will be announced today.

Former Michigan coach Lloyd Carr would be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, The Detroit Free Press reported Saturday.

Carr became Michigan’s coach in 1995, after serving seven seasons as the Wolverines’ defensive coordinator.

During his career at Ohio State, George was 1-3 against Michigan.

Carr was 6-7 against the Buckeyes during his head-coaching tenure at Michigan.

Other Buckeyes on the ballot who could be inducted include former offensive tackle Dave Foley and former fullback Jim Otis. Both are former first-team All-Americans and were members of OSU’s 1968 team that went undefeated and earned the 1968 National Championship.

Foley started at offensive tackle for three years under coach Woody Hayes, and was selected in the first round of the 1969 NFL draft by the New York Jets.

Otis led the team in rushing during all three of his seasons with the Buckeyes. He spent nine seasons in the NFL and was selected to the Pro Bowl in 1975 as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals.

Since George won the Heisman trophy in 1995, only former OSU quarterback Troy Smith has won the award while wearing Scarlet and Gray, in 2006. Before George, running back Archie Griffin was the last Buckeye to win the Heisman trophy, earning the award in 1974 and 1975.

In 1995, George set records for most rushing yards in a season (1,927), most games with at least 100 yards (12) and most rushing yards in a game (314) during a 41-3 victory against Illinois.

George’s No. 27 is retired at OSU.

The Mississippi River is expected to crest at 45 feet Tuesday, according to University officials.

All University related activities are schedule to remain as usual, though officials are preparing for possible emergency, according to a University news release.

University officials are advising people on campus to be aware of seepage, according to the release.

East Baton Rouge Parish Mayor-President Kip Holden is also warning residents of “ponding water” during the next three weeks, according to a Mayor’s Office news release.

The release advised residents seeing sand boils or other concerns near levees to report the incident by calling (225) 389-2100.