Medary.com

(U.S. Army Corps of Engineers spoksman John) Hall said the biggest pump in the system, which can push out 10,000 cubic feet (280 cu m) of water per second, had been turned on on Monday, but was pumping out just 100 cubic feet (2.8 cu m) per second and would be turned up slowly to full capacity.

"We are proceeding very gently," he said. Engineers want to make sure that the pumped out water does not further damage the levee system and create a new breach.