Levees aren't the answer for New Orleans survival
It is too bad this report did not come out before everyone started blaming George Bush for what went wrong in New Orleans. I don't think any of the items listed fit his job description.Building bigger, stronger levees in New Orleans will not be enough to save the US city from another Hurricane Katrina, a report has said.
The risks of severe flooding in the city could "never be fully eliminated", said an independent panel of experts.
The report said the authorities should consider raising the level of buildings and even abandoning flood-prone areas.
More than 1,800 people died in the devastating 2005 hurricane, and about 80% of the city was flooded.
New Orleans has about 563 km (350 miles) of barriers, levees and other structures intended to protect the city.
But in August 2005, large sections of this system failed and much of the city was inundated by the storm surges brought by Katrina.
The report, from the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and the National Research Council (NRC), said the disaster had exposed the "many weaknesses in the hurricane protection and preparedness systems" for New Orleans and surrounding areas.
It said there had been "undue optimism" about the ability of the protection systems to withstand the impact of a storm on the scale of Katrina.
The report said improvements made to the flood protection system since Katrina had "reduced some vulnerabilities".
But, it said that "the risks of inundation and flooding never can be fully eliminated by protective structures, no matter how large or sturdy those structures may be".
The authors advised that as there can be no absolute protection against storm surges and flooding, the authorities should consider encouraging people to move away from areas at risk.
Where this is not possible, "significant improvements in flood-proofing measures will be essential".
This would include raising the standard height for ground floors of properties, strengthening critical infrastructure such as power and telecommunications and improving evacuation plans.
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I have been saying for some time that it is a mistake to rebuild in areas that are below sea level. They need to rebuild on higher ground or raise the level of areas that would be underwater if the levees fail again.
No, levees alone will not protect New Orleans. It needs coastal restoration also. People needed LEADERSHIP in rebuilding the city after Katrina. It was no where to be seen any ANY level of government (includindg federal). People were left to their own devices. They built as they could. By the way, the federal disaster assistence (You know, the one that took 7 months to get through Congress) paid a portion for people to repair their homes, but not to raise their homes. Later (2-3 years later), they changed their mind.
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