Levee Damage Spells Long-Term Risks Corps tries to quickly bolster New Orleans’ inner flood defenses as new storm threatens area
The vulnerability of stricken New Orleans was starkly highlighted Sept. 19 as a new hurricane erupted in the tropics and spun into the Gulf of Mexico. Engineers and contractors who were on the verge of declaring victory in their mission to drain the flood left from Hurricane Katrinas levee-busting rampage suddenly found themselves shifting to demobilization and evacuation planning and around-the-clock breach and scour repair.
The new storm threat made it painfully clear that any hurricane crossing the Gulf of Mexico in the wake of Katrina could have serious consequences for New Orleans crippled defenses, even if it makes landfall far away. On Sept. 20, Hurricane Rita was projected to make landfall west of New Orleans, in southwest Louisiana or Texas. But New Orleans likely would still have to deal with rain from the storms eastern fringe.