National Geographic has published an article on the New Orleans levee system entitled "New Orleans Levees, Are They Safe?". The article indicates, as has been reported from other sources, that the levees are now back to where they were Pre-Katrina, but is that really good enough? A group funded by the NSF with members including UMR Professor J. David Rogers and Berkley professor Bob Bea has pointed out various shortcomings of the levee system. The Corps has responded with the view that the levee system is adequate, and that new flood gates will prevent a storm surge like Katrina’s from overtopping the existing levee system.
Miscellaneous
New Corps Study Suggests Geoprofessionals Will Be Busy for Years
The GBA posted recently about a study from the US Army Corps that suggest geoprofessionals will be kept busy for years to come. The study is in the same vein as other infrastructure studies that […]
Geologic Hazards
Iowa county evacuates as Missouri River tops levee and sand boil forms a geyser
Residents of Iowa County were forced to evacuate as the swollen Missouri River caused a breach in one of its levees. What I found interesting was a description of a sand boil geyser: A Black […]
Project Related
Up to $331M of New Orleans Levee Reconstruction Work Awarded
In four separate contracts, up to $331 million in levee reconstruction projects were awarded last week by the USACE to rebuild levees in some of the hardest hit areas from Hurricane Katrina, including St. Bernard […]