On 8/24/10 11:44 AM, wrote:
On Tue, 24 Aug 2010 09:12:27 -0400, "Harry ?"
wrote:

Assuming the facts are correct, it was the storm surge that caused the
levee damage.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Effects...in_New_Orleans




The disaster had major implications for a large segment of the population,
economy, and politics of the entire United States. It has prompted a
Congressional review of the Corps of Engineers and the failure of portions
of the federally built flood protection system which experts agree should
have protected the city's inhabitants from Katrina's surge.

--
There was a lot of hand wringing but the levees were only designed for
a cat 3 storm. The criticism is they failed in a cat 3. A cat 4 would
have been more than the design was built for. We have cat 5s.

They are trying to fight the physical law that water flows downhill.

The other problem is that New Orleans needs to be pumped out
constantly, millions of gallons an hour on a dry day. Any little
glitch in the pump system and they go under water.
It is still questionable that they could handle the rain fall of a big
hurricane.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drainage_in_New_Orleans

Allowing a half million people to live below sea level is criminal
negligence. It will take at least one more Katrina like disaster to
prove that but it is going to happen. If there is anything to this
global warming thing it is going to happen a lot.


Sadly, I agree. I think the residents of New Orleans should move north
of the Lake, and commute to jobs in the city on high-speed rail while
the city itself is also rebuilt north of the Lake.