What cause the flood of new orleans during hurricane Katrina?
The flooding in the city-proper (the water you saw around the Super Dome, etc.) happened because canal walls (part of the levee system) built by the US Army Corps of Engineers in the 1990s failed at the height of the storm surge. The walls failed because they were improperly designed and negligently built. Two separate federal court decisions (2008 & 2009) have confirmed the cause of the failures.
Katrina’s surge affected a huge area, and much of it (outside the city-proper) was flooded because the surge was much higher than the levees. Surge 28′ feet high and levee 15′ high = flooding.
Your question has attracted answers with some of the common myths about New Orleans.
First, most of New Orleans is above sea level and most of the parts below sea level are only a bit below. The flooding was so bad because Katrina’s surge was MUCH higher than sea level.
Second, the state of Louisiana (and the City of New Orleans) had nothing to do with financing, designing, or building the levee system. The state had/has some maintenance responsibility, but manly tasks like mowing the grass on the levees.
Third, the levees and walls that failed did so the same morning Katrina struck and while the storm was hitting the city - not "the next day".
A revelation in the 2009 hearing was that the US Army Corps of Engineers diverted money from the levee system to the "Big Dig" commuter tunnel under Boston Harbor and that was at least partly why the canal walls were poorly built. The reason the money was diverted was because Massachusetts is an "important" state while Louisiana is not. Other "unimportant" states (ex. South Dakota) were similarly victimized.
March 11th, 2010 at 2:31 pm
Mostly caused by the levees and dams bursting. There was some flooding from the hurricane itself-but not that bad. Then like a day later the levees broke and thats what did most of the damage-flooding.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCmT35DcOWU&feature=related
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March 11th, 2010 at 3:10 pm
the levees broke
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March 11th, 2010 at 3:42 pm
the filth and stench of unrepented sinners who give a rat about morals…
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my conscience
March 11th, 2010 at 4:22 pm
New Oleans is a city below sea level….and its sinking more each year ! The biggest problem with it is that people think living below sea level where you drive down the street and look up to see ships go by is a great idea ! There are water pumps working 24/7 to keep the water out of the place and with high water the pumps could not keep up and failed !
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March 11th, 2010 at 4:48 pm
The Black People…
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March 11th, 2010 at 5:21 pm
Failure of the state and local government to use the federal money provided for upkeep of the pumps and the levies. The money was spent on liberal foolishness instead. So the pumps and the levees failed. Resulting in massive flooding. The blood is on the hands of mayor Noggin and the other corrupt politicians of Louisianan.
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March 11th, 2010 at 5:40 pm
The flooding in the city-proper (the water you saw around the Super Dome, etc.) happened because canal walls (part of the levee system) built by the US Army Corps of Engineers in the 1990s failed at the height of the storm surge. The walls failed because they were improperly designed and negligently built. Two separate federal court decisions (2008 & 2009) have confirmed the cause of the failures.
Katrina’s surge affected a huge area, and much of it (outside the city-proper) was flooded because the surge was much higher than the levees. Surge 28′ feet high and levee 15′ high = flooding.
Your question has attracted answers with some of the common myths about New Orleans.
First, most of New Orleans is above sea level and most of the parts below sea level are only a bit below. The flooding was so bad because Katrina’s surge was MUCH higher than sea level.
Second, the state of Louisiana (and the City of New Orleans) had nothing to do with financing, designing, or building the levee system. The state had/has some maintenance responsibility, but manly tasks like mowing the grass on the levees.
Third, the levees and walls that failed did so the same morning Katrina struck and while the storm was hitting the city - not "the next day".
A revelation in the 2009 hearing was that the US Army Corps of Engineers diverted money from the levee system to the "Big Dig" commuter tunnel under Boston Harbor and that was at least partly why the canal walls were poorly built. The reason the money was diverted was because Massachusetts is an "important" state while Louisiana is not. Other "unimportant" states (ex. South Dakota) were similarly victimized.
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