NYT: Levees Rebuilt Just in Time, but Doubts Remain

[brooklynite]

NEW ORLEANS, May 22 — In a breathless finale that has been called one of this generation's greatest adventures in civil engineering, the Army Corps of Engineers has all but completed its repairs to this city's ruined levee system.

With just days to go before the beginning of the hurricane season, the corps' $800 million effort has even improved the system in many ways, engineering experts say, with tougher concrete flood walls, brawny new canal gates and more than 150 miles of new or repaired levees.

But even though all sides agree that the corps has largely achieved its goal, independent engineers say it is the goal that is the real problem. New Orleans is still very much at risk, they say, because the level of protection the corps has reached is still not as strong as the city needs.

Many experts view this hurricane season, which begins on June 1, with trepidation, and hope that the system is not put to a test like Hurricane Katrina before further improvements can be made.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/25/us/25flood.html?hp&ex=1148529600&en=e24f38c1699288e3&ei=5094&partner=homepage

[daleo]

1. The U.S. spends 800 million every few days in Iraq for the war

Just to put that figure into perspective.

[Kutjara]

2. Read between them lines.

"The Army Corps of Engineers has all but completed its repairs to this city's ruined levee system." All but completed? That means they haven't completed them, right? Well, 'all but completed' levees will be just great against 'all but hurricanes' but no use at all against the real thing.


"The Corps' $800 million effort has even improved the system in many ways." Well, I'd certainly fucking hope so, given the previous system gave way like a kid's sandcastle. I would expect that they've improved the system in ALL ways that matter' particularly in those ways most closely related to keeping water out of the city.

"New Orleans is still very much at risk, they say, because the level of protection the corps has reached is still not as strong as the city needs." So the Corps haven't completed the repairs after all? If the system isn't as strong as NO needs, how can anyone say that the work's finished?

Utter bullshit. More spin that will be revealed as such when the next hurricane blows through.

[MadMaddie]

4. There have been reports from local Engineers in that area...

that there are major flaws with the way the Levee's were rebuilt....New Orleans is supposed to get hit with another major storm possibly a Hurricane again this year.....

They say they have plenty of water and ice for a week....well the dumbasses had the water and ice available during Katrina....they just drove it around the country while people were dying of thirst and heatstroke...

[rocktivity]

3. Are they Cat Four worthy, which they were SUPPOSED to be

before Bush pulled the funding years ago? If not, mission NOT accomplished!

:mad:
rocknation

[rfkrfk]

5. is that what the Orleans Levee District decided on?

perhaps you have a link?

the CoE does not make policy decisions for the leves.

[rocktivity]

8. Not completing the levees is what the Bush White House decided on

and they did not engage the city and state in a comphrensive evacuation plan as an alternative. You're welcome to peruse the Katrina-related stories I collected in my blog.

:headbang:
rocknation

[OneBlueSky]

6. one more time . . .

Their Levees -- Our Levees
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/0112-15.htm

kinda shoots the "one of this generation's greatest adventures in civil engineering" comment all to hell, don't it? . . .

[rfkrfk]

7. the state of La. won't rip out hundreds of homes to make room

for wide barriers

there is just not the political will