Has anyone from the ACOE explained WHY the levees failed?

[xray s]

The water didn't run over the levees. They split open.

Why?

I haven't seen any explanation in the MSM yet.

Just curious.

[niyad]

1. sure you did--they were only built to withstand a cat 3 strike.

[xray s]

4. water would go over the top in a CAT 4 or 5

but this wasn't a case of the water going over the top.

They split apart.

[begin_within]

2. Cause they were dynamited to flood the poor areas and save the rich areas.

[xray s]

6. a possiblity

but it may just be poor design or poor construction, work done not to spec.

its just weird that NO ONE in the MSM is even talking about it.

Again, water did not swamp over the top of the levee, which was the predicted problem. they broke apart.

[5X]

3. Beyond the cat 3 stike as mentioned above...

the levees had been neglected and needed repairs,
the water levels had risen, the wetlands had been
developed.

Lots of reasons actually.

[lindisfarne]

5. I heard it had to do with water washing over the levee, eroding

the land on the other side, which weakened the wall and led to the collapse. Not sure where I heard this but very possibly on wwltv. I heard this at least 5 days ago.

[xray s]

7. if you have a link I would love to read it

I couldn't find any stories on Google.

[xray s]

8. here is why I ask this question

I live in Chacago. About 10 years ago some work was being done on the river by contractors. they were working over some tunnels and cracked them open and flooded the whole city. Poor planning on their part.

i am just wondering if there is anything about the breaking apart of the levees that is related to human error (other than the underfunding of the whole levve project, that is)

[xray s]

9. possible explanation from another DU'er

http://www.markarkleiman.com/archives/katrina_/2005/09/the_levee_failure_was_predictable_and_predicted.php

Mark Schleifstein, the environment writer for the New Orleans Times-Picayune, e-mailed me this morning: "For days in advance of this storm, everyone from the mayor of New Orleans to the governor to Max Mayfield gave a clear message: a Category 4 hurricane will overtop the levees. . . .

"Our series and the latest NWS software used by emergency planners throughout New Orleans indicate that even some Category 2 storms could put water over the levees in eastern New Orleans."

I'm also told by another source that the two levees that failed were first overtopped -- then they eroded from the interior and collapsed. Once water starts spilling over the top of a levee its structural integrity can no longer be guaranteed, apparently -- and the Corps of Engineers was aware of that possibility