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In the Wake of Katrina, Part II

How’s this for a dumb place to put a city in the first place:

New Orleans Levee System
Thanks to Science Museum of Minnesota for this image

And the result…

Before and After Flooding

Amid the sympathy, however, there was criticism.

Experts in the Netherlands expressed surprise that New Orleans’ flood systems failed to restrain the waters.

With half of the country’s population of 16 million living below sea level, the Netherlands prepared for a “perfect storm” soon after floods in 1953 killed 2,000 people. The nation installed massive hydraulic sea walls.

“I don’t want to sound overly critical, but it’s hard to imagine that [the damage caused by Katrina] could happen in a Western country,” said Ted Sluijter, spokesman for the park where the sea walls are exhibited.

— Seattle Times, September 1, 2005


About the levee breakage:
Levee break and attemps to fix

And once again we learn, but always a little late, that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

One Response to “In the Wake of Katrina, Part II”

  1. Ryan Says:

    Dan showed me this link to google maps which allows you to view before and after satellite photography of parts of new orleans.

    For a wider view, visit < a href="http://www.yubanet.com/artman/publish/article_24776.shtml"> this link

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