KEEPING NEW ORLEANS DRY
The New Orleans area has been very fortunate since Hurricane Katrina, but we don't have to rely on luck to keep our city dry in the future! It's within our power to take proactive measures and ensure our city's safety.
New Orleans has yet to experience a significant flooding event since Hurricane Katrina in 2005. However, other cities, not even too far away, have not been so lucky. Another big hurricane or momentous rainfall can (and probably will) once again exceed the city's flood protection capabilities.
So, what's our proactive plan? How can we, as a community, avoid another preventable disaster from destroying the city we call home? It's not a question of if, but when, the next major flooding event will occur. We need to act now to protect our city.
Historically, city officials only implement obligatory levee and drainage improvements after experiencing consequential flooding:
- Mississippi River Flood of 1927
- Hurricane Betsy in 1965
- Rainfalls of May 3rd, 1979 and May 8th, 1995
- Hurricane Katrina in 2005
However, the potential for substantial flooding within New Orleans still exists. Should we wait for the next big flood to make improvements? Or can we make the necessary changes before we get flooded again? While sanctioning proactive measures can be an immense and expensive undertaking, it is possible and feasible with some engineering innovation.
We must learn from our past mistakes and change the accepted protocols regarding the timeline of city improvements, particularly concerning New Orleans's levee and drainage systems. It is imperative to understand the decisions and initiatives implemented in other cities around the world so that we can adopt better practices when addressing flooding issues. Change is not just necessary; it's vital.
By taking accountability for our past failures and being open to alternative solutions, we can be better informed about the steps to take moving forward and, thus, better prepared to tackle New Orleans's unique challenges!
Our White Paper discusses several examples of such measures and explores potential innovative and standardized improvements to our flood protection systems. It also considers the current status of our city's levee and drainage systems, specifically highlighting the infrastructures in Orleans Parish and the East Bank of Jefferson (excluding New Orleans East). However, despite emphasizing these specific parishes, we can utilize the proposed strategies throughout the metro area.
Even better, this White Paper is FREE! Click below to download your copy today!