In the rush to rebuild after Hurricane Katrina, Congress told the Corps of Engineers to raise the levees and floodwalls around New Orleans to protect against a 100-year storm. There was one problem: That was weaker than what Congress ordered 50 years ago.
They renominated Tim Doody and picked Tyrone Ben for the other slot.
Raising $50 billion for the ambitious Master Plan to rebuild the Louisiana coast was never going to be easy. Though the BP oil spill will yield billions of dollars for projects, the state could come up $20 billion short. To close the gap, the state will try to change how the Mississippi River is dredged and will consider pollution-credit programs.
National Weather Service researcher says area needs to prepare for serious, low-probability event.
But they voted not to send another name in cases in which the governor rejects a qualified candidate.
Savings reach $20 million if levees are raised before they're armored. Subsidence puts area flood insurance at risk.
Parts of a 1.1-mile stretch of levee along the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway have sunk six inches since it was built. Repairs will cost $1 million. Officials say subsidence is inevitable, and it’s impossible to predict where it will happen.
Barry talks about the suit against oil and gas companies and his new advocacy group, Restore Louisiana Now.
In March, months before it sued oil and gas companies, the levee authority knew the state would pull its funding.
Two 4.5-mile sections will be closed for about a year each.
