Levees

Mississippi River New Orleans

As the Mississippi River Rises, So Does the Threat to New Orleans

Climate change and channelization have made high water levels the norm along the river. But low-lying New Orleans lies in its path, and the consequences could be monumental.

June 23, 2019 - Slate

Levee flooding New Orleans

Report: $14 Billion New Orleans Flood System, Completed Less Than a Year Ago, Already Obsolete

The Army Corps of Engineers is already assessing the needs of repair work on a project it completed in May 2018 at the cost of $14 billion.

April 22, 2019 - E&E News

Levee

Unequal Flood Protection Makes Floods Worse for Some Communities

Levees can save towns, but they can also push water downstream making floods worse, meaning that if wealthier places are protected, it’s sometimes at the expense of poor communities.

August 17, 2018 - ProPublica

Levee

Louisiana Finds Surprising Success in Fight Against Land Loss

Thirty years following the start of a project designed to build back land that was slowly being lost to the Gulf of Mexico, Louisiana is celebrating a rare success.

November 8, 2016 - New Orleans Times-Picayune

Tropical Storm Floyd

New Levee System Protects New Jersey Residents

New Jersey Chris Christie announced the competition of a $143 million levee system in Somerset County. Gov. Christie now hopes that residents can drop flood insurance.

August 16, 2016 - The Record

New York City Announces $100 Million Resilience Program for Lower Manhattan

New York City is launching a program that will spend $100 million in capital funding on storm protection infrastructure in lower Manhattan.

August 31, 2015 - New York Daily News

Re-Engineering California's Water Supplies

In California, some worry that the state's aging delta levees are in extreme danger of being destroyed by earthquakes. And as environmental concerns rise, the state is considering plans to re-engineer its water supplies to prevent another "Katrina".

January 6, 2011 - Miller-McCune

Levee Construction Around New Orleans Enters a Period of Uncertainty

The Times-Picayune reports that the Army Corps of Engineers, under pressure from penny-pinched local governments, has commenced a new pilot study that potentially relaxes the new, stricter standards for levees it set in place post-Katrina.

October 19, 2010 - The Times-Picayune

A Little Bit of Venice in New Orleans

The waters that have for so long plagued New Orleans should be reconsidered as an amenity, not a curse, according to this commentary.

September 3, 2010 - Bloomberg

The Straw That Breaks The Infrastructure's Back

Using five examples, this piece from The New York Times looks at how small problems can lead to huge issues in America's aging infrastructure.

August 30, 2010 - The New York Times

Rethinking New Orleans' Levees

Three design firms offer new ideas for redesigning New Orleans' levees.

August 5, 2010 - Good

New Techniques for Preventing Levee Breaches

Breached levees are a major concern for riverside cities; New Orleans struggled with their disastrous results after Hurricane Katrina. While shoring and sandbagging have been relied upon in the past, new methods for stopping breaches are emerging.

December 31, 2009 - The Economist

Thousands of Miles of Mississippi Delta Lost to Sea Level Rise by 2100

By 2100, vast stretches of the Mississippi Delta will be lost to sea level rise, according to a recent study. More than 5,000 square miles could be lost, including much of New Orleans, researchers say.

July 6, 2009 - The Christian Science Monitor

Dutch Try to Step Up Flood Protection

This article from Wired looks at new plans to prevent massive flooding in the low-lying Netherlands.

January 3, 2009 - Wired

Corps Requests Removal or Levee Encroachments

New Orleans homeowners have begun receiving letters from the Army Corps of Engineers demanding that they remove objects that obstruct nearby levees' rights of way, including fences and trees. If history repeats itself, this may get messy.

October 16, 2008 - The Times-Picayune

How Development Makes Flooding Worse

This article from The Christian Science Monitor looks at how development, farm practices, and population growth have increased the risk of flooding.

June 19, 2008 - The Christian Science Monitor

Levees in Danger as Midwest Flooding Continues

Flood waters along the Mississippi River continue to rise, leaving many Midwest towns deep under water. The Army Corps of Engineers has just identified 27 levees that may not be high enough to handle the rising waters.

June 18, 2008 - USA Today

Can the Corps Do Enough for New Orleans?

The vast levee system under construction by the Army Corps of Engineers may not be sufficient to protect New Orleans as the climate continues to change.

March 21, 2008 - Grist

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