New+Orleans+Levee+(1)

Levee - an __embankment__ built to prevent the overflow running water New Orleans' average elevation is about 2 feet below sea level (it's highest being only 20 feet above and __lowest__ 7 feet below), which puts the city at great risk for floods If the levees were not built, every time it rained or there was a storm the city would be flooded and need massive repairs
 * Why was the structure built?

American Society of Civil Engineers
 * Who __built__ the structure?

The streams forming the delta lobes normally break up into distributary streams due to the fact that they are continually depositing sediment which chokes of some channels requiring the formation of other channels. The distributary channels often flood, and during flood stage they deposit sediment on their which eventually build natural levees along the banks. The natural levees from areas of higher elevation on the delta plain, with the low lying areas in between forming marshes or swamps that accumulate fine-grained organic-rich sediment (organic clays) Failure of I-wall type floodwalls was the most common problem during Hurricane Katrina, and these failures resulted in severe flooding in the main basin of the city. http://www.tulane.edu/~sanelson/New_Orleans_and_Hurricanes/New_Orleans_Vulnerability.htm
 * What materials were used and why?

http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/katrina_budget_cuts_to_blame_for_flooding/
 * What type of technology was available to engineers at the time?


 * Events leading up to the disaster?

Hurricane Katrina
 * __What__ caused the disaster?

"Thousands of its onetime __citizens__, a "Katrina Diaspora," are scattered throughout the wider region and beyond." Rather, D. (2007) City Adrift: Foreword. The Center for Public Integrity. Louisiana University Press. The Greek origin of diaspora (dia - across, and //speirein - to scatter) meaning the dispersion of anyone from their __homeland__ .// The disaster of the Hurricane and the failure of the levee was at such an extent that the entire population of the city had to evacuate, leaving their city in flooded ruins until help from a far came. Houses were ruined, __business__ were lost, Missouri was in a complete state of agony and depression. "But in New Orleans, Katrina's aftermath was, and is still, all too real.....(*to be continued*)
 * Environmental effects


 * Economic effects


 * Parties involved

Bush administration funding cuts forced federal engineers to delay improvements on the levees, floodgates and pumping stations that failed to protect New Orleans from Hurricane Katrina’s floodwaters, agency documents showed on Thursday. The former head of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the agency that handles the infrastructure of the nation’s waterways, said the damage in New Orleans probably would have been much less extensive had flood-control efforts been fully funded over the years. “Levees would have been higher, levees would have been bigger, there would have been other pumps put in,” said Mike Parker, a former Mississippi congressman who headed the engineering agency from 2001 to 2002. http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/katrina_budget_cuts_to_blame_for_flooding/
 * Who should take or has taken responsibility?

http://www.terradaily.com/reports/Rensselaer_Engineer_Joins_Team_To_Study_Levee_Failures_In_New_Orleans.html
 * How did the disaster affect future structures?


 * Any other relevant information

[] has the timeline and the basic reason why the levee was created [] the basic information on why this could happen -ET

I am in AP English and AP US History. Kaylie and I will be writing the Essay portion, if that's okay ? -Erika Torres

I'm just in AP English so is it okay if me and Erika work on the essay? - Kaylie Ezell

I'm in AP English and APUSH, I'm fine with whatever everyone wants to do. I guess I'll be working on the presentation then. -Hayden Hudson

I'm Kayla Johnson, in just Ap English with Hayden. I can help research and write the Essay because that is what I feel most comfortable with doing. [] [] "Overtopped I-type floodwalls experienced varying amounts of erosion and scour. The extent of erosion was similar to that of levees where the soil type and degree of compaction of the material being attacked by the overtopping __waters__ dictated the degree of erosion. The south breach at the IHNC, which catastrophically flooded the Lower 9th Ward, is an example of this type of failure" both of these __articles__ describe the structure of the levee and what caused it to fail. this will help us in our essay and also help the engineering student __figure__ out what they need and need not to do. [] this article describes the economic impacts of Hurricane Katrina from the beginning to the end and could possible serve as a decent focal point in our essay.

[] The new Orleans Levee had many main breaches. This is a map image of where the levves break and the water level of them all. This would be something good to put on the presentation to give the audience a good picture of the significance of failure of the levee.

[] this article explains the failure of the levee system and I think it will be very helpful in our research. -Kaylie Ezell

[] This describes the levee system and describes the structural features and design of the Storm Damage Risk Reduction System -Erika Torres

[] Assessment of the failure by a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers - H.H.



Kayla here is my email kaylie.ezell@stu.grant.kychools.us - Kaylie Ezell