The 1965 Flood Act
The long term effects of the flood control act provision of 1965
The flood control act of control act of 1965 gave authorization to U.S Army Crop of Engineers (USACE) to design and construct a flood protection system to protect south Louisiana from hurricanes. It was called the Lake Pontchartrain and Vicinity Hurricane Protection Project, the reason for this project was prior to 1965. The state of Louisiana design and built its own flood protection, but on September 9, 1965 hurricane Betsy a category five, hit the city of New Orleans. Betsy drove strong storm surge waters into the city of New Orleans from Lake Pontchartrain causing the in the industrial canal fail on both side. It took more than ten days for the water level in New Orleans to go down, and people could return to their homes. After hurricane Betsy the 89th congress enacted the flood control act of on October 27, 1965.
Why New Orleans is Vulnerable to Hurricanes? Since its founding in 1718, the city of New Orleans and its surrounding areas have been subject to numerous floods from the Mississippi River and hurricanes and other reasons are, its Location near Gulf of Mexico, Low elevation (below sea-level) Subsidence caused by compaction of river deposited sediments, erosion of inactive delta lobe, sea-level rise due to global warming . A series of levees and other flood control structures built over the years were expected to greatly reduce that threat. The greatest natural threat posed to the New Orleans and south Louisiana area continues to be from hurricane induced storm surges, which is caused by human with Coastal Erosion accelerated by the changes made to the river system. The coastline of Louisiana is eroding at an incredible rate, estimated at 25 square miles per year. (1 football field of area every 45 minutes)
Hurricane surge heights along the gulf and Atlantic coasts can range up to 20 feet or more and there is growing concern that the
The flood control act of control act of 1965 gave authorization to U.S Army Crop of Engineers (USACE) to design and construct a flood protection system to protect south Louisiana from hurricanes. It was called the Lake Pontchartrain and Vicinity Hurricane Protection Project, the reason for this project was prior to 1965. The state of Louisiana design and built its own flood protection, but on September 9, 1965 hurricane Betsy a category five, hit the city of New Orleans. Betsy drove strong storm surge waters into the city of New Orleans from Lake Pontchartrain causing the in the industrial canal fail on both side. It took more than ten days for the water level in New Orleans to go down, and people could return to their homes. After hurricane Betsy the 89th congress enacted the flood control act of on October 27, 1965.
Why New Orleans is Vulnerable to Hurricanes? Since its founding in 1718, the city of New Orleans and its surrounding areas have been subject to numerous floods from the Mississippi River and hurricanes and other reasons are, its Location near Gulf of Mexico, Low elevation (below sea-level) Subsidence caused by compaction of river deposited sediments, erosion of inactive delta lobe, sea-level rise due to global warming . A series of levees and other flood control structures built over the years were expected to greatly reduce that threat. The greatest natural threat posed to the New Orleans and south Louisiana area continues to be from hurricane induced storm surges, which is caused by human with Coastal Erosion accelerated by the changes made to the river system. The coastline of Louisiana is eroding at an incredible rate, estimated at 25 square miles per year. (1 football field of area every 45 minutes)
Hurricane surge heights along the gulf and Atlantic coasts can range up to 20 feet or more and there is growing concern that the
References: • United States Government Accountability Office testimony report (Wednesday, November 9, 2005) • (www. Levees.org/ New Orleans) • Schwatz, John “ An Autopsy of Katrina” 2006 • Army Corps of Engineers: Lake Pontchartrain and Vicinity Hurricane Protection Survey Report (1992 • Davis, Matt “ The Evolution of the flood Control Act of 1936 • (Bruno&Bruno law Review) • (www.katrinacaseblog.org) • (www.pierceodonell.com • Bligh Shawna, “Did Save Our Wetlands really save us.