Katrina Case Study

Hurricane Katrina carries a great impact on the lives of American as well as the view of infrastructure and engineering in the public mindset. If you ask the general public what lead to the demise of New Orleans back in 2005 many will say it was the failed levees that left Louisiana and the 9th District underwater and cost the lives of innocent people who believed they were safe. But why did these levees fail? What could have been done from an engineering standpoint to fix these levees and perhaps save lives, homes, and livelihood. Even as Louisiana was underwater the U.S. Army core of engineers began to survey the system and damage to determine a plan and study the system failure. Ethically it is an engineers expectation to anticipate potential failures, avoid being negligent, design according to best practices, and continually evaluate the need for corrections. According to the National Science Foundation in a report
Employ risk-based concepts in planning, design, construction, operations, and major maintenance; 3. Continuously reassess and update policy for program development, planning guidance, design, and construction standards; 4. Employ dynamic independent review; 5. Employ adaptive planning and engineering systems; 6. Focus on sustainability; 7. Review and inspect completed works; and 8. Assess and modify organizational behavior. Then touching on communication, and the importance of being effective and transparent with the public regarding risk and reliability: 9. Effectively communicate risk; and 10. Establish public involvement risk reduction strategies. And Lastly being reliable public service 11. Manage and enhance technical expertise and professionalism; and 12. Invest in research. I list these 12 items because I feel that each one is applicable to an mechanical engineer who has a true Christian worldview and desires to serve the community in the most honest and ethical way