scholarly journals How Hurricane Katrina influenced the design of hurricane protection and risk reduction systems and national approaches to risk and resilience: Part 1. Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans: A forensic assessment, risk and reliability analysis, and key lessons learned

Water Policy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (S1) ◽  
pp. 156-173
Author(s):  
Lewis E. Link
Keyword(s):  
Hurricane Katrina ◽  
Risk Reduction ◽  
Task Force ◽  
Forensic Analysis ◽  
Forensic Assessment ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Army Corps ◽  
Risk And Resilience ◽  
Us Army ◽  
Major Shift

Abstract A systems perspective is presented of what happened during and after Hurricane Katrina (2005) and the potential for reducing the likelihood of large losses in the future. This work was the basis for the rapid repair of the damage resulting from Katrina and ultimately the development and construction of a new risk reduction system for the region and a major shift in engineering guidance and practice related to public water infrastructure. The work was primarily accomplished through the Interagency Performance Evaluation Task Force (IPET) established by the Chief of Engineers, US Army Corps of Engineers, to conduct a comprehensive forensic analysis of what happened and why, and to an engineering risk and reliability assessment of the hurricane protection system in place when Katrina struck.

A Community Approach to Improved Prediction and Characterization of Coastal Storm Hazards

2006 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
pp. 56-68 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruce A. Ebersole ◽  
Donald T. Resio ◽  
Joannes J. Westerink
Keyword(s):  
Hurricane Katrina ◽  
Task Force ◽  
Computer Software ◽  
Field Measurements ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Water Levels ◽  
Army Corps ◽  
Wind Fields ◽  
Community Approach ◽  
Insurance Rate

This paper discusses the value of a community approach to characterizing the coastal storm hazard, e.g., hurricane water levels and wave conditions, through field measurements, data analysis, and modeling. Value is illustrated using experiences and results from recent and ongoing projects. One example is recently completed work by the Interagency Performance Evaluation Task Force (IPET), which was commissioned by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The IPET was charged with gathering the facts regarding performance of the hurricane protection system in Southeast Louisiana in response to Hurricane Katrina. A second example is ongoing work being lead by the Corps to design projects that can greatly reduce the likelihood and consequences of flooding for coastal Louisiana and Mississippi. These investigations are being closely coordinated with work of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to update flood insurance rate maps for the region. Findings and lessons learned are discussed, and challenges in making accurate surge and wave predictions are identified, including: 1) inaccuracy in coastal and estuarine wind fields, 2) specification of a wind drag law in shallow coastal areas, and 3) problems in treating nearshore wave set-up and coupling into surge models. A new Corps research program that is addressing many of these issues, also a community effort, is described as are results from early progress in selected problem areas. The paper presents advantages to developing open-source, community-based computer software for coastal storm wave and surge predictions, and some problems with today's over-reliance on proprietary software.

scholarly journals How Hurricane Katrina influenced the design of hurricane protection and risk reduction systems and national approaches to risk and resilience. Part 2: Designing the Hurricane and Storm Damage Risk Reduction System and resulting long-term engineering guidance and practice changes

Water Policy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (S1) ◽  
pp. 174-187
Author(s):  
Lewis E. Link
Keyword(s):  
Hurricane Katrina ◽  
Risk Reduction ◽  
Task Force ◽  
Flood Mitigation ◽  
Engineering Practice ◽  
Army Corps ◽  
Storm Damage ◽  
Corps Of Engineers ◽  
Reduction System ◽  
Damage Risk

Abstract Following Hurricane Katrina, the US Army Corps of Engineers, supported in part by the risk and reliability analysis conducted by the Interagency Performance Evaluation Task Force (IPET), made a major shift from ‘protection’ to ‘risk reduction’ as the principal goal in flood mitigation. The mitigation of the flood risk in Southeast Louisiana was embodied in the design and construction of the ‘Hurricane and Storm Damage Risk Reduction System’, the post-Katrina initiative for New Orleans flood mitigation. It also spawned a major overhaul of many of the Corps of Engineers’ technical guidance and engineering practice documents, incorporating risk as a key measure in the planning and design processes. The criteria applied for the design of the HSDRRS are discussed, with summaries of the associated major changes in Corps engineering guidance and practice relevant to flood mitigation.

Water level management for enhanced fish and wildlife habitat production in Upper Mississippi River navigation pools : an Engineering with Nature® review of practice

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles Theiling ◽  
Benjamin McGuire ◽  
Gretchen Benjamin ◽  
Dave Busse ◽  
Jon Hendrickson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Wildlife Management ◽  
Mississippi River ◽  
Habitat Management ◽  
River System ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Wildlife Habitat ◽  
Army Corps ◽  
Upper Mississippi River ◽  
Army Corps Of Engineers ◽  
Us Army

There is a long history of fish and wildlife management associated with Upper Mississippi River navigation dams owned and operated by the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). Many operational changes have been made to improve aquatic habitat, with recent emphasis on pool-scale drawdowns to enhance wetland benefits without affecting navigation or other uses. This special report describes projects successfully incorporating Engineering With Nature® principles in a review of the physical setting and historical fish and wildlife habitat management efforts using Upper Mississippi River System navigation dams. We reviewed 80 years of adaptation and lessons learned about how to integrate navigation operations and wildlife management. Several experiments have revealed the capacity to produce thousands of hectares of emergent and submersed aquatic plants, restoring much-needed riparian habitat for a variety of aquatic, wetland, and avian species.

Characteristics of Physician Relocation Following Hurricane Katrina

2009 ◽  
Vol 95 (1) ◽  
pp. 6-12
Author(s):  
Kusuma Madamala ◽  
Claudia R. Campbell ◽  
Edbert B. Hsu ◽  
Yu-Hsiang Hsieh ◽  
James James
Keyword(s):  
Hurricane Katrina ◽  
Gulf Coast ◽  
General Medicine ◽  
The United States ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Bivariate Analysis ◽  
Fisher Exact Test ◽  
Exact Test ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACT Introduction: On Aug. 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina made landfall along the Gulf Coast of the United States, resulting in the evacuation of more than 1.5 million people, including nearly 6000 physicians. This article examines the relocation patterns of physicians following the storm, determines the impact that the disaster had on their lives and practices, and identifies lessons learned. Methods: An Internet-based survey was conducted among licensed physicians reporting addresses within Federal Emergency Management Agency-designated disaster zones in Louisiana and Mississippi. Descriptive data analysis was used to describe respondent characteristics. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to identify the factors associated with physician nonreturn to original practice. For those remaining relocated out of state, bivariate analysis with x2 or Fisher exact test was used to determine factors associated with plans to return to original practice. Results: A total of 312 eligible responses were collected. Among disaster zone respondents, 85.6 percent lived in Louisiana and 14.4 percent resided in Mississippi before the hurricane struck. By spring 2006, 75.6 percent (n = 236) of the respondents had returned to their original homes, whereas 24.4 percent (n = 76) remained displaced. Factors associated with nonreturn to original employment included family or general medicine practice (OR 0.42, 95 percent CI 0.17–1.04; P = .059) and severe or complete damage to the workplace (OR 0.24, 95 percent CI 0.13–0.42; P < .001). Conclusions: A sizeable proportion of physicians remain displaced after Hurricane Katrina, along with a lasting decrease in the number of physicians serving in the areas affected by the disaster. Programs designed to address identified physician needs in the aftermath of the storm may give confidence to displaced physicians to return.

Lessons Learned from Usace Seepage Barrier Wall Construction: Wolf Creek To Present

2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 75-88 ◽  
Author(s):  
Georgette Hlepas ◽  
Vanessa Bateman
Keyword(s):  
Data Management ◽  
Continuous Improvement ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Army Corps ◽  
Army Corps Of Engineers ◽  
Management Processes ◽  
Verification Methods ◽  
Efficiency And Effectiveness ◽  
Wall Construction ◽  
Barrier Wall

Abstract The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) maintains a lessons-learned goal for all major projects to capture knowledge gained. The focus of the formal lessons-learned process is to share knowledge and experience nationwide improving USACE contracting methodologies, reducing overall costs, and improving designs. This continuous improvement can be seen in the evolution of USACE barrier wall construction designs and contracting methods. From the first Wolf Creek Dam barrier wall installed in the 1970s to the more recent Bolivar and East Branch Dam barrier wall projects, documentation and sharing of lessons learned in areas such as grouting, data management, and quality assurance procedures have increased the efficiency and effectiveness of barrier wall designs, monitoring, and contract specifications. Contractual philosophy, use of pre-grouting treatment, verification methods, and data management processes have all changed due to lessons learned and have enabled the USACE to improve the overall end product of barrier wall projects.

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