New York Times Editorial - Walls came tumbling down
New York Times Editorial - Walls came tumbling down
Copyright by The New York Times
THURSDAY, MAY 25, 2006
New Orleans had a false sense of security. A new report by an independent review panel found that flaws in the manmade levee system were largely responsible for the breaches that caused deadly flooding in and around New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina. Three dozen engineers and disaster experts studied the region's hurricane protection system and found that the storm system had not been up to the task of protecting the city.
In Katrina's immediate aftermath, the suffering of the victims trapped in New Orleans received national attention and generated significant - and well-justified - outrage. The mishandled evacuation of residents and the government's failure to mount effective rescue and relief operations received the most opprobrium.
More quietly, a debate began over whether it was worth rebuilding a city that lay in the path of such unstoppable storms. The rationale against the city's rebirth hinged upon the notion that such damage could not have been prevented and would not be preventable in the future. But this report says clearly that much of the death and destruction in New Orleans was a result of human failings, not nature's fury.
It also means that the government has a responsibility to help those whose homes stood behind poorly built walls. The start of the next hurricane season is barely a week away, and another above-average storm season is predicted. While efforts to shore up the battered levee system continue, large parts of it are still vulnerable. America owes it to New Orleans to get it right because there will be a next time.
Copyright by The New York Times
THURSDAY, MAY 25, 2006
New Orleans had a false sense of security. A new report by an independent review panel found that flaws in the manmade levee system were largely responsible for the breaches that caused deadly flooding in and around New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina. Three dozen engineers and disaster experts studied the region's hurricane protection system and found that the storm system had not been up to the task of protecting the city.
In Katrina's immediate aftermath, the suffering of the victims trapped in New Orleans received national attention and generated significant - and well-justified - outrage. The mishandled evacuation of residents and the government's failure to mount effective rescue and relief operations received the most opprobrium.
More quietly, a debate began over whether it was worth rebuilding a city that lay in the path of such unstoppable storms. The rationale against the city's rebirth hinged upon the notion that such damage could not have been prevented and would not be preventable in the future. But this report says clearly that much of the death and destruction in New Orleans was a result of human failings, not nature's fury.
It also means that the government has a responsibility to help those whose homes stood behind poorly built walls. The start of the next hurricane season is barely a week away, and another above-average storm season is predicted. While efforts to shore up the battered levee system continue, large parts of it are still vulnerable. America owes it to New Orleans to get it right because there will be a next time.
posted by Carlos T Mock at 7:28 AM
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