The 17th street canal and New Orleans

An article today by Debra Saunders, a Bush bungleech who rushes to Bush's defense on an almost daily basis in the SF Chronicle, claims the 17th street levee was recently upgraded. This is, of course the levee that collapsed and helped flood NO. I'm not sure it is true or relevant, but I have to say that my inclination leans toward disgust at the politicians who LIVE in Louisiana that suddenly have found their voice. It would seem to me that some time ago was when it was necessary to grandstand, they weren't doing it. They, like everybody else, were hoping it wouldn't happen and didn't really believe it either.

As much as I dislike Bush and jump at the chance to attack him, I'm pretty sure that living in a flood zone should cause one to pause and perhaps expect the possibility of floods. I'm also pretty sure that a category five hurricane is probably going to breach any flood control project known to man. A good book on the topic is "Cadillac Desert" by Marc Reisner.17th street canal upgraded

This article on CNN explains that, in fact, the 17th street canal was one of the strongest sections...

"No one expected that weak spot to be on a canal that, if anything, had received more attention and shoring up than many other spots in the region. It did not have broad berms, but it did have strong concrete walls.

Shea Penland, director of the Pontchartrain Institute for Environmental Studies at the University of New Orleans, said that was particularly surprising because the break was "along a section that was just upgraded."

"It did not have an earthen levee," Dr. Penland said. "It had a vertical concrete wall several feel thick.""