How do new orleans levees work

But even if the new network of levees and flood walls does its job in this storm, there are risks on the horizon. In , the Army Corps warned of the need to reinforce the earthen levees, which have been losing height due to settling in the soft soils of the region and as sea levels rise, highlighting the effects of climate change. Subscribe for our daily curated newsletter to receive the latest exclusive Reuters coverage delivered to your inbox.

More from Reuters. Horowitz views the risk of a levee failure like the one that occurred in Plaquemines Parish as part of life on an unpredictable planet. Pilkey has been critical of the Corps for decades. The government has already started to pursue such relocation policies in cities like Houston, where it has purchased thousands of flood-prone homes so that residents can relocate to higher ground nearby, and in areas like coastal Alaska , where several Indigenous communities have moved in their entirety away from collapsing shorelines.

Already a subscriber? Log in or link your magazine subscription. Account Profile. Sign Out. Flooding in Lafitte, Louisiana, after Hurricane Ida broke its levees.

Tags: hurricane new orleans climate change infrastructure flooding More. Discover World-Changing Science. Flood Program. Get smart. Sign up for our email newsletter. Sign Up. Support science journalism. Year: Duration: 6 years. Country: USA. The New Orleans metropolitan area is home to 1. Situated between the Gulf coast and the Mississippi river, almost half the area is below sea level.

The region is prone to heavy storms, with hurricanes building up in the nearby Gulf of Mexico every year. These can sweep inland - often causing flooding, damage and loss of life. New Orleans has extensive defences against flooding, made up of miles of floodgates and levees. A levee is an embankment or wall - usually made of earth and often running parallel to a river. Levees are designed to hold back rising waters in stormy weather.

Hurricane Katrina hit south-east Louisiana on 29 August