Katrina levee leaks despite pricey repair
Despite more than $22 million in repairs, a levee that broke with catastrophic effect during Hurricane Katrina is leaking again because of the mushy ground on which New Orleans was built, raising serious questions about the city’s flood defenses.
Outside engineering experts who have studied the project told the Associated Press that the type of seepage spotted at the 17th Street Canal afflicts other city levees too and could cause some to collapse during a storm.
Some outside experts said the leak could mean that repairs and upgrades will cost more and that some work may need to be redone.
The Army Corps of Engineers disputed the dire assessment.
The 17th Street Canal flood wall collapsed during Katrina in 2005, contributing to the deaths of about 1,300 people.
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