An Unnatural Disaster

Social, Legal, and Ethical Considerations for

Engineering Managers
MEM 604

Hurricane Katrina
August 29, 2005

Early Map of New Orleans

Historical Perspective of New

Orleans
New Orleans was established by the
French in 1717-18
The first levee was erected in 1718,
(3 earthen levee along Mississippi River)
Spanish 1769-1802, French 1802
U.S. 1803 Louisiana Purchase

Historical Perspective of New

Orleans
First pumps were installed in 1858,
completely insufficient
Major levees and drainage pumps
installed around 1900
Plagued by yellow fever, floods, malaria,
poor sanitary and drainage, hurricanes,
heavy rains, tropical heat and humidity

Flood of 1816

Responsibility of Government
Corps and local levee authorities bore the
responsibility for ensuring that the
floodwalls were adequately designed,
built, and maintained
Bureaucratic nightmare

Funding
Historically, it has been the responsibility
of local governing bodies for construction
and maintenance of levees.
1927, the Army Corp of Engineers were
responsible for construction, but again
local government for maintenance.
Presently, the federal government will fund
the 6 billion dollar post-Katrina
construction.

Why Did the Levees Fail?

A number of different failure mechanisms were observed

soil failure
seepage,
piping (internal erosion), and
overtopping

The levees were possibly approaching failure prior to Katrina

Much of the difference in degree of damages

inconsistent heights,
changes in levee type (I-wall vs. T-wall),
changes in materials (concrete, steel, sheet pile, earth)
transitions where certain rights-of-way

No clear bureaucratic mandate exists for reassessing the

blueprints once levees are built.

Flooding Estimated Depth

Design Parameters
Existing levees designed for a 500 year flood
Levees failed in Category 3 hurricane
Why not Worst Case Scenario Category 4 or 5
hurricane?
Utilitarian Thinking (Cost vs. Benefit Study)
Did the corps take into account the loss of life
that would occur in a catastrophic storm?
Reasonable amount of protection.

Socio-economic Impact
Poverty

Population Pre-Katrina 469,000

Black 67%
White 28%
23% population is below the poverty line,
national average 12%
80% of city flooded
38 of 47 of the extreme poverty tracts flooded
The poor suffered more than other classes
972 deaths
Population Post-Katrina 200,000

A City Underwater

Socio-economic Impact
What the Aftermath of Katrina Brought Out in People

The Ethical
Generous Americans
Wal-Mart
New York Times

The Unethical
Looters
Finger-Pointers
Sharks

Ethically Correct?

Socio-economic Impact
Because of displacement of many of its
citizens, and a fractured infrastructure,
and a stagnant economy, revitalization is a
high priority.
Fear that land use will be given over to
developers who will exploit poorer
sections of the city.
The issue of affordable housing.

Planning for the Future

Recommendations
Risk based approach will be essential to
selecting an appropriate level of protection
Raise levees
Improve transitions
Systematic and deliberate method to determine crest
heights
Re-design pumping system for hurricanes

Levee design and maintenance by one agency

Congress should enact a National Levee
Inspection and Safety Program

Ethical Responsibility of Engineers

Conflicting responsibilities
ASCE Canon of Ethics states that
Engineers shall hold paramount the
safety, health, and welfare of the public
Standard and Reasonable Care
Acceptable Risk Likelihood and
magnitude of the harm.
Design Flaws?

New Orleans Cross Section

Americas Commitment
Cost to rebuild suitable levees will cost
Billions of dollars.
Funding for levees will be on the backs of
the taxpayers.
Is the nation willing to commit our
resources for reasonable protection of
New Orleans area?
Are we morally and ethically responsible
for re-building New Orleans Levees?

Katrina Catastrophe