Levee Breaches During Katrina
Tour Description
Both residents and visitors to New Orleans still have the desire to see where the levees failed during Katrina in August 2005. This tour allows one to virtually "visit" three major breach sites and their associated neighborhoods. The sites include the Southeast breach of the Industrial Canal, which flooded the Lower Ninth Ward, the East breach of the London Avenue Canal, which flooded Gentilly, and the 17th Street Canal breach, which flooded Lakeview.
Locations for Tour
Lower Ninth Ward Levee Breaches in 2005
Pre-Katrina, the area immediately in front of the east breaches of the Inner Harbor Navigation Canal (a.k.a. the Industrial Canal) was a dense, thriving neighborhood of primarily African American lower- to middle-class homeowners. Houses in this…
Inner Harbor Navigation Canal (Industrial Canal) and the Lower Ninth Ward
Now known as the historic Lower Ninth Ward, this area orginated as a cypress swamp featuring many bayous. In this rural setting, residents enjoyed ready access to fishing grounds and grew okra and other vegetables. In the mid- 1800's,…
London Avenue Canal Levee Breach in 2005
In 1965, Hurricane Betsy demonstrated that a major hurricane could overtop the earthen levees of the London Avenue Canal. So the Army Corps of Engineers recommended two plans -- raising the height of the canal walls using concrete-capped steel sheet…
17th Street Canal Levee Breach in 2005
In 1965, Hurricane Betsy demonstrated that a major hurricane could overtop the earthen levees of the 17th Street Canal. So the Army Corps of Engineers recommended two cost-effective plans which were 1) raising the height of the canal walls or 2)…