Feds May be at Fault for New Orleans Flood

The federal government -- or contractors they hired and oversaw -- may bear the final responsibility for the flood that swept through New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.

New evidence and computer models show the levee-floodwall combinations that collapsed should have been able to withstand the storm. This new evidence suggests the storm surge was not as high as previously thought, and water never topped the floodwalls. That points to a design flaw, shoddy construction, or a combination of both.

Here's how the process works for designing and building the levees:

• The US Army Corps of Engineers recommends to Congress the design and capabilities of the levees needed to prevent flooding
• Congress authorizes flood control projects based on the Corps' recommendations
• The Corps oversees the final design and construction of the walls and levees -- mostly through the use of contractors

The New York Times reports the design of failed flood walls broke the rules written down in the Army Corps' own manual. The specs in the engineering manual say walls of the design used around New Orleans "rarely exceed" seven feet. Any higher and they lose stability.

Many of the walls in New Orleans were 11 feet tall. (WashPost/NYT) [Photo Credits: New Orleans floodwalls before and after the flood, US Army Corps of Engineers]