Levees.org Founder listed in Gallery of Most Influential

Friday, November 23rd, 2012

Mount Holyoke College has unveiled its Gallery of Most Influential Women at its 175th Anniversary.

One of the selected alumnae in the Gallery is Sandy Rosenthal, Founder of Levees.org. Here is an excerpt:

Ever since the devastating levee failures and flooding in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina, Sandy Fulton Rosenthal has worked nonstop to ensure that the prevailing narrative portrays the event as due to the negligent acts of man, not the fury of Mother Nature…

Ms. Rosenthal is also featured on the cover of the most recent Alumnae Quarterly.

Click here for the full listing.

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Hurricane Sandy Revealed that Evacuations are No Holiday

Wednesday, November 21st, 2012

These ‘before and after’ photos of a Lower Ninth Ward home communicate the extent of the flooding devastation a few blocks from the east breaches of the Industrial Canal. Photo/courtesy of Levees.org

One week after Hurricane Katrina, Rick Santorum, then a U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania recommended penalties for New Orleans residents who did not evacuate in advance of the storm. He reasoned that rescue personnel had been put at risk, and therefore consequences should be meted out to those who stayed. Later, Santorum conceded that he was talking about people with cars or means to evacuate, not the poor.

Santorum has not made similar recommendations for the people of means in New York and New Jersey who did not evacuate ahead of Hurricane Sandy and neither, to the best of my knowledge, have others in positions of authority. This may reflect the enlightenment that comes with experience. Many on the east coast have discovered with Sandy — and one year ago, with Irene — what New Orleanians already know: Evacuations are expensive and stressful. They are no holiday for the fleeing residents.

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Army Corps: Isaac to blame for flooding outside post-K levee improvements

Monday, November 12th, 2012

Lake Borgne Surge Barrier designed and built after Hurricane Katrina to keep storm surge from entering the Inner Harbor Navigation Canal

On Friday at Headquarters, the Army Corps revealed the impact of New Orleans’ post-Katrina flood protection on neighboring communities.

The Corps’ report says the $10 billion improvements may have been responsible for adding an average of 1 inch in surge heights during Isaac. It said LaPlace saw a slightly lower surge due to the betterments.

The Corps will hold a series of public meetings for the affected communities beginning at 6 p.m. with an open house, followed by presentations at 6:30 p.m.:

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