Corps Commander Admits Relying on Hearsay When He Blamed Katrina Flooding on New Orleans Officials

Friday, August 24th, 2012

Community leaders in the Gentilly neighborhood of New Orleans unveil a historic plaque near ground zero of the east side breach of the London Avenue Canal. Photo/Hubie Vigreux


In a surprise development, the commanding general of the Army Corps of Engineers, Lt. Gen. Carl Strock, has come clean over statements made to the New York Times after Katrina.

The Corps Commander who was in charge right after the 2005 storm, told NYTimes reporter John Schwartz that although the Corps was responsible for the levee failures, he also fingered New Orleans officials by saying they played a contributing role in the failure of two major outfall drainage canals.

Strock claimed local agencies forced the Corps to build an inferior system for the two canals. This message was repeated for years by other Corps brass including Maj Gen Don Riley and other Corps PR spokespersons.

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Corps of Engineers blamed New Orleans officials for Katrina flooding but new data shows Corps took deadly shortcut

Wednesday, August 22nd, 2012

In 1985, the Corps of Engineers Division HQ initiated a sheet pile test, called the E-99 study in the Atchafalaya Basin near Morgan City. Photo/courtesy of Dr. Robert Bea

After Hurricane Katrina, the Army Corps of Engineers told major media, including the New York Times, that New Orleans officials played a contributing role in the failure of flood walls along the city’s drainage canals and the resulting catastrophic flooding. For years, top brass and Corps PR spokespersons spread this consistent message regarding the failure of the 17th Street and London Avenue Canals and the flooding of the city’s main basin.

Now, in a response to a records request submitted by the grassroots group Levees.org, the Corps of Engineers admits that it cannot produce any data to support the claim.

“It is not possible to determine exactly which documents…were relied upon, considered, reviewed, read or discussed,” responded Ken Holder, Public Affairs Chief for the Corps’ New Orleans District.

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Levees.org to Host Katrina 7th Anniversary Press Conference

Monday, August 20th, 2012

Before and after photos of 6932 Bellaire Drive at ground zero of the 17th Street Canal breach site in the Lakeview region of New Orleans. Photo courtesy of Levees.org

At the 7th Anniversary of the worst civil engineering disaster in U.S. history, Levees.org will host a press conference in the Lakeview region of New Orleans. The group will discuss how the Corps of Engineers initially blamed New Orleans officials for Katrina flooding even though new data has been uncovered that shows the Corps took a $100 million shortcut in building its flood protection.

When: 10 a.m. Wed Aug 22, 2012
Where: Lakeview Harbor Restaurant, 911 Harrison Avenue, New Orleans.
Harry Shearer (producer The Big Uneasy, voice of the Simpsons) will participate in the press conference via skype.
There is plenty of free parking.

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