Reports - WSTB

WSTB Reports

Third Report of the NAE/NRC Committee on New Orleans Regional Hurricane Protection Projects (2006)

This report reviews a June 1, 2006 draft study by the federal Interagency Performance Evaluation Task Force (IPET), which was established in 2005 to evaluate the performance of the New Orleans regional hurricane protection system during Hurricane Katrina. This is the third report in a series from a committee that is jointly overseen by the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and the National Research Council (NRC). The IPET June 1 study is ambitious in scope and extensive, containing over 6,000 pages of text, figures, and tables. The NAE/NRC report finds that the IPET study does not provide an executive summary that clearly explains the primary IPET study objectives and findings to date. Because this summary will be reviewed carefully by policymakers and New Orleans officials and citizens, it should be written in a style that can be easily understood and present clear conclusions that are linked to analyses in the body of the study. Although the IPET study represents several advances in geotechnical evaluation at specific levee breach sites, it should provide a better presentation of geologic and soil conditions across the region. Future studies from the IPET should pay close attention to characterizing uncertainties--particularly with regard to estimates of storm surge and future levels of flooding risks--to better inform future planning and decision making.
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