The National Academies Testimony before Congress

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The OCGA staff

THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES
National Research Council and National Academy of Engineering
Division on Earth and Life Studies
Water Science and Technology Board
and
Division on Physical and Engineering Systems
Board on Infrastructure and the Constructed Environment
Committee on New Orleans Regional Hurricane Protection Projects

*****

Congressional Briefings
Thursday, April 23, 2009
B-376 Rayburn House Office Bldg. – 1:00 p.m.
and
410 Dirksen Senate Office Bldg. – 2:30 p.m.

on

The New Orleans Hurricane Protection System:
Assessing Pre-Katrina Vulnerability and Improving Mitigation and Preparedness

Hurricane Katrina, which struck New Orleans and surrounding areas in August 2005, ranks as one of the nation's most devastating natural disasters. Shortly after the storm, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers established the Interagency Performance Evaluation Task Force (IPET) to assess the performance of the levees, floodwalls, and other structures comprising the area's hurricane protection system during Hurricane Katrina. This last report, of five, from the National Academies’ Committee on New Orleans Regional Hurricane Protection Projects provides an independent review of the task force's final draft report and identifies key lessons from the Katrina experience and their implications for future hurricane preparedness and planning in the region.

These series of briefings were for members of Congress and congressional staff only. The report was publicly released on April 24, 2009 and can be found, in its entirety, on the Web site of the National Academies Press.