US Corps Prevents Floods and Hurricanes in New Orleans . The French built dikes to protect themselves from river flooding. Landowners continued to build sea walls. The coastal marsh served as a natural buffer against storms. Faced with recurring flooding on the Mississippi, Congress created the Mississippi River Commission. The Army Corps of Engineers was put in charge. The Corps didn't have much experience with flooding and decided that levees would be sufficient to control the river. The dikes contributed to the rise of the river. Flooding has continued numerous times over the decades. In 1927, the floods changed New Orleans forever. Lives were lost, dikes were breached, crops were destroyed, and industry and transportation were paralyzed. By preparing for Mississippi River flooding, the Army Corps of Engineers stripped the region of its natural defenses against storm surge. Lawmakers in Washington were aware of the hurricane threat to Louisiana. This was nothing new. Short-term solutions were chosen because of their immediate results. By not choosing a long-term strategy, the city became more vulnerable when Hurricane Katrina struck. DiagnosisThe story shows a model for dealing with flooding problems. No one analyzed the process or examined the results to find a better way to solve the problems. The Flood Control Act of 1928 committed the federal government to implementing an explicit flood control program. The Mississippi River and Tributaries Project (MR&T) was the nation's first comprehensive flood control and navigation law. ..... middle of paper ......projects around populated areas should be prioritized. Including reservoirs and floodways in the programs would give Mississippi the opportunity to expand. One of the difficulties in making changes lies in the political process itself. Depending on one's perspective of the debate on these projects, they may or may not be considered technically sound. Whether or not planners and engineers do the best they can with what they are asked to do is part of the controversy. Works Cited Grunwald, M. & Glasser, S., How a City slow Drowned. (October 2005) The Washington Post, National Weekly Edition, pp. 6-10Stillman, RJ, (2010), Public Administration Concepts and Cases, Boston, Wadsworth Cengage Learning. The Mississippi River and Tributaries Project, US Army Corps of Engineers. Retrieved from: http://www.mvn.usace.army.mil/pao/bro/misstrib.htm

Essay / US Corps Prevents Floods and Hurricanes in New Orleans . The French built dikes to protect themselves from river flooding. Landowners continued to build sea walls. The coastal marsh served as a natural buffer against storms. Faced with recurring flooding on the Mississippi, Congress created the Mississippi River Commission. The Army Corps of Engineers was put in charge. The Corps didn't have much experience with flooding and decided that levees would be sufficient to control the river. The dikes contributed to the rise of the river. Flooding has continued numerous times over the decades. In 1927, the floods changed New Orleans forever. Lives were lost, dikes were breached, crops were destroyed, and industry and transportation were paralyzed. By preparing for Mississippi River flooding, the Army Corps of Engineers stripped the region of its natural defenses against storm surge. Lawmakers in Washington were aware of the hurricane threat to Louisiana. This was nothing new. Short-term solutions were chosen because of their immediate results. By not choosing a long-term strategy, the city became more vulnerable when Hurricane Katrina struck. DiagnosisThe story shows a model for dealing with flooding problems. No one analyzed the process or examined the results to find a better way to solve the problems. The Flood Control Act of 1928 committed the federal government to implementing an explicit flood control program. The Mississippi River and Tributaries Project (MR&T) was the nation's first comprehensive flood control and navigation law. ..... middle of paper ......projects around populated areas should be prioritized. Including reservoirs and floodways in the programs would give Mississippi the opportunity to expand. One of the difficulties in making changes lies in the political process itself. Depending on one's perspective of the debate on these projects, they may or may not be considered technically sound. Whether or not planners and engineers do the best they can with what they are asked to do is part of the controversy. Works Cited Grunwald, M. & Glasser, S., How a City slow Drowned. (October 2005) The Washington Post, National Weekly Edition, pp. 6-10Stillman, RJ, (2010), Public Administration Concepts and Cases, Boston, Wadsworth Cengage Learning. The Mississippi River and Tributaries Project, US Army Corps of Engineers. Retrieved from: http://www.mvn.usace.army.mil/pao/bro/misstrib.htm

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