Study concludes Isaac's path, slow speed caused flooding and not new levee system
A Corps of Engineers study concludes that post-Katrina improvements to the New Orleans area levee system did not cause Hurricane Isaac's storm surge flooding of areas not flooded during Katrina and Gustav.
The Corps says storm surge flooding during Isaac was the result of a number of factors, including the storm's landfall just west of the Mississippi River, rainfall amounts of 8 to 20 inches, a forward speed three to four times slower than Katrina and a resulting lengthy period of easterly winds that pushed surge heights to record levels.
Corps officials released the results of the study at a Friday afternoon press conference.
The study was conducted at the request of officials and residents in several area parishes, including St. John the Baptist Parish, that saw record flooding from Isaac in areas that had never experienced severe flooding before.
