Downpours Flood New Orleans Again

Feds could be on the hook for billions in damages

(NEWSER) - In an opinion that could open the federal government to billions in damage claims, a judge ruled today that the failure of the Army Corps of Engineers to maintain an outlet channel led directly to disastrous flooding in and around New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. “The people of this city have been vindicated,” one attorney tells the Times-Picayune . “They didn’t do anything wrong and it's time they be compensated.” More»

(NEWSER) - Even if the government somehow managed to re-create pre-Katrina New Orleans, it couldn't guarantee the safety of the city and its residents, according to a new report. The Army Corps of Engineers is rebuilding levees in anticipation of a “100-year storm,” but for a city of New Orleans’ size nothing is truly sufficient, the Times-Picayune reports. The report recommends relocating people living in at-risk areas. More»

Luxury carmaker signs 10-year deal despite Katrina memories

(NEWSER) - The New Orleans Superdome, home stadium to the NFL's Saints, will soon be sponsored and rebranded by Mercedes-Benz USA, reports Adweek . The luxury car manufacturer signed a 10-year agreement to link its name to the Saints' turf—despite the Superdome's lingering association as a makeshift refugee camp for victims of Hurricane Katrina. “Enough time has passed," says Mercedes' VP of marketing, "and America loves a comeback story.” More»

Flash flooding expected from drenching storm

(AP) - As Katia regained hurricane status, the center of Tropical Storm Lee stretched across the central Gulf Coast early today, dumping torrential rains that threatened flooding in low-lying communities in a foreshadowing of what cities further inland could face in coming days. Lee's center crawled ashore in Louisiana before dawn after the vast, soggy storm system spent hours during the weekend hovering in the northernmost Gulf of Mexico— knocking out power to 32,000 before it even made landfall . The storm's slow crawl to the north gave more time for its drenching rain bands to pelt a wide swath of vulnerable coastline, raising the flood threat. More»

One option could devastate New Orleans; the other would destroy farmland

(NEWSER) - In Louisiana, a terrible choice: Frantically sandbag the levees in an attempt to prevent a flood in New Orleans and Baton Rouge that could be greater than Katrina in some areas—or open a relief valve and purposely flood 200 miles of farmland, potentially destroying the livelihoods of many Louisiana farmers and fishermen? If the Army Corps of Engineers chooses to open the Morganza Spillway, it will be only the second time the relief valve has been used since it was completed 57 years ago, the Washington Post reports. More»