The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers won a round on Sept. 20 by gaining permission from authorities to raise the safe-water elevation in one of New Orleans' key outfall canals. In April the Corps proposed a load test on a 150-ft section of floodwall along the London Avenue Canal, which blew out in two places during Hurricane Katrina. It wanted to know if it could increase the safe-water elevation. The canal is the weakest of the city's three main outfall canals. Its capacity has been restricted as a precaution, but officials feared the restrictions would have serious flooding consequences during a heavy storm event, like a tropical storm or hurricane.
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