10 years after Katrina, state spends big to protect coast

摘要

A decade after Hurricane Katrina devastated Louisiana, the state is undertaking an ambitious flood protection program that could be a model for other low-lying areas in a warming world. Congress appropriated $14 billion for a 350-mile ring of protection around New Orleans consisting of bigger and stronger levees, large gates that can be closed against storms, and a 2-mile "Great Wall of Lake Borgne" that can seal off the canal that devastated the city's Lower 9th Ward in 2005. Pump stations are also being built to prevent New Orleans' three main drainage canals from being overwhelmed. Outside the city, Louisiana is working on "green infrastructure" to protect against future weather by restoring barrier islands and the bayou's many wetlands. This is all part of the state's 50-year, $50 billion "master plan" for a future with potentially more destructive weather. "We are at the forefront of addressing the issues caused by climate change," said Chip Kline, Louisiana's top coastal official.