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T H U R S D A Y , S E P T E M B E R 1 5 , 2 0 0 5Got Levees?by Michael in New York on
9/15/2005 03:13:00 PMThe right wants to argue that those levees in New Orleans wereweak because the city is mired in corruption and they were justtoo dumb to insist on getting them fixed and even if we pouredin money, it would have been wasted anyway. Becauseobviously no other city would be stupid enought to ignore suchan obvious danger.Oops. Seems levees are weak and crumbling all over thecountry.A prime potential trouble spot is here in NorthernCalifornia, where hundreds of thousands of peoplelive on low-lying land protected by levees. Leveenetworks are also prominent across the Gulf Coast, inFlorida and in heavily populated areas of the Midwestalong the Mississippi and Missouri rivers....An earthquake or prolonged, heavy storms could causelevees to rupture near urban areas, particularly aroundSacramento. Houses in a booming residential area north ofthe city could be inundated with up to 20 feet of water.Widespread levee breaks also could imperil the watersupply for 22 million Californians....A levee break in dry, sunny weather in June 2004 flooded12,000 acres of farmland and caused $150 million indamage. The cause, like the cause of most levee breaches,is unknown because rushing water washed away theevidence.In 1997, more than 50 California levees broke onrain-choked rivers and killed eight people, forced theevacuation of 100,000 and damaged or destroyed 24,000homes.Levees have failed more than 140 times in the pastcentury....Few levees anywhere in the nation are built to more than a100-year standard — capable of withstanding a flood so badthat its probability of occurring is once in a 100 years. Thereport urged a far more expensive 500-year standard forurban areas. In the Netherlands, levees along the RhineRiver are built to a 1,250-year standard.Now who's dumb? Nothing to investigate here. Keep moving.
Daily KosOpen Thread and Diary Rescue - *Tonight's crew ofRescue Rangers were vcmvo2, grog, dopper0189,shayera, and joyful. In the meantime, dadanationlooked editorial. Oh yeah, a big shout ...29 minutes agoThink ProgressReport: Cheney wanted to illegally deployAmerican troops in U.S. cities. - The New YorkTimes reports that in 2002, Vice President Cheneyand his administration allies urged President Bushto deploy American troops into the suburb...48 minutes ago
Crooks and LiarsOpen Thread - Andy K here blogging about AndyKaufman (no relation), who's on the same stagewith Wolfman Jack? Whelp, there goes that theory.h/t to Ben Folds (yes, ...1 hour ago
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© 2009 - John Aravosis | Design maintenance by Jason RosenbaumSend me your tips: americablog@starpower.netAMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth: Got L...http://www.americablog.com/2005/09/got-levees.html
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9/15/2005 03:13:00 PMThe right wants to argue that those levees in New Orleans wereweak because the city is mired in corruption and they were justtoo dumb to insist on getting them fixed and even if we pouredin money, it would have been wasted anyway. Becauseobviously no other city would be stupid enought to ignore suchan obvious danger.Oops. Seems levees are weak and crumbling all over thecountry.A prime potential trouble spot is here in NorthernCalifornia, where hundreds of thousands of peoplelive on low-lying land protected by levees. Leveenetworks are also prominent across the Gulf Coast, inFlorida and in heavily populated areas of the Midwestalong the Mississippi and Missouri rivers....An earthquake or prolonged, heavy storms could causelevees to rupture near urban areas, particularly aroundSacramento. Houses in a booming residential area north ofthe city could be inundated with up to 20 feet of water.Widespread levee breaks also could imperil the watersupply for 22 million Californians....A levee break in dry, sunny weather in June 2004 flooded12,000 acres of farmland and caused $150 million indamage. The cause, like the cause of most levee breaches,is unknown because rushing water washed away theevidence.In 1997, more than 50 California levees broke onrain-choked rivers and killed eight people, forced theevacuation of 100,000 and damaged or destroyed 24,000homes.Levees have failed more than 140 times in the pastcentury....Few levees anywhere in the nation are built to more than a100-year standard — capable of withstanding a flood so badthat its probability of occurring is once in a 100 years. Thereport urged a far more expensive 500-year standard forurban areas. In the Netherlands, levees along the RhineRiver are built to a 1,250-year standard.Now who's dumb? Nothing to investigate here. Keep moving.
Daily KosOpen Thread and Diary Rescue - *Tonight's crew ofRescue Rangers were vcmvo2, grog, dopper0189,shayera, and joyful. In the meantime, dadanationlooked editorial. Oh yeah, a big shout ...29 minutes agoThink ProgressReport: Cheney wanted to illegally deployAmerican troops in U.S. cities. - The New YorkTimes reports that in 2002, Vice President Cheneyand his administration allies urged President Bushto deploy American troops into the suburb...48 minutes ago
Crooks and LiarsOpen Thread - Andy K here blogging about AndyKaufman (no relation), who's on the same stagewith Wolfman Jack? Whelp, there goes that theory.h/t to Ben Folds (yes, ...1 hour ago
FiredoglakeLate Night: MSNBC – Will Any RepublicanDenounce Rush Limbaugh? - I sure do remember atime when the GOP made Barack Obama denounceJeremiah Wright, insisting that if he didn't it wasan explicit endorsement of anything W...1 hour ago
AMERICAblog GayE. Lynn Harris Dies - NYT: E. Lynn Harris, thebest-selling author of novels that addressedquestions of identity and sexuality among blackmen, has died, his publicist told Th...4 hours agoJ O H N ' S P H OT O S
Show AllA M E R I C A B L O G T V
AMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth: Got L...http://www.americablog.com/2005/09/got-levees.html
1 of 57/25/09 1:02 AM
Visit our AMERICAblog TV site.see all 329 videos >I collect with
vodpod
Southern Poverty LawCenter calls on CNN to
A two minute explanationof the warped and cynical
The economy is better.But....
Judge order San Diego toget rid of the seals
Massive brawl in SouthKorean parliament
Mormons may havesecretly baptizedNext 6AMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth: Got L...http://www.americablog.com/2005/09/got-levees.html
2 of 57/25/09 1:02 AM
Ezra KleinTab Dump5 hours agoWonk RoomF-22 Killed BySeven-Meme Voltron5 hours agoNYCeveHuge victories: Maloney& Pingree - Health CareHeroes, Clyburnreceives petition - video6 hours agoDaily DoseWill Doctors in theHouse, SenateInfluence Debate?7 hours agoThe TreatmentDoes the GOP ReallyHave an AlternativePlan in the Works?7 hours agoG AY P O L I T I C S
Visit our new gay politicssection, AMERICAblog Gay.F E E D S
Blog RSS
AMERICAblog TV RSS
Twitter RSSTwitter Feed
Get the blog by email:
Subscribe me!
Top AdAdvertise in this spot.H E A LT H C A R ER E F O R MAMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth: Got L...http://www.americablog.com/2005/09/got-levees.html
3 of 57/25/09 1:02 AM
S E A R C H
AMERICAblog
Web
SearchS E N D U S T I P S &C O M M E N T Samericablog@starpower.netB L O G A R C H I V E
Blog ArchiveS I T E S W E L I K EAir America RadioAlan Colmes' blogAri Melber (The Nation)Ben SmithBicycleMark's blog &podcastBilericoBradBlogBring It OnCarrie FisherCrooks and LiarsDailyKosDan Savage's "Slog"Daou ReportDemocratic UndergroundEschatonEzra KleinFire Dog LakeFiveThirtyEight.comFreeway BloggerThe Gavel (SpeakerPelosi's blog)Good As YouGlenn GreenwaldHoly Bullies and HeadlessMonstersHuffington PostHullabaloo (Digby)Jack and Jill PoliticsJed ReportJesus' GeneralKenneth in the 212Margaret and HelenMatthew GrossMedia MattersMike Signorile's "The Gist"MudflatsMyDDOpen LeftPlum LinePolitical Punch (JakeTapper)Political WirePolitics 1Pop SurfingProgressive Blog DigestQueers UnitedRawStoryRex WocknerRude PunditSmirking ChimpTalk LeftTappedTaylor MarshThink ProgressTowleRoadVetVoice.comWashington NoteWayneBesen.comWonketteWorth Repeating
N E W S L I N K SUSWashington PostNYTAP PoliticsReuters PoliticsRasmussen PollsTimeNewsweekRoll CallThe HillABCNews
P L E A S E S U P P O RTA M E R I C A B L O GOne-time donation$
Recurring monthlydonation$
Donations are nottax-deductible.L A B E L S
Select a labelL A S T 1 0 0 V I S I T O R SRecent Visitors
A B O U TA M E R I C A B L O GWhy AMERICAblog?Because a great nationdeserves the truth.What issues do youcover?US politics overall with aparticular focus on theObama Administration, theradical right, and civilrights.Who are you?John AravosisEditorWashington, DCJoe SudbayDeputy EditorWashington, DCChris RyanAssociate EditorParis, FranceRobert ArenaContributing EditorBaltimore, MarylandJacki SchechnerContributing EditorWashington, DCAMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth: Got L...http://www.americablog.com/2005/09/got-levees.html
4 of 57/25/09 1:02 AM
© 2009 - John Aravosis | Design maintenance by Jason RosenbaumSend me your tips: americablog@starpower.netAMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth: Got L...http://www.americablog.com/2005/09/got-levees.html
5 of 57/25/09 1:02 AM