Friday, September 5th, 2008

Levees and Hurricanes

Katrina flooding in New Orleans, 2005. NOAA image.

The levees of New Orleans managed to hold against Hurricane Gustav earlier this week -- but several more storms, including tropical storms Hannah, Ike, and Josephine are forming. Researchers are predicting an active September for hurricanes, calling for a total of 17 named storms and five major hurricanes before this year's hurricane season is over. In this segment, we'll talk with Ivor van Heerden, deputy director of the Louisiana State University Hurricane Center and director of the Center for the Study of Public Health Impacts of Hurricanes, about the levee reconstruction project, how cities along the coast weathered Hurricane Gustav, and whether New Orleans residents can rest any easier in the face of coming storms.

Guests

Ivor van Heerden
Author, "The Storm: What Went Wrong and Why During Hurricane Katrina--the Inside Story from One Louisiana Scientist"
Director, LSU Hurricane Public Health Center
Louisiana State University
Baton Rouge, Louisiana