ASCE's Efforts to Investigate and Explain
Impact of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans

Since its founding in 1852, ASCE has participated in and conducted engineering studies of national significance. The findings of these studies are widely disseminated within the professional community in keeping with the Society’s purpose to “advance the science of engineering to enhance the welfare of humanity.”

In August 2006, the ASCE External Review Panel charged with conducting technical peer review of the IPET study issued Ten Calls to Action, summarizing the lessons learned from the levee failures in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina. These calls to action are part of a report produced at the Society’s expense.

>>  Read the Ten Calls to Action (PDF)

>>  Read the ERP report, Hurricane Katrina: What Went Wrong and Why (PDF)

ERP members and ASCE leaders and staff have presented their findings and the lessons learned at professional conferences and to engineering students and other key audiences. Expenses associated with these presentations were funded entirely by the Society.

>>  To view the PowerPoint presentation, click here (PDF; large file)

>>  For a list of presentation dates and venues, click here

Data collection about the condition of the hurricane protection systems took place before, during and after Hurricane Katrina. [An ASCE assessment team was dispatched to New Orleans from October 4-15, 2005, to study physical evidence and collect field data. The data report was released on November 2, 2005.]

ASCE received a grant from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to conduct the ERP’s technical peer review. The scope of work for the ERP was:

• Review of project construction and maintenance;
• Numerical modeling to characterize the storm surge;
• Analysis of floodwalls, pumping stations and levee performance;
• Analysis of the impacts of economic decisions associated with hurricane protection systems; and
• Examination of the engineering and operational risk and reliability of the system.

Activities funded through the grant were limited to the scope of work and were allocated as follows:

Katrina was a tragedy. We all hope nothing like it ever happens again. We hope that sharing what has been learned will help protect communities along the Gulf Coast and around the nation.