The images of residents gathered on rooftops to escape flood waters are indelible 10 years after Hurricane Katrina buffeted New Orleans. In the years since, the city has moved ahead with resilience strategies that may become a model for other communities.
The Louisiana Audubon and a coalition of other environmental groups recently released a report on what has been done and where more needs to be invested to prepare the area for the next big storm. More than $14 billion went towards rebuilding the levees and other flood protections and the result has been called "best flood control system of any coastal community."
The formation of the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) and the creation of a state coastal master plan have led to a long-term approach to achieving a sustainable coast. The plan, to be updated every five years, focuses on coastal protection and restoration projects.
Other resiliency efforts include raising individual houses out of the flood plain and educating the public about storm safety and response. For example, Terrebonne Parish won funding through Federal Emergency Management Agency grants and state programs to raise more than 1,000 homes.
Related Stories
| Oct 18, 2012
Chicago pushing green roofs to reduce heat island effect
The city of Chicago has mandated that all new buildings that require any public funds must be LEED certified, usually with a green roof.
| Oct 11, 2012
OSHA launches pilot program for alternative dispute resolution on whistleblower complaints
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is launching an alternative dispute resolution (ADR) pilot program for complaints filed with OSHA's Whistleblower Protection Program.
| Oct 11, 2012
Bill promotes investment in commercial, multifamily retrofits
The Commercial Building Modernization Act recently introduced in the Senate would extend and streamline a current tax deduction to encourage commercial and multifamily residential building owners to perform comprehensive energy-efficient retrofits.
| Oct 11, 2012
Morristown, N.Y., settles code violation dispute with Amish
The town of Morristown, N.Y., has dropped charges of building code violations against local Amish communities to settle a First Amendment complaint.
| Oct 11, 2012
Mesquite, Nev., rebels against state-mandated energy code
The city council of Mesquite, Nev., voted against adopting a new energy efficiency code adopted by the state.
| Oct 11, 2012
Bloomingdale, N.J., restricts ground solar and wind energy installations
The borough of Bloomingdale, N.J., recently adopted regulations for solar-energy and wind energy systems.
| Oct 3, 2012
Bill introduced to extend home energy efficiency tax credit
A bill to extend the expired residential energy efficiency tax credit for installing qualified furnaces, boilers, central air conditioners, and heat pumps was recently filed in the U.S. House of Representatives.
| Oct 3, 2012
OSHA publishes more detailed information on variances
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) enhanced its variances Web page to improve public understanding of the variance approval process and increase access to the agency's decisions regarding variance requests.