Remembering Those Swept Away -- 7 Years Gone

Yesterday was the seventh anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.  The misery and danger brought by Hurricane Isaac took many of us back to the horrifying aftermath of Katrina, the human failure and institutional neglect that resulted in over 50 levee breaks.  Levee breaks, deterioration of the wetlands along the Gulf coast, and the relentless digging of industrial canals all contributed to the storm's awful aftermath -- almost 1,900 dead, another 135 still listed as missing, untold numbers who committed suicide or experienced shortened lifespans because of the poor response and evacuation.

Now the Plaquemines Parish Louisiana communities of Braithwaite and Scarsdale are flooded from inadequate levees, ones maintained by local governments.  There is no unified system of levee standards, construction or maintenance in this country.  The Army Corp of Engineers builds and manages some, states and local governments others. Here is a posting from the advocacy organization,  Levees.org, remembering Katrina, that was posted minutes before they had to evacuate for Hurricane Isaac.