On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina flooded 85 percent of
greater New Orleans, killing more than 1,000 people and
leaving 100,000 homeless. Investigations into why this
devastating tragedy happened have only just begun, though even
a cursory examination shows that it was due in part to
man-made engineering failures. For now, all we can do is
explain how the deluge occurred, based on
reconstructions of events made in the three months since
Katrina struck. In this feature, follow the progression of
flooding incidents that precipitated the worst natural
disaster in American history.—Ivor van Heerden
Ivor van Heerden is deputy director of the Louisiana State
University Hurricane Center and director of the Center for the
Study of Public Health Impacts of Hurricanes. To hear from van
Heerden both pre- and post-Katrina, see
The Man Who Knew.
