December 2009
Next Meeting Presentation |
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Wednesday, 16 December 2009LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN & VICINITY
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Thomas B. Sully, P.E. |
Presentation Synopsis: The one-two punch of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in August and September of 2005 proved calamitous to a vast swath of the U.S. Gulf Coast across the States of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, and Texas. While still offshore in the Gulf of Mexico, Hurricane Katrina’s 175 mph winds created the highest storm surge yet recorded at landfall in North America.
Katrina’s storm surge overwhelmed many of the levees and floodwalls for greater New Orleans designed and constructed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, collectively known as the Lake Pontchartrain & Vicinity Hurricane Protection Project (LP&VHPP). The result was a human tragedy—more than 1,600 people killed or missing and presumed dead, with over 1,250 confirmed deaths in Louisiana alone. In economic terms, the flooding from Katrina represents the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history. Direct flood damages to residential, non-residential, and public properties and infrastructure in greater New Orleans approached $28 billion, with further indirect economic effects and long-lasting socio-economic disruption to the region.
In the
immediate aftermath of the tragedy, the US Army,
Corps of Engineers began the recovery effort which
included:
• Unwatering of the city of New Orleans.
• Repair the damages, making what was there before the hurricane whole
again.
• Strengthen and improve the system and provide 100-year level of
protection capable of withstanding the effects of a
storm having a 1% chance of occurring each year.
• Study and recommend solutions to provide higher levels of protection;
restore and protect coastal wetlands (LaCPR).
This presentation gives background on the history of the New Orleans area to help understand the historical development that has occurred. It then gives an overview of hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and how they impacted the city. It ends with information on status of major construction efforts for the New Orleans area.
1/2-PDH for the technical presentation.
Presenter Bio: Tom Sully is currently the Executive Assistant to the Commander for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District within the Mississippi Valley Division. In 2006 and 2007 Tom was the New Orleans Hurricane Protection System, Program Manager for Task Force Hope. In 2008 and 2009 he coordinated the engineering support from the Upper Five Districts for the Hurricane Protection Office in New Orleans. Tom graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering in 1983. He earned a Master’s degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Minnesota in 1990.
Meeting Location: Fort Snelling Officer's Club near Post Road. See map at: http://www.same-msp.org/_images/934thOfficersClub.jpg
Meeting Agenda: Social time and lunch (if you so desire) will be from 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM in the dining room of the Officers Club. Post Meeting and Presentation will be from 12:30 PM to about 1:10 PM in the ballroom of the Officers Club.
Luncheon Menu, Cost, and RSVP Info: The Club’s cafeteria-style lunches are typically $10.00 or less; people who partake in the cafeteria-style lunch will pay the Officers Club directly. If you come only for the presentations, there is no charge.
Please RSVP with your intent to either partake in the cafeteria-style lunch or to come for the presentation only; this will help the Officers Club staff to ensure that an adequate amount of food is prepared. Either leave a voice mail message with Jim Mosner at 651-290-5512, or click the RSVP button in the left-hand column, or send an email message to james.b.mosner@usace.army.mil
Highlights of the November Meeting |
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rebuilding
of the Jamilla Market area
and other critical
infrastructure in this
overcrowded portion of the
city. Establishing
security in the southern
zone of Sadr City also was
instrumental in helping put
an end to the launching of
rockets into the Green Zone.
The completion of the wall
and the establishment of
security in the zone has
been overwhelmingly
successful and has lead to
the Iraqi Army taking
control of the northern zone
and essentially pushing out
the Mahdi Army which was
primarily supported by Iran. 
As
mentioned in last month's newsletter, the post needs the
assistance of 3 or 4 volunteers on the morning of January
23, 2010 to help judge Future City Teams and select a team
to receive the Post's special award. The judging takes
place between 8 AM and NOON, and the location will be at St.
Thomas University in St. Paul.