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A Checkered Past
For decades, New Orleanians placed their trust in a storm defense system that, 40 years since its construction, was still not completed when Hurricane Katrina swept in. A look at the history of the levees reveals misplaced priorities and outdated science
How did New Orleans end up with such a flawed storm protection system? Living on Earth’s Jeff Young traces the history of the region’s levees and finds misplaced priorities, political squabbles and a coastline sinking around the rising floodwalls.