The Storm

Ivor van Heerden talked about his book The Storm: What Went Wrong and Why During Hurricane Katrina--the Inside Story from One Louisiana Scientist, published by Viking. Mr. van Heerden talked about his and his colleagues' efforts to protect New Orleans against hurricanes prior to 2005 and their investigation into the cause of the flooding in the city after Hurricane Katrina hit in September 2005. Mr. van Heerden argued that state and federal officials largely ignored plans that would have protected the city and then tried to hamper scientific investigations into the cause, forcing him and other scientists to go directly to the media. He said that the condition of the levees in New Orleans is still poor, leaving New Orleans vulnerable as the next hurricane season approaches. He also responded to questions from members of the audience. close