The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers today released the prototype risk assessment maps for the West Bank area of the hurricane protection system in the New Orleans, La., vicinity. 

The West Bank maps were not among the collection of area maps prepared by the Interagency Performance Evaluation Team (IPET) and released by the Corps June 20, 2007 to provide planning information to officials and the public. IPET released 31 area maps, but held back the six West Bank maps for further technical review.  The complete risk assessments, including the West Bank products, are now publicly available at NOLArisk.usace.army.mil. 

The maps released today encompass West Bank areas in Jefferson, Orleans and Plaquemines parishes.  The risk assessment report concluded that the West Bank remains vulnerable to the threat of hurricane damage because work on the vicinity’s hurricane and flood risk reduction projects was approximately 40% complete in 2005 when Katrina struck.

This risk assessment provides information on the vulnerability of the protection system when Katrina hit and the West Bank as it exists today. Future risk-analysis work using the IPET modeling tools will look at the next level of protection (100-year level of protection) for the system that will be provided in the coming years.

These products are part of the comprehensive risk analysis that was developed by the Interagency Performance Evaluation Task Force (IPET) under its mission to study the effects of Hurricane Katrina on the protection system. 

The Corps of Engineers recognizes that the West Bank is vulnerable and has awarded a number of contracts to strengthen the West Bank area of the protection system, including many pump station tie-ins and the Westwego and Company Canal floodwalls.  Work continues on an accelerated schedule at the Harvey Canal floodgate and Cousins Pump Station Discharge Channel.  Canal closure to an elevation of +8 will be achieved by early Aug 2007.  Work is also ongoing along the Lake Cataouatche levees south of Avondale. 

The Corps has also awarded a task order contract to construct a floodwall east of the Harvey Canal that will extend from the floodgate in the Harvey Canal at Lapalco to below the Hero Pump Station. The contractor, Cajun Constructors, has begun work under the first task order, Boomtown Casino to Hero Pump Station.  Additional task orders for the remaining floodwall will be awarded later this summer.  The entire floodwall is expected to be completed by spring 2009.

Levee contracts for work at Lake Cataouatche and the Bayou Segnette State Park area are scheduled for award this month. A contract for levee construction along the west bank of Algiers Canal is scheduled to be awarded in September 2007.

The maps indicating the risk of flooding associated with the 100-year level of protection will be released later this summer.

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