The Storm: What Went Wrong and Why During Hurricane Katrina--The Inside Story from One Louisiana Scientist

I am a New Orleanian. I was there, I know the details, and I know this writer has a lot to teach about disasters and personal responsibility to the community. He's a good guy who a lot of politicians tried to gag. The book does a lot of CYA- people who knew what they were doing during Katrina have taken a lot of bludgeoning from fools. Mostly fools in politics and the Corps of Engineers- who caused the whole damn New Orleans disaster through sheer idiocy. Rad this book and weep, for us, for yourselves. Where ever you live, there's the same incompetance waiting to fail you.

As a former emergency management planner, I found this book to be an excellent analysis of what really went wrong in New Orleans. It is a treatise for government officials to learn what not to do and an outline of what we as citizens should demand from our government leaders. It presents very technical information and scientific analysis in a manner that even an elected official can understand. But, beyond presenting the scientific basis of why New Orleans flooded, it presents an outline of solutions that should and must be considered. It is an great testament to the fact that some issues should be above everyday politics and that some important decisions that a government may be asked to make should be based upon science and not political considerations. This is a must read for every citizen and should be a mandatory read for every elected official. Dr. Barksdale

Katrina was the "medium one", not the "big one". For those who are not on the gulf coast, it wiped out an area about 5 miles deep by 100 miles wide. The damage was mostly to middle class suburbs, but also include alot of very wealthy beach front neighborhoods, working neighborhoods, and a poorer neighborhood (the Lower 9). I personally owned 2 houses whose slabs were 10 feet above sea level, and were 10 miles from the "normal" coast, that took 9 feet of water from the surge. There are "below sea level" areas, but Katrina's surge wiped out high ground too. It also trashed huge sections of marsh and barrier islands. Van Heerden has been in the forefront of hurricane science for years, and was cited in the 2002 New York Times article, and 2003 Times Picayunne series that presaged the debacle. This book is a great read. It pulls no punches. Van Heerden kicks several bee hives in an attempt to get awareness to a level needed to attain funding of a straight forward recipe for marsh rebuilding, and protection of New Orleans. In addition to the human costs, V.H. points out that the loss of the marsh would destroy major fisheries and birding grounds. Lose the marsh = no fish, crabs, shrimp or birds. [...] I would highly suggest reading The Storm along with Doug Brinkley's The Great Deluge, which covers the human interest/political side of the fiasco. I would also suggest everyone wake up, and follow this recipe for healing America's greatest estuary.

This book is great for those who know the area of the gulf coast Van Heerden is referring to. I learned so much more about the problems in New Orleans especially about the "bowl" effect, that the media tended to collapse into one, so to keep it simple. I am from Louisiana and lived in Mobile and had no idea of the geological makeup of the area. Althought the ineptness of the government before the hurricane was evident. What saddens me even more is the further ineptitude of the lack of co-operation between all levels of government at the expense of the people of New Orleans. Another oversite in all this above and beyond this book is the almost forgotten Mississippi coast. VanHeerden's scientific approach is a little over the top for some, but I believe the reader can get a sense of the frustration of those who use science as a useful tool to get the word out. Unfortunately those in power were too fearful of facts. I see this as a great book about the disasters before and after Katrina and hopefully a learning tool for the government. I am saddened that will not occur even if another "katrina" hits the Gulf Coast area.

This is a passionate review of the events leading up, during, and after the Katrina disaster in New Orleans. van Heerden was involved at all stages and tells the story from an insider's point of view. He give reasons why the disaster was exacerbated by human failures with the physical reasons for the levee failures that are backed backed by careful scientific observations confirmed by many other groups investigating the disaster. Everyone should read this book and then take steps to assure that such failures do not result in another preventable disaster - in New Orleans or any other American city.