The Army Corps of Engineers says it will run computer models to determine whether the New Orleans metropolitan area's new hurricane-protection system exacerbated flooding in areas outside the system that were inundated by Hurricane Isaac's storm surge. Officials in a number of those communities, including Lafitte and St. John the Baptist Parish, have said they believe the improved protection for the city and its inner suburbs helped push the water into areas outside the system.
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On Friday, U.S. Sen. David Vitter, R-La., requested that the corps sponsor an independent study to determine whether that is in fact that case. A corps statement issued at 11:30 a.m. today says the corps will model Isaac and its surge; it doesn't say whether the review will be independent.

The statement, from corps spokesman, refers to the claims of exacerbated flooding in areas outside the system as "speculation" and notes that "the footprint of the new (Hurricane and Storm Damage Risk Reduction System) is essentially the same as what was in place prior to Hurricane Katrina."

It also notes that the corps did "extensive modeling" of the surge barrier placed at the Inner Harbor Navigation Canal, and the modeling "demonstrated that the structure caused insignificant unintended consequences."

Of the planned review, the corps statement says: "We expect the results to indicate that changes in surge elevation (as a result of the new system) are minimal but will defer further comment until the science and engineering work is completed."

The corps is working on a timeline for the review, according to the statement, which also says that the corps "wishes to express its deepest sympathies to all citizens suffering losses" from Isaac. The results of the review will be posted online when they are complete, the statement says.

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