Katrina Video (watch a 44 minutes documentary and answer questions)

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watch a video on engineering failures that occurred during Hurricane Katrina.

After watching the following video, please answer the following questions.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zK67iYTmsvc (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
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  1. What category storm was Hurricane Katrina when it made landfall?
  1. How does Dr. Elizabeth English describe a storm surge?
  1. How many levee floodwalls collapsed in response to Hurricane Katrina’s storm surge?
  1. Approximately how much of New Orleans was submerged?
  1. Why was the Superdome the best option as a shelter for people that remained in the city?
  1. Despite its advantages, why was the Superdome far from an ideal refuge for victims of the storm?
  1. What caused the roof of the Superdome to fail?

8. Describe how New Orleans’ levees were originally constructed.

  1. What is land subsidence and why does it occur in many coastal settings?
  1. What USA federal agency is responsible for repairing and maintaining the levee floodwalls in New Orleans?
  1. What hurricane category was the New Orleans flood wall system designed to withstand?

12. What event during the 1960s motivated Congress to appropriate money for the improvement of New Orleans’ levee system?

  1. What caused the Industrial Canal to fail during Katrina?
  1. What caused the 17th Street and London Street canals to fail during Katrina?

15. Now that reconstruction of the canal system is underway, what category storm will the ‘new’ floodwall system be designed to withstand?

  1. One potential engineering feature that may help New Orleans is the construction of floodgates. How do floodgates work?
  1. How were the New Orleans’ pumping stations impacted by Katrina?
  1. How long did New Orleans stay submerged after Katrina?
  1. Why did the circumstances at the Louisiana Superdome go from bad to worse?
  1. Which materials were used to construct the Louisiana Superdome?
  1. In miles, how long is the I-10 Twin Span Bridge?
  1. What happened to the I-10 Twin Span Bridge during Hurricane Katrina? Why did this happen?

23. What are the major challenges to rebuilding New Orleans after Katrina?

24. How do wetlands and barrier islands help buffer New Orleans from storm surges and the impacts of hurricanes?

25. What are your overall impressions of the devastation to New Orleans from Katrina and how do you feel about rebuilding the city?