Investigation of levee performance in Hurricane Katrina: The inner harbor navigation channel

The Inner Harbor Navigation Channel (IHNC) sits at the heart of the three main populated regions of New Orleans. As shown in Figure 1, a number of breaches of varying severity occurred along the shores of the IHNC during Hurricane Katrina, contributing to the flooding of all three of the most heavily populated protected areas flooded in this event. This paper presents the results of geotechnical and geo-forensic investigations performed to determine the causes of the various failures along the shorelines of the IHNC. This includes the two massive breaches at the west end of the Lower Ninth Ward, and a number of lesser breaches and partial breaches (distressed sections) along other sections of the canal. There are many lessons here, not just for the greater New Orleans region, but for the nation and for the Profession as well.