Originally posted by Simulacra
Found this interesting article on Alternet. This could have been prevented, FEMA knew about this problem

Not for nothing but the people and government of the City of New Orleans knew about this too. I don't recall seeing them demanding their their leaky
levies be fixed. The fact that so many remained in the city is all the more mind boggling in this context. Obviously the Department of Homeland
Security failed completely in this respect, as did Congress, as did the Executive Office.
Also, apparently the section of the levies that broke were the portions that didn't 'need' to be upgraded or had already been upgraded. The whole
system was designed to withstand nothing more than at Category 3 hurricane in the first place, and everyone with any influence since it was built
bears responsibility for these sorts of assinine decisions.
Stupid is as stupid does, build a city at the bottom of a bowl like depression on the coast a hurrican prone gulf, its gonna get destroyed. It was
simply a matter of time. When there's a massive earthquake in california, people are going to be shocked at how many mistakes they made in their
preparations. When another hurricane comes in this hurricane season (its not even half over), and possibly destroys some more towns, people are agian
going to be amazed at their own stupidity.
Its like Pompey. Gosh, who'da thunk that giant volcano would actually erupt one day.