Polders

Organized neighbors and out-of-town volunteers fuel rebuilding in New Orleans.

To guard against future hurricanes, engineers will have to rethink New Orleans’ flawed protection system. Scientists are looking not just at man-made defenses, but also to restoring Louisiana’s wetlands as natural storm barriers.

For decades, New Orleanians placed their trust in a storm defense system that, 40 years since its construction, was still not completed when Hurricane Katrina swept in. A look at the history of the levees reveals misplaced priorities and outdated science

To guard against future hurricanes, engineers will have to rethink New Orleans’ flawed protection system. Scientists are looking not just at man-made defenses, but also, to restoring Louisiana’s wetlands as natural storm barriers.