New Orleans Levee Study Targets 200-Year Storm Protection, Years Away

By Jackie Ramirez-Lopez

Source: Hoodline

September 18, 2026

The Story

New Orleans is moving forward with a $3 million study to figure out what it would take to protect the region from a 200-year storm, a far higher bar than the 100-year level the current levee system was built to withstand. The region’s flood protection authority board approved cost-sharing agreements Thursday, splitting the price of the study between state agencies and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, clearing what officials describe as a near-final hurdle before work can begin.

BGR’s Role

A 100-year storm carries a 1% chance of happening in any given year, while a 200-year storm carries roughly a 0.5% chance — a lower annual probability, but a far more destructive event if it hits. The current levee system, which includes earthen levees, floodgates, and the massive pumps that serve the city’s outfall canals, was rebuilt after Hurricane Katrina’s catastrophic failures in 2005 and is now valued at about $14.5 billion, according to the Bureau of Governmental Research. 

Read the full article with source link above.

Fair Use Notice

This site occasionally reprints copyrighted material, the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We make such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of issues and to highlight the accomplishments of our affiliates. We believe this constitutes a “fair use” of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is available without profit. For more information go to: US CODE: Title 17,107. Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond “fair use,” you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.