I've been trying to learn about their levee system here:
http://www.nola.com/hurricane/images/goingunder_jpg.jpg
It's a HUGE pic and it gives you the option to zoom in but you can't look at it all at the same time, so it's difficult to read.
Earlier I had been trying on the US Army Corps of Engineers websites but they've been down since the beginning of this. It has just come back online, but I haven't combed through all of it yet to see how much info they have:
http://www.mvn.usace.army.mil/pao/visitor/index.htm
All I know about the levee system is that there is no way I would live in a town that is below sea level near to the Gulf or ocean not to mention having the Mississippi River flow right near where I lived. I have been in New Orleans and was not too impressed to see all the earthen levee's to keep back all the water. Not very reassuring to this land lover!
Can remember back the early 90's when the Mississippi River was way above flood stage and I crossed it in St. Louis with the water lapping at the bottom of the bridge. I was so shook when I got to the Missouri side I got out of the car to calm down. My kids will never forget that drive across the river and I would never do it again.
