Pope Secola VI wrote:

Second little note, you know the two levies that failed, According to
the District Engineer for the Corps of Engineers on the PBS News Hour
they were new levies constructed in 2003-2004. They were a new method
of construction that just didn't work. (Well back to the Drawing boards)

I wondered about that. They looked like basic vertical concrete fences,
with no apparent broad-based support. I'm no civil engineer, but it
looked like a weak design to me. Probably good enough for a trnquil lake
or canal.