Because sometimes you just have to link to an AP story:

NEW ORLEANS – New Orleans should increase the strength of new levees being built to protect against catastrophic hurricanes, elevate more houses and abandon neighborhoods that rest below sea level, an independent research panel said Friday.

Levees under construction by the Army Corps of Engineers aren’t being built to a high-enough flood protection standard, said the report by the National Academy of Engineering and the National Research Council.

At issue is the level of preparedness. The current $14 billion plan calls for levees that would stand up to a 100 year storm. The independent panel of experts suggests making the investment to prepare for a 500 year or 1000 year storm, as we do for areas susceptible to earthquakes. This is a common sense investment for the public good that will ultimately save lives and money.