A small exploratory grant is proposed to begin field collection and cataloging of hydrologic, hydraulic, and water quality data and information of the New Orleans area related to Hurricane Katrina. The flooding in New Orleans, as a direct result of Hurricane Katrina and subsequent breaches in levees within the city, has created an environmental and health crisis in real time providing an unparalleled opportunity to study this natural laboratory. Many parts of the city (industrial, residential, commercial, etc) have been submerged in floodwater for weeks. There are many questions related to the magnitude, distribution, and long-term impacts of contamination within the city. Here, we seek to collect data that will help us quantify the sources and routing of the waters; where and for how long the waters and contaminants persisted; and what, if any, transformations occurred over time. In addition to surface sediment and near-surface soil contamination following the de-watering process, there is a potential for contaminants to enter into the groundwater. We propose to go to the field and collect water level and water quality data while the flood waters are still present as well as after the city has been de-watered. In addition, we propose to collect archival data and employ advanced state of the art remote sensing and the highly accurate ground elevation data that will provide the meteorology, surrounding lake and river water levels, and channel hydraulics before, during and after the passing of the Hurricane. The remote sensing data will be collected in collaboration with the LSU Center for GeoInformatics (C4G), the NOAA-supported source of 3-D positioning in the state. The objectives of this proposed exploratory study are to (1) spatially and temporally quantify the hydrologic conditions in the area; (2) characterize and catalog water quality (chemical and microbial) data; and (3) collect, organize, and catalog in a geographic information system (GIS) the New Orleans urban watershed characteristics, as well as potential sources of chemical and biological contamination. The investigators are uniquely positioned to perform this research due to their proximity to and knowledge of the region; access to support personnel and equipment necessary to perform the field effort; and access to the research infrastructure designed to support this project. It is anticipated that initial analysis of the data can be performed in approximately four to six months and will lead to a database, preliminary report and a manuscripts detailing the data and conditions leading up to, during, and following the flooding of New Orleans in August 2005. Long-term goals will be to combine the hydrology/hydraulics of this event with the chemical and microbial characteristics allowing us to assess the fate and transport of potential toxins by physical processes during and after the event. In addition, to providing much needed information that will be crucial in the months following the event, this project will be beneficial for follow-on scientific research studies and will provide insight for planning and predicting future extreme event scenarios.
