[StBernard] risk analysis

[Westley Annis]

Today's release to the public by the Corps is the long anticipated
information that I was posting about in
April and May this year. Pushed for by scientist and engineers at the
universities, corporations, and govt agencies that have been serving as
independent reviewers of Katrina and the Corps, we can thank them for being
an advocate for the people's right to know the true risk. There was much
concern, I believe, as to how to take the results of sophisticated computer
modeling, put it in the hands of the media and public, and balance the right
to know your risk against concerns of what the fall out may be from the
public. Would it spawn more class action lawsuits?  Would it cause mass
exodus out of communities in hurricane flood zones? Would it stifle recovery
any more than it is? Would insurance companies get more adverse to
underwriting homeowners insurance than they are now? 


  In the end, the moral and ethical duties prevailed, in my opinion, and now
everyone is on equal footing when it comes to what the risk is. It sure
makes FEMA rainfall flood maps seem obsolete and crude using this
technology. The risk model is supposed to be updated each hurricane season
to reflect changes (hopefully improvements) in storm surge protection. ddk