Altered Assumptions

With the Atlantic hurricane season just two months away, the Bush administration has nearly tripled its cost estimate for rebuilding the New Orleans levee system, from the initial projection of $3.5 billion to the latest figure: $9.5 billion. Why the massive adjustment? The Washington Post reports:

The loss of coastal wetlands protecting New Orleans from storms, as well as the lowering of the ground level in the area, have reduced the city's natural safeguards from flooding -- and altered assumptions.

Moreover, new storm data from the past 20 years suggest that powerful storms are more likely to hit New Orleans than previously believed. The previous levee design was meant for less powerful storms, but the recent surge of activity has changed ideas about what kinds of storms the city should be prepared for.