Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast on Aug. 29, 2005. Experts in a variety of areas related to Hurricane Katrina recovery and preparedness for future large storms are available to comment.-- Improving New Orleans-- Preparing for Future Storms-- Rethinking Coastal Geology-- Restoring WetlandsIMPROVING NEW ORLEANSAmbassador James Joseph• Quotes:“The hurricane exposed pre-existing conditions that were terrible. The Louisiana Disaster Recovery Foundation that I chaired couldn’t just address the damage caused by Katrina; we also had to address poverty, poor access to education and health care, and the need for institutional leadership," says Ambassador James Joseph, emeritus professor of the practice at the Duke University's Sanford School of Public Policy. Joseph served four U.S. presidents and was U.S. ambassador to South Africa from 1996-2000.“One of most important assets we provided was intellectual capital that strengthened the capacity of those formerly marginalized to participate in deliberations about their future. While much progress has been made, New Orleans needs to continue growing its human, social and intellectual capital."• Bio:James Joseph, a native of Opelousas, La., lectures widely on leadership in times of disaster. He is chairman emeritus of the nonprofit Louisiana Disaster Recovery Foundation (LDRF), which was established immediately after Hurricane Katrina to assist recovery efforts by focusing on education, housing, health care, legal assistance and jobs. In 2010 the LDRF became the Foundation for Louisiana. • Archived news coverage:http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/new-economy/2015/0513/It-takes-moral-c...• Downloadable video interview:https://duke.box.com/s/r9tfwdxtfm92jumut07ydjt2dbzh9g1w• For additional comment, contact James Joseph at:Jajoseph@duke.eduPREPARING FOR FUTURE STORMSBrian Silliman• Quote: “In the 10 years since Katrina, Louisiana has lost another 200 square miles of wetland to erosion and subsidence, and New Orleans keeps getting closer and closer to the Gulf and more exposed to storms," says Brian Silliman, Rachel Carson Associate Professor of Marine Conservation Biology at Duke University."One option for protecting the city from future storms would be to take an integrated approach of halting wetland loss, replanting the wetlands that have died and shoring up manmade defenses. It’s not clear whether the money and political will exists to make this happen, but there has been great progress made in planning.” • Bio: Brian Silliman has published more than 90 peer-reviewed studies and two books on salt marsh ecology and restoration. Much of his research focuses on how natural and human forces interact to affect marsh survival and stability. He conducted studies in Louisiana after the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill that showed the spill accelerated the already high rate of marsh erosion occurring there. https://nicholas.duke.edu/people/faculty/silliman• Archived news coverage: http://www.sciencemag.org/content/348/6230/22.fullhttp://www.washingtonp...• For additional comment, contact Silliman at: brian.silliman@duke.edu RETHINKING COASTAL GEOLOGYOrrin Pilkey• Quotes: “Katrina made us rethink much of what we thought we knew about coastal geology and the natural protection we have from storms. One belief that fell by the wayside was that salt marshes could reduce storm surge by a predictable amount. The unprecedented inland devastation caused by Katrina’s surge taught us this isn’t always true," says Orrin Pilkey, the James B. Duke Emeritus Professor of Geology at Duke University."The second belief that fell by the wayside was that barrier islands would reduce storm surges on the mainland. But the mainland communities of Waveland and Bay St. Louis were inundated with a 28-foot surge, even though they are ‘protected’ by barrier islands. Katrina made us re-evaluate decades of theory and policy.”“In a time of rising sea level and increased storminess, the day may have come when we need to move back from the coast and abandon some areas -- especially those in low-lying deltas -- rather than hold the line and try to rebuild after each new storm.”• Bio: Orrin Pilkey has published more than 100 peer-reviewed studies and more than 20 books on coastal geology and development, and is widely cited for his expertise on sustainable coastal development. • Archived news coverage: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/special-features/2014/07/140725-...• For additional comment, contact Pilkey at: opilkey@duke.edu (email preferred)RESTORING WETLANDSCurtis Richardson• Quote: “Wetland restoration isn’t rocket science -- it’s far more complex. Silt-laden floodwaters from the Mississippi used to flow down naturally into Louisiana’s bayous and marshes, building them back up after hurricanes. Channelization of the river put an end to that," says Curtis Richardson, a professor of resource ecology and director of the Duke University Wetland Center. "Redirecting some of the river’s sediment-laden water back into the marshes would help build them up again, but there are risks. You can’t just bury a marsh in sediment. You have to add it at a realistic rate and achieve the correct ratio of freshwater to saltwater, among other critical considerations. It can be years before you know if you’re getting it right. Researchers have tested this restoration technique in a few places with promising results, but not on a large scale,” • Bio: Curtis Richardson's research focuses on how wetland ecosystems respond to and recover from large-scale changes. He is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Society of Wetland Scientists, and the Soil Science Society of America. Richardson has published more than 100 peer-reviewed studies. https://nicholas.duke.edu/people/faculty/richardson• Archived news coverage: https://nicholas.duke.edu/news/curt-richardson-be-honored-society-wetlan...• For additional comment, contact Richardson at: curtr@duke.edu
