Book Review - Path of Destruction

Could the devastation felt in New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina have been predicted? What is in store for this area in future years?

Path of Destruction: The Devastation of New Orleans and the Coming Age of Superstorms
John McQuaid and Mark Schleifstein
HV 636 .L8 M37 2006

McQuaid and Schleifstein take an historical look at New Orleans and the role that natural disasters have played there throughout the 20th century. They examine its relationship to local waterways, discuss the engineering feats that were used to build and maintain the city, and evaluate how effectively New Orleans has overcome nature. The main body of the book takes a detailed look at the effects of Hurricane Katrina, marching through the events day-by-day. This case study is then used to draw larger conclusions about the trend toward increasingly devastating storms and the effect that they will have on New Orleans and other places.