Civil engineering and infrastructure repair in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina and 70% complete in Jefferson Parish. There were many predictions of hurricane risk in New Orleans before Hurricane Katrina in August, 2005. In 2001, the "Houston Chronicle" published a story which predicted that a severe hurricane striking New Orleans, "would strand 250,000 people or more, and probably kill one of 10 left behind as the city drowned under of water. Thousands of refugees could land in Houston." Many concerns also focused around the fact that the city's levee system was only designed for hurricanes of no greater intensity than category 3. As it turned out, Katrina was Category 3 when
1915 New Orleans hurricane rail service to New Orleans was suspended. The hurricane also caused significant damage in areas around New Orleans, including the destruction of 90% of buildings destroyed along Lake Pontchartrain. Only one house remained standing in Leeville, Louisiana; similar destruction occurred between Golden Meadow, Louisiana and Cut Off, Louisiana, where 100 houses were demolished. In Morgan City, Louisiana, winds of 75 mph (120 km/h) blew down wires and crippled communication. The total damage to infrastructure in areas surrounding New Orleans was estimated at US$6.5 million. The heaviest rain fell within an area 25 mi (40 km) east of the center, though