Rep. Carter Sends Letter to Trump Urging a Reversal of New Orleans Levee Inspections Being Suspended

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Troy A. Carter, Sr. (D-LA) sent a letter to President Trump regarding the recent decision to suspend regular U.S. Army Corps of Engineers inspections of New Orleans’ levee system:

Read Congressman Carter’s full letter below:

Dear Mr. President, Director Vought, and Assistant Secretary Telle:

As the Founder and Co-Chair of the Bipartisan Congressional Disaster Preparedness and Recovery Caucus and Representative for Louisiana’s 2nd Congressional District, I am writing to express my deep concern over the recent decision to suspend regular U.S. Army Corps of Engineers inspections of the Hurricane & Storm Damage Risk Reduction System (HSDRRS) in the New Orleans region for the next two years. This vital federal investment, built after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, protects the New Orleans metropolitan region from major hurricanes and storm surge. I respectfully urge you to reconsider this decision and restore funding for these inspections in FY2025 and to prioritize funding for maintenance and inspection in FY2026.

Louisiana has more than 3,100 miles of levees — the largest leveed area in the United States — protecting nearly one-fifth of the state’s land area from flooding. The New Orleans metropolitan region depends on HSDRRS, an intricate network of levees and floodwalls to shield millions of residents, major ports, refineries, and other critical infrastructure from hurricanes, storm surge, and tidal flooding. These protections are not simply local assets; they are vital to our national economy and security.

This year, thousands of people from my district will be solemnly commemorating the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina — one of the most destructive storms in our nation’s history. We remember the 80% of New Orleans that was flooded, the more than 1,800 lives lost, and the hundreds of billions of dollars in damage. To many of my constituents, the trauma of that Category 5 hurricane remains fresh. Let us not add insult to injury by adopting a dangerous policy change that may save money in the short term, but will almost certainly cost lives in the long term.

Currently, both the east bank and west bank levee systems are rated “moderate to high risk,” underscoring the severe consequences that could result from any failure. Delaying full inspections until 2028 would leave us without a complete and timely understanding of the system’s condition — a risk we cannot afford during increasingly intense hurricane seasons.

I recognize the challenges of balancing federal resources, but levee inspections are not optional. The cost of prevention is far less than the cost— in lives and dollars— of another catastrophic failure. This system held strong and protected the region from Hurricane Ida in 2021, an extremely dangerous Category 4 storm. Restoring this regular inspection funding would be a commitment to safety, economic stability, disaster resilience, and maintaining this critical federal investment.

I respectfully request that the Administration restore the necessary funding so that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers can maintain its regular levee inspection schedule in Louisiana. Thank you for your attention to this matter. I look forward to working together to ensure our nation remains prepared for the natural disasters we know will come.

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