Will New Orleans rebuilt levees withstand a storm surge of up to 15 feet?

Newsweek asked the one in charge of the Big Easy levee system.

Jeff Masters: "If Gustav intensifies more than the NHC forecast is calling for, there is a significant threat of multiple levee failures in the New Orleans levee system resulting in flooding of portions of the city."

Oil Drum has the energy infrastructure expected damage as bad, but not catastrophic.

Port Fourchon likely will receive the worst conditions. Port Fourchon has been called America's energy hub and is where most of America's offshore oil is unloaded. The nearby LOOP is where most of the large oil tankers offload.

South Lafourche's hurricane-protection levee would likely be topped and quickly fail if Hurricane Gustav scores a direct hit on southern Terrebonne or Lafourche parishes as predicted, the parishes' levee chief says.

Tags: hurricane, Gustav, Louisiana, energy infrastructure, levees, New Orleans