Betsy prompted levee upgrades

When Hurricane Betsy bore down on Louisiana in 1965, federal levees and floodwalls to block storm surge were rare in the metropolitan New Orleans area.
Instead, most residents and businesses put their faith in levees built by local government agencies.

Nearly 41 years after Betsy, one of the worst hurricanes to hit Louisiana, hurricane protection has been beefed up. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has overseen construction of at least $900 million in federal hurricane protection projects, such as levees and floodwalls, in the metro area.

But since 1965, some parts of the metro area continue to lack hurricane protection built to federal standards.

from New Orleans City Business