Hurricane shield is stronger, corps says

As the National Hurricane Conference here picks up steam, officials from the Army Corps of Engineers said Tuesday that the area's hurricane protection system is stronger than it was a year ago, and corrective work on pumps at the end of three drainage canals in New Orleans will be completed by June 1.

"As of today, we're on track to have those 40 pumps installed, tested and ready by June 1," which is the beginning of hurricane season, said Karen Durham-Aguilera, civilian director of the corps' Task Force Hope, during a news conference at the site of the hurricane conference.

The conference, which began Monday with a series of emergency planning training programs and lasts through Friday, provides an opportunity for emergency managers, meteorologists and public officials to discuss strategies for dealing with hurricanes and their aftermath.

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