In a word - no.
The levees and flood protection were only slightly tested by
Katrina. The Mississippi River levees held or the westbank would have
been inundated. The Intercoastal Waterway and Harvey Canal levees
held. Would they have held if the storm had passed to the west and
driven the surge up Barataria and into the westbank?
Some areas of Algiers on on the historic high ground and offer the greatest possible safety. Build high, build strong.
The best protection for the whole area is miles of vibrant and
flourishing wetlands to the south supplemented by some relatively
modest levees. Twenty more Caernevon type projects could make this a
reality.