Effects of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita Flooding on Louisiana Pavement Performance

In August and September of 2005, Louisiana was devastated by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. There were approximately 2,000 miles of roadway in the Greater New Orleans area which were submerged in floodwaters for up to 5 weeks. After the hurricanes, there was great concern in the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (LADOTD) about the pavement structures in the flooded area due to the sustained flooding, as well as the pavement damage from the heavy debris trucking traffic. In this study, the pavement performance system (PMS) data for District 02 (most seriously influenced by hurricanes) collected before and after the hurricanes were analyzed to assess the pavement performance damage due to the sustained flooding and/or the heavy debris trucking traffic. The PMS data illustrated increased damage to highways as a result of heavy trucking or vehicle loading required to transport the vast amounts of debris following the hurricanes. In addition, the data established an escalation in deterioration occurring as subgrade components were not initially designed to sustain such vehicle loads and may have been further weakened as roadways were submerged in water for extended periods of time.