USGS Characterization of Flood Sediments from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, 2005

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) characterized flood sediment samples collected in the greater New Orleans area after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in September and October 2005. The dataset contains data from 25 samples collected from 11 localities around downtown New Orleans, Chalmette, Slidell, Rigolets, and Violet. The characterization studies aim to produce data on how sediments and contained contaminants may respond to environmental processes for use by cleanup managers and scientists.

Use Cases

• Modeling contaminant dispersion and persistence based on sediment composition data mentioned in the description.
• Assessing environmental risk from heavy metals and organic contaminants in post-flood sediments.
• Studying the spatial distribution of flood deposits across different urban surfaces (streets, lawns, parking lots).
• Informing cleanup and remediation strategies for areas affected by hurricane-induced flooding.

Strengths

• Data is sourced from the authoritative U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).
• Samples were collected from 11 specific localities in the greater New Orleans area.
• Collection occurred during two defined time periods: September 15-16 and October 6-7, 2005.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Last update date is unknown; freshness unverified.

Provenance

Source

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), with sample collection by the USGS Louisiana Water Science Center.

Collection Method

Physical collection of small (< 3 pints) and large (40 pints) samples of wet to dry flood sediment from urban surfaces.

Time Range

September 15-16 and October 6-7, 2005.

Freshness

Data is from a specific 2005 event; update frequency is not applicable.

Geography

Greater New Orleans area, including downtown New Orleans, Chalmette, Slidell, Rigolets, and Violet.