A US delegation is in the Netherlands to study the flood control systems protecting a country that lies further below sea level than New Orleans. The 50-member delegation includes the Governor of Louisiana, Kathleen Blanco, US senators and business leaders.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the US is looking to learn from the experience of the Netherlands. Water management experts will be showing the US visitors its massive system of dams and sea walls.

Blanco to Join Tour of Dutch Flood Barriers

BATON ROUGE (Nola.com) Dec. 30 -- Gov. Kathleen Blanco will join a delegation of about 50 national and state officials going to the Netherlands next month to learn more about that nation's advanced flood protection systems, her spokesman said Thursday.

Headed by U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., the group will tour various sites and meet with officials and engineers who helped design the massive structures and technology that protect the Netherlands from North Sea storm surges. Experts say that parts of the state-of-the-art system could be adapted to helping protect New Orleans from hurricane storm surge.

The delegation also includes U.S. Sen. David Vitter, R-La., U.S. Rep. William Jefferson, D-New Orleans, state Sens. Ken Hollis, R-Metairie, and Butch Gautreaux, D-Morgan City, St. Bernard Parish President Junior Rodriguez, New Orleans City Councilman Oliver Thomas, coastal restoration experts, port and levee officials and others.

The Netherlands' ambassador to the U.S. invited Landrieu after Hurricane Katrina broke floodgates and levees, flooding most of New Orleans and all of neighboring St. Bernard and Plaquemines parishes.

They will leave from New Orleans on Jan. 8 and return Jan. 13.

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● Our Dutch Friends Can Help Us Save New Orleans ◊ by Urizon
● Levees and Alternatives ◊ by SusanHu