Did Termites Cause the Levee Breaks in New Orleans?
Did Termites Cause the Levee Breaks in New Orleans? Wednesday October 15, 2008 The Formosan subterranean termite, an insect from Asia, may have contributed to the levee breaks in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. Photo: Scott Bauer, USDA Agricultural Research Service The Formosan subterranean termite, native to China, has been chewing up levees in its Asian homeland since the 1950’s. In the 1960’s, populations of the invasive insects were discovered throughout the Gulf states in the U.S. Formosan termites can do some damage, as each colony may contain several million individuals foraging up to 300 feet in the soil. Could these exotic pests have caused the levee breaks that flooded New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina? Yes, according to Gregg Henderson, a professor at the Louisiana State University AgCenter. In 2000, Henderson surveyed flood wal
