Introduction : disasters, natural and otherwise
An unnatural river : how we got here
A decade of record floods (1903-1913) : the federal government tackles floods, but with levees only
The flood of 1927 : sheltered by immunity, the corps ventures beyond the "Colossal blunder" of the levees-only policy
The flood of 1937 : the corps builds floodways
Mid-century floods in the Missouri River Basin : Congress promises something for almost everyone
Hurricane Betsy of 1965 : the corps fortifies New Orleans and Congress insures floodplain residents
The flood of 1993 : revealing the moral hazard of subsidized flood insurance
Hurricane Katrina of 2005 : revealing the importance of coastal wetlands
Ruined lives : trouble rains down on minorities and the poor double-takes : charging taxpayers, twice
Conclusion : how law has hurt, how law can help.