Could the devastation caused by hurricanes Katrina and Rita have had a silver lining? The sediment washed into New Orleans by the floods accompanying the storms may have blanketed over heavily polluted, lead-laden soil in the city, leading to a decrease in lead levels in the bloodstreams of children across the city.

Floods in New Orleans following hurricane Katrina were made worse by a channel dug by a US government agency, according to testimony heard by a federal court. The hearing, in which the government is being sued for allowing the channel to be built, could lead to payouts to hundreds of thousands of flood victims. It may also lead to massive reforms in flood protection.