Questions I Have for the Army Corps of Engineers

On reading this Washington Post story about the Army Corps of Engineers work in New Orleans:

1. Why has it taken so long to *break ground*, much less finish, new protections for the West Bank of New Orleans, especially given that the population was returning to earlier levels?

2. What are the rules about residents returning to areas threatened by catastrophic flooding, as the West Bank is?

3. What should West Bank residents do to make sure they'll be prepared for Katrina-level storms, since it's clear that the Army Corps isn't going to have the systems to prevent flooding in place at least until 2011?