Walter Maestri

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Walter S. Maestri III (died June 12, 2017) was an American sociologist, academic administrator, and emergency manager in New Orleans. [1] [2]

Maestri did his undergraduate studies at Spring Hill College, and obtained a PhD from the University of Southern Mississippi. He was a professor of sociology at Loyola University New Orleans, chair of the department from 1970–73, and dean of Loyola's City College from 1977-79. He then served as President of Our Lady of Holy Cross College in New Orleans. [1]

After his retirement from academia in the 1980s, [2] he worked in local government, including serving as the director of emergency management for Jefferson Parish, Louisiana —which contains several suburbs of New Orleans —since 1998. [1] Maestri became known as "Dr. Doom" for his dire predictions of hurricane damage. [2]

In 2000, five years before Hurricane Katrina hit the region, Maestri stated that unless greater hurricane preparedness steps were taken, flooding and toxic waste from a major hurricane could make large parts of the city uninhabitable for several years following. [3]

During the Katrina disaster, a plan created by Maestri led to the evacuation of many pump station operators, exacerbating flooding. Maestri's role in the evacuation sidelined his appointment to a state-level emergency planning job, and he became a private consultant. [2]

Death

Maestri died on June 12, 2017. He was survived by his wife, Joanne; three sons, Walter, Jeffrey and Andrew; and five grandchildren. [1]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Schleifstein, Mark (June 13, 2017). "Walter Maestri III, former Jefferson Parish emergency manager, dies at 73". Times-Picayune .
  2. 1 2 3 4 Calder, Chad (June 12, 2017). "Walter Maestri, former Jefferson emergency operations director known as 'Dr. Doom,' dies". New Orleans Advocate .
  3. ↑ "'Big Easy' a bowl of trouble in hurricanes". USA Today. July 2000.
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