New Orleans???????
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Rebuild it as best as it can be, no matter how long it takes. Also, copy the design for the seawall in Galveston and put one there.
ScubaTexan:
It's not the seawall, it's the hydraulic lifting of the east end that's the marvel of engineering. The seawall's trouble, requiring periodic sand replenishment in front to keep it from falling over. It's medium-maintenance storm protection. Rip-rapping the front would help a good deal, but where would all the tourists walk. Galveston would still get flattened by a high category storm, however. The storm surge would come in from gulf-side.
Building a coastal city, below sea level, within a hurricane corridor is simply asking for it. The Corps of Engineers admits to it in oodles of government reports I've read. I wish the public would heed their advice. I certainly never plan to build on a floodplain, barrier island, or good lord, below sea level. Ugh.
Believe me, the city will be rebuilt. There's no question about that.. There is way too much heritage and pride in the residents for them not to rebuild, whatever the cost.
There will obviously be improvements to levees, barrier systems, and pumping infrastructure, but the fact is that any coastal city that takes a direct hit from a Category 5 hurricane will basically be destroyed, even Galveston.
There will obviously be improvements to levees, barrier systems, and pumping infrastructure, but the fact is that any coastal city that takes a direct hit from a Category 5 hurricane will basically be destroyed, even Galveston.
The rebuild is likely to be a "challenge", to put it mildly. Between de-toxifying (cleaning pollution out, something that's just being alluded to in the margins, though I expect there's a fair amount of chemicals and other things in the flood water), rip and replace on infrastructure that has been damaged (even standing structures don't generally do well with a week or two soak in chemical-and-waste laden water, not to mention power and telco systems that have sat in corrosive gunk), updating protective levees, and the fundamental improvement of needing to rebuild the barrier marshland to help damp an incoming storm, it's going to take a long time. The engineering aspects are non-trivial.
This does not mean that it should not be done, just that it will be a long-term, very costly, effort. You have to get the area safe/habitable, plus have working businesses to employ people. The many poor souls dislocated from their homes and livelihood are unlikely to be able to return for a while. The one bright thing is that the will of the American people, the fundamental goodness of the vast majority, is always impressive in times of crisis, and is what will be needed to help the people displaced.
One thing that's being missed by anyone who believes in just letting NOLA return to nature is the fundamental need to have a city in roughly that location. It's the mouth of the river, a river that carries a vast amount of commerce -- petrochemicals, food, etc. There's a reason that early civilizations grew at the nexus of waterways -- they are natural centers of commerce. You need a gateway, a staging point for all of the goods that have been on the river and need to then transit the Gulf. Some form of city will be there.
Keep the positive thoughts, maintain the people in your prayers, be generous -- a similar disaster could befall any of us, and our real strength is the ability to continue helping and working through things long-term.
This does not mean that it should not be done, just that it will be a long-term, very costly, effort. You have to get the area safe/habitable, plus have working businesses to employ people. The many poor souls dislocated from their homes and livelihood are unlikely to be able to return for a while. The one bright thing is that the will of the American people, the fundamental goodness of the vast majority, is always impressive in times of crisis, and is what will be needed to help the people displaced.
One thing that's being missed by anyone who believes in just letting NOLA return to nature is the fundamental need to have a city in roughly that location. It's the mouth of the river, a river that carries a vast amount of commerce -- petrochemicals, food, etc. There's a reason that early civilizations grew at the nexus of waterways -- they are natural centers of commerce. You need a gateway, a staging point for all of the goods that have been on the river and need to then transit the Gulf. Some form of city will be there.
Keep the positive thoughts, maintain the people in your prayers, be generous -- a similar disaster could befall any of us, and our real strength is the ability to continue helping and working through things long-term.
mike_s
Contributor
So was the city originally built below sea level (with levee's etc) or did it just settle/sink over the years?
The city was originally the French Quarter, which is on relatively high ground next to the river. The city then developed mostly along the river's edge, most of which is relatively high ground.. at or just above sea level.
Then as the city continued to grow, a lot of what was then wetlands was pumped out and developed... below sea level. This includes the northern and eastern parts of the city, much of Jefferson Parish, etc.
Then as the city continued to grow, a lot of what was then wetlands was pumped out and developed... below sea level. This includes the northern and eastern parts of the city, much of Jefferson Parish, etc.
SuPrBuGmAn
Contributor
Build it back, its my hometown and I love visiting and working there. Its a home to alot of people, not simply because their houses were there, but because of the atmosphere - you can't find New Orleans anywhere else in the world.
It will be rebuilt.
Houses on cliffs that fall into the sea are rebuilt on the new edge.
Buildings that tumble from earthquakes are rebuilt on the fault.
New trailers are parked back in spaces where tornado's have removed the prior ones.
When tsunami's recede, the hotels go back up and the tourists nap peacefully on those same beaches.
N.O. will be again.
Houses on cliffs that fall into the sea are rebuilt on the new edge.
Buildings that tumble from earthquakes are rebuilt on the fault.
New trailers are parked back in spaces where tornado's have removed the prior ones.
When tsunami's recede, the hotels go back up and the tourists nap peacefully on those same beaches.
N.O. will be again.
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