Water flows over New Orleans levee

Phanatic · September 23, 2005, 11:37:50 AM

http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/09/23/nola.levees/index.html

The storm hasn't even hit yet.

TexasEagle · September 23, 2005, 01:09:39 PM

As of noon CST there's three broken levees and the storm is still hours from landfall.

rjs246 · September 23, 2005, 01:10:20 PM

Yay!

mussa · September 23, 2005, 02:31:34 PM

KARMA

MadMarchHare · September 23, 2005, 02:43:34 PM

God goes out of his way to demonstrate why you don't build a city on the ocean below sea level, and they decide "we're going to rebuild!".
God decided to stop being so subtle.

DutchBird · September 25, 2005, 08:31:06 AM

Quote from: MadMarchHare on September 23, 2005, 02:43:34 PM
God goes out of his way to demonstrate why you don't build a city on the ocean below sea level, and they decide "we're going to rebuild!".
God decided to stop being so subtle.

Might I suggest that there is a small country across the Atlantic that has roughly 50% of it's population living below sealevel, and has done so for the past few hundred years... It is possible to protect New Orleans... it is going to cost you, but probably less then relocating... besides the fact that completely abandoning the city is economically not an option (the port). Biggest if (and problem) is however to stop the destruction of the wetlands immediately, and I doubt theose who rule the country (aka big business) want to do so...

And as far as building cities in places they do not belong, what about much of Florida, the complete west coast of the US and a vast number cities in the world (including the whole of Japan) ? Frankly, I somehow doubt that the same talk about abandoning the area would be going on if the beach front properties of Florida (Miami), Santa Monica etc. were hit.

rjs246 · September 25, 2005, 10:09:45 AM

Funny that no one over here is even talking about Amsterdam. Although hurricanes aren't exactly a concern there, you're right it has survived for hundreds of years below sealevel. I guess Louisianans aren't that smart. Whoda thunk it?

DutchBird · September 25, 2005, 11:14:32 AM

Hurricanes are indeed a not so frequent occurence as they are for the US (though we have known them as well). However we do have the North Sea and storms that can form just as menacing a combination.

Mankind has quite a tendency of unwillingness to learn from others and forgetting lessons from the past... (we have committed the same mistakes, and it almost cost us in 1995/1996.

Sgt PSN · September 25, 2005, 11:18:59 AM

Quote from: rjs246 on September 25, 2005, 10:09:45 AM
I guess Louisianans aren't that smart. Whoda thunk it?

Uh, everyone?

MadMarchHare · September 25, 2005, 11:31:03 AM

Look, I understand Amsterdam, but come on. That is a ridiculous place for a major city. Yeah, yeah, we need the ports, but I think this disaster has shown that centralizing the majority of our import delivery system in one area, below sea level in a hurricane prone region was a bad idea. You are going to have to raise most if not all of the entire city, including the skyscrapers, before that area will be inhabitable again. If you have to rebuild EVERY BUILDING, it is in fact NOT cheaper to do it where you have to knock them all down first.

If the ports are so important, fine, leave them there. But people don't have to live near them.

General_Failure · September 25, 2005, 06:26:52 PM

Jeez, a city gets wiped out one time and you all want to give up.

Phanatic · September 25, 2005, 06:48:54 PM

Amsterdam is a good example of proper planning and good engineering. Not something that happened in this case. It could be rebuilt and happen that way for the future, but we're only half way through hurricane season. They could take another direct hit yet!! Not that I'm all gloom and doom or anything. I am a Dutch bastich though!!