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RSS FeedWill another flood wipe out New Orleans?
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| Yes | 73% | 199 votes | Total: 271 votes | |
| No | 27% | 72 votes |
Yes
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Add to FavoritesThis question is like asking will LA get hit with another earthquake. The question should read When will another flood wipe out New Orleans. New Orleans, at its highest point, is five (5) feet BELOW sea level. Getting wiped out by a flood is inevitable.
It doesn't necessarily have to happen due to a hurricane. Heavy rains tend to flood low lying areas. Heavy snows in the north will eventually melt; the water produced by that melting will eventually flow south; any flood on the Mississippi or any of it tributaries will eventually reach New Orleans.
The city was built in a disaster prone area; not only did they leave themselves open to any hurricane that happens to hit the gulf coast, they are at the very bottom of a river that, until man stepped in, flooded on an annual basis. How long can man keep nature in check? When will the powers that be say enough and bring nature back to its original design?
When settlers headed west they could not understand why the natives chose not to live in certain areas. These areas had plenty of water, they were good for grazing, the soil was rich so crops would grow; it made no sense to the new settlers not to use this land. What they didn't realize was that the natives paid attention to nature's cycles. The natives knew that these areas were prone to disaster. The natives chose to live in harmony with nature rather than make nature bend to their will.
There have always been natural disasters; there will always be natural disasters. Natural disasters are causing more havoc today, causing more property damage and loss of lives; not because natural disasters are getting stronger but because more people are choosing to live in areas prone to disaster.
If people continue living in the path of hurricanes, and in areas that historically flood on a regular basis, and on fault lines, and on hill sides that collapse every year after the spring rains, than people are going to continue to be adversely affected by natural disasters.
Yes, New Orleans will be wiped out by another flood. What is unknown is whether that flood will be the product of a hurricane, heavy rains, or record snowfall in the northern states. Where the water comes from is irrelevant, what matters is that it will come. New Orleans, and all other cities built where natural disaster occurs on a regular basis, need to prepare and stay prepared. Disaster is headed that way.
Learn more about this author, Dorothy Jo Bourbeau.
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No
I personally believe that New Orleans will survive. It's what is in our hearts that keeps us getting up each time we are knocked down, that goes for any city, state and country. However, it is the heart of the people that lives with such a determination to survive. The people of New Orleans have came along a way in many different areas. We seem to survive and come through regardless of what the rest of the country says. We may have an educational system that needs to be completely revised, buildings that need complete renovation, politicians that needs integrity but we love our city. For goodness sakes, I will use the Saints football team as an example. For many years, we have been called the "Ain'ts" but wait a minute... What did we do last year? We were the underdog and did our best. It took us all the way from being defeated to the play offs. Grant it, we lost in Chicago and did not go to the Superbowl but we survived better than expected. That is the same thing for the city of New Orleans. Just as I have mentioned that we the people of New Orleans needs to make changes; the Federal government also needs to be making changes...nationwide . It was the Army Corp of Engineers who created and failed at the design of the levee system. It was ultimately the Federal government (FEMA) to get aid to New Orleans.
We need to make changes in our preparations, thinking, and for a while our luxuries in our daily living. I too stayed for many of the hurricanes prior to Katrina but I had enough sense to leave for Katrina. We stayed here in our home with mildew and mold for Hurricane Rita. Yes, lost power again and simple day to day living was a challenge but New Orleans still existed and so did we. Yes, I had to fight for a trailor because I ended up in the hospital for over a week because I was unaware that I was allergic to mold and mildew. The doctors told me that I could not go home until I had a trailor. Well, this took place in March, I had already been fighting FEMA for eight months to get a trailor. I thought the doctors was telling me something that was impossible. I had pratically given up trying to get a trailor. To my surprised, FEMA brought a trailor without me having to make any additional phone calls. To make a long story short. My family had it in our heart that we were not leaving New Orleans. We love New Orleans, we support New Orleans, and we are active in voting in New Orleans trying to do our part to make a positive change.
New Orleans will survive! It is in our hearts and determination. Besides, we cannot go anywhere or to become non-existant because where would you go to visit or vacation?
Learn more about this author, Valenna Folse.
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