Our newly fixed levees are leaking again...

Benjamin Strange · #1 05-22-2008, 12:56 PM

http://blog.nola.com/updates/2008/05...ee_alarms.html

Thanks, guys. $22 million in repairs and our levees are already leaking. I guess protecting one of America's most interesting cities isn't that important...

Perhaps if we deemed hurricanes a terrorist threat somebody would do something about it. Hmph.

Phalex · #2 05-22-2008, 01:23 PM

The article says the leaky levy raises questions about the cities flood defenses.

Hmmmmmm...........

I would have thought that the whole catastrophic failure of the cities flood defenses might have raised that question a bit earlier.

fenderhutz · #3 05-22-2008, 01:28 PM

You know, set the city up like Venice. Do it right.

If they can't do that, or unwilling to. The area should be considered wetlands and evacuated.

Seriously. Below sea level means problems.

People are what makes cities great. Move the people and have another great city instead of having tax payers dollars keep on fixing an area that shouldn't be inhabited anyway.

MJ5150 · #4 05-22-2008, 01:30 PM

Get in line with that gripe. There are plenty of people in cities across the country who feel just like youn'z do.

-Mike

MakiSupaStar · #5 05-22-2008, 01:32 PM

Awesome so 22 million gets a bunch of engineers scratching their heads and coming up with a solution that is the technical equivalent of putting their finger in the dike.

playinpearls · #6 05-22-2008, 01:35 PM

no, not a finger, just some gum...

although i do agree with fenderhutz...

Gard · #7 05-22-2008, 01:52 PM

...and what, you're surprised?

Look, you know I'm from the area, I dearly love quite a bit about it, but man, the city is THREE FEET UNDER SEA LEVEL AND SINKING FURTHER EVERY YEAR.

Why?

Geology, that's why.

The entirety of southern Louisiana is an alluvial plain, mud that is washed up and deposited by a river regularly overflowing its banks. This must be an on-going process to sustain the land created. It hasn't been for over 100 years, and this is the outcome, the city is sinking. The levees themselves are the culprit, the ground has not been replenished since they were built, and the city has been sinking ever since.

Further, the river itself has been trying to turn southwest and head down the Atchafalya Basin for even longer. A combination of human intervention and just sheer blind luck is the only reason it hasn't already happened (not going into detail, but a bit of research will bring any interested parties to the relevant information).

When we try to force nature to fit in our neat little package of what we think it should do, sometimes it has other ideas, and she's much more powerful than us.....

(These facts give me no joy, as I truly believe New Orleans to have more soul than any city in North America, but anything we do is only temporary, and one day she will "die". I think that is one of the things about the city that makes it so precious.)

Joe Gress · #8 05-22-2008, 01:57 PM

I should visit new orleans before it's gone then.

Gard · #9 05-22-2008, 02:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by joeinsprings

I should visit new orleans before it's gone then.

It won't happen soon, but it will happen, and yes you should. Everyone that can should at least visit one time. It's a wonderful, magical place.

playinpearls · #10 05-22-2008, 02:47 PM

like disney, but french?

FL Knifemaker · #11 05-22-2008, 02:52 PM

At least Dick Cheney and Karl Rove didn't blow them up this time

wazzel · #12 05-22-2008, 02:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gard

...and what, you're surprised?

Look, you know I'm from the area, I dearly love quite a bit about it, but man, the city is THREE FEET UNDER SEA LEVEL AND SINKING FURTHER EVERY YEAR.

Why?

Geology, that's why.

The entirety of southern Louisiana is an alluvial plain, mud that is washed up and deposited by a river regularly overflowing its banks. This must be an on-going process to sustain the land created. It hasn't been for over 100 years, and this is the outcome, the city is sinking. The levees themselves are the culprit, the ground has not been replenished since they were built, and the city has been sinking ever since.

Further, the river itself has been trying to turn southwest and head down the Atchafalya Basin for even longer. A combination of human intervention and just sheer blind luck is the only reason it hasn't already happened (not going into detail, but a bit of research will bring any interested parties to the relevant information).

When we try to force nature to fit in our neat little package of what we think it should do, sometimes it has other ideas, and she's much more powerful than us.....

(These facts give me no joy, as I truly believe New Orleans to have more soul than any city in North America, but anything we do is only temporary, and one day she will "die". I think that is one of the things about the city that makes it so precious.)

I am from the area also, and agree with every thing but it being a great place. Crime is high, wages low, schools suck plus it is a sinking bowl that is already below sea level.

PaleMelanesian · #13 05-22-2008, 02:57 PM

Disney!?? Take your fake plastic disney and go home. NOLA is real, with soul.

Benjamin Strange · #14 05-22-2008, 03:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gard

It won't happen soon, but it will happen, and yes you should. Everyone that can should at least visit one time. It's a wonderful, magical place.

Which is the biggest reason why we should try to save it. Some have said that we should just take all the people and move them, thinking that the soul of New Orleans would be left intact. I say that could never work - the soul of the city is in the people just as much as it is in the funky architecture, cobblestone streets, ancient churches, street cars, and giant oak trees. You couldn't take the people of New Orleans and drop them into Anywhere, USA and expect it to be the same.

Some would argue that we shouldn't fight against nature, and abandon the city. This is an asinine argument as well - humanity has struggled against nature for it's entire existence. The struggle against nature is what has allowed human beings to rise to the top of the food chain and to survive. Sure, are problems are a bit more complex now - we must build sufficient levees and pump systems instead of avoiding being eaten by lions, but the basic end result is the same: survival.

Just because New Orleans is mostly below sea level doesn't mean it should be abandoned. There are tons of places that humanity has built cities which would in hindsight be considered unsafe (San Francisco, Los Angeles, Kansas City, Oklahoma City, Miami, etc. etc., etc.), but I don't hear people begrudging the citizens for where they live like the do about New Orleans.

The British must fight to keep London from flooding:

The Dutch have built this to keep their entire country from flooding:

The Italians have been protecting Venice with technology like this:

Yet, the richest, most powerful country on Earth can only provide New Orleans with some leaking walls:

If I have to hear one more idiot say that we should just give up on New Orleans and let it sink, I'm going to punch them in the teeth. The general discourse about New Orleans and Katrina in this country is a disgrace - I very seriously doubt that many Italians would say that Venice needs to be abandoned. America needs to learn to respect and take pride in the very few cities it has that exhibit some level of culture beyond strip malls, movie theaters, and chain store restaurants.

MakiSupaStar · #15 05-22-2008, 03:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Benjamin Strange

Yet, the richest, most powerful country on Earth can only provide New Orleans with some leaking walls:

+1. Seriously you can almost hear the wah wah woooomph of the fail horn when you look at this picture.

RWP · #16 05-22-2008, 03:26 PM

I agree with GARD and with all due respect New Orleans needs to be abandoned. It's underwater and nothing we do is going to change that fact. The next CAT 4-5 storm will again flood the entire area and nothing we do will stop it.

Jazz Ad · #17 05-22-2008, 03:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fenderhutz

Move the people and have another great city instead of having tax payers dollars keep on fixing an area that shouldn't be inhabited anyway.

I keep seeing this argument about New orleans.
Oddly enough, I never see it mentioned when half of Los Angeles crumbles.

Gard · #18 05-22-2008, 03:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RWP

I agree with GARD and with all due respect New Orleans needs to be abandoned. It's underwater and nothing we do is going to change that fact. The next CAT 4-5 storm will again flood the entire area and nothing we do will stop it.

Whoops, I never said "abandon" it!

However, I doubt anything can be done to fend off the inevitable.

The geography is really against it, however I do believe we should at least make the attempt to save it. The river however, should be allowed to go where it wishes.

Joe Gress · #19 05-22-2008, 04:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gard

It won't happen soon, but it will happen, and yes you should. Everyone that can should at least visit one time. It's a wonderful, magical place.

Definetly on the list. I want to eat there mostly though.

Visirale · #20 05-22-2008, 04:30 PM

If Dubai can build islands and cities on water where there was no land, I'm sure we can figure out how to fix New Orleans.

America loves outsourcing... why not outsource this to the competent foreign engineers keeping Venice and Holland afloat? (no offense to any American engineers here)

There have been many engineering marvels in the last 100 years. Keeping a city that's 3 feet below sea level afloat wouldn't even be the greatest on the list.