[Mr. Wyndham]

Originally Posted by CatiaJockey

Dragoneye, in your research did you study outside of New Orleans? Most don't realize the amount of destruction east of New Orleans.
We didn't, actually. We spoke briefly about Baton Rouge - but only because the population there nearly doubled in a week because of the New Orleans refugees.


Did your class consider the fact that New Orleans was based on being a port city?
Yes we did. In fact, that led us into another discussion about the area. New Orleans was built as a port city, and so - the mouth of the Mississippi was choked in one position. Dammed up so that it wouldn't move. What do I mean? Were it left to its own devices, the Mississippi River would wind and snake it's way across the whole Delta area. But that would be bad - the city would be washed away, and there'd be no route for ships to take. So we dammed the river...put it on a metaphorical "leash".

However, by damming it up for the purposes of being a port city; the swamplands and marshes began to dry up and SINK (imagine a sponge). In some places, the delta is sinking at a rate of over 3.5 ft/100 years. That's half an inch a YEAR! Now there are programs in place to rejuvenate the area and reverse this trend - but it's not working fast enough.

There was a group of people (half the class) that argued for staying. This was one of their points, among a few others...but I didn't, and still don't think it's strong enough to merit the investment of a sinking, doomed city.


If they were to move, where along the Mississippi river would be safe from floods and provide a convient port for shipping?
There is another river...a tributary of the Mississippi...but I forget it's name at the moment. I believe that if everyone in the Delta region moved inland** (out of the delta) and the river was "freed", then it would solve the sinking delta problem. I also put forward an idea to build a canal system for ships, or an idea to 'help' the naturally-flowing river. Instead of holding it still; guide it, and deepen it so that ships can go through.

**Remember, it wasn't the Hurricane itself that destroyed the city - it was the surge off of the lake that toppled the levees. So a city can (if built properly) withstand a Hurricane...but not in the setting New Orleans is in.

No matter what the disaster I think people are going to go back to their home. I've been through many many hurricanes and I still will not live any other place than the Gulf Coast.
And I can't blame you. Nobody wants to leave their home. There's heritage there, and a sense of belonging.

Every where you go there is the possibility for disaster of some sort, I'll take hurricanes over earthquakes and tornados any day.
But the New Orleans could have been delayed if the Levee's were kept in tact. But eventually - the sinking delta would have caught up, and down goes the city. New Orleans wasn't the result of a Hurricane alone - it was the result of poor engineering, poor maintenance, and terrible luck.

- But in the North East; there's hardly anything worse than a blinding snow-storm.