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Fighting Mother Nature

So America now has this huge zone of complete destruction, death, and devastation. Catastrophy works well to describe New Orleans and other parts of the South and Gulf Coast region.

Thinking down the road, after the heart ache and disbelief subside a bit....

Does it make sense to rebuild New Orleans exactly as it was prior to Katrina?

Does it make sense to spend untold billions of dollars to rebuild a city that lies below sea level in a region that's suseptable to hurricanes on an annual basis? I mean, lets get real here. That area has simply been lucky to have gone this long without getting hammered. Does it make sense to think it'll be another couple hundred years before the next disaster hits? Maybe ask the people of Florida?

Emotionally I'm sure people will want to rebuild. But from the intellectual side, the natural side, is there a better alternative?

Would you want to rebuild your house and future in a city that lies below sea level after what has just happened, and is bound to happen again at some point in the future? Maybe not in your life-time, but who knows....there's still a few months left in this hurricane season and Florida residents will tell you lightening can strike numerous times in the same general place.
 
Motokid said:
So America now has this huge zone of complete destruction, death, and devastation. Catastrophy works well to describe New Orleans and other parts of the South and Gulf Coast region.

Thinking down the road, after the heart ache and disbelief subside a bit....

Does it make sense to rebuild New Orleans exactly as it was prior to Katrina?

Does it make sense to spend untold billions of dollars to rebuild a city that lies below sea level in a region that's suseptable to hurricanes on an annual basis? I mean, lets get real here. That area has simply been lucky to have gone this long without getting hammered. Does it make sense to think it'll be another couple hundred years before the next disaster hits? Maybe ask the people of Florida?

Emotionally I'm sure people will want to rebuild. But from the intellectual side, the natural side, is there a better alternative?

Would you want to rebuild your house and future in a city that lies below sea level after what has just happened, and is bound to happen again at some point in the future? Maybe not in your life-time, but who knows....there's still a few months left in this hurricane season and Florida residents will tell you lightening can strike numerous times in the same general place.
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It happens all the time. Look at all the people that rebuilt their homes on the banks for the Mississippi in the floodplain after their homes got washed away. What really burns me about that is that the tax payers helped foot the bill to rebuild after they were dumb enough to build there in the first place.

They will rebuild, then blame their woes on the government and Global Warming.
 
Robert said:
It happens all the time. Look at all the people that rebuilt their homes on the banks for the Mississippi in the floodplain after their homes got washed away. What really burns me about that is that the tax payers helped foot the bill to rebuild after they were dumb enough to build there in the first place.

They will rebuild, then blame their woes on the government and Global Warming.
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In some cases they have the right to complain. Man has altered the landscape and the flood plains in many ways. Concrete and asphalt do not allow much water to seep into the ground.

However, I believe you are correct in that nobody should be allowed to rebuild, over and over again in the same spot that keeps getting destroyed.

So what should be done about New Orleans? Should America pay for rebuilding a city that's a sitting duck for another similar type disaster?
Should the water simply be pumped out and new construction begin at 13 feet below sea level in a coastal area that uses a levee system and huge pumps to keep water out on a daily basis, let alone when a storm blows through?

I know this is a bit hardcore, but the reality is man fighting Mother Nature. Man wins the little battles, but Mother Nature wins the war. Doesn't she?

Trying to hold back an ocean (gulf), a major river, and a lake with man-made dikes,levee's, and pumps does not make for a winning, long term solution. At least not in my mind.
 
You're right, Moto, it should not be rebuilt.


You think we could find enough dirt in the Capital building to fill in the hole and bring them about sea level?
 
Zolipara,

I know that man has done some amazing things with water and damns and irrigation and such....The Hoover Damn is an inspiring and amazing piece of engineering....

However, to build such a thing where huge natural disaster type storms are a common occurance (hurricane season happens every year, not every few decades or whatever) seems a bit risky to say the least. Then, when you consider the death and devastation like has occured in New Orleans.....is the risk worth the re-build, or should man re-think what should be done with that particular piece of America?
 
That is a diffucult question to answer. New Orleans is a big part of Louisiana. Being a kid raised half of my life there, my memories of New Orleans will always remain. It's hard to imagine life with out New Orleans.

However I do agree that we've gotten by several years without devistation, and even though our hearts go out to those who've lost homes and lives in New Orleans, I think that our government should consider allowing it to lapse under. That may ultimantly be the end result anyway. Officials are unsure if New Orleans will ever be able to pump out the water from Katrina. They'll try of course, but it may not happen. They underestimated how bad the situation would become. They thought that the man made pumps and damns would just pump the water out of the city, instead it's getting worse. They knew it would eventually happen, we all did. After hurricane Betsy in the 1950's the city responded with building the levees. They didn't exist before Betsy. My mother recalls Betsy and even though she's not here anymore, God Bless her soul, I know she feel the loss now, and the loss back then, including some of our family members.

It was foolish though for New Orleans to be built on these pretenses. They lie 13 feet below and are surronded by the Pontictrain and the Mississippi. This is not the first time it's happened, but what were they to do back then, not re-build, close New Orleans down. Now that this occured which is the worst in US history, the have some thinking to do. The prognosis seems glum though for the city's rebuilding. I guess we'll just have to watch, see, and pray for whatever the outcome may be. I do understand the nation's concers about spending the money to re-build a city that has these kinds of problems.
 
In the meantime, where are all those people who lost their homes supposed to go? Where will the government put the trailer parks and tents?
 
Miss Shelf said:
In the meantime, where are all those people who lost their homes supposed to go? Where will the government put the trailer parks and tents?
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That's the hard thing, isn't it. Near term issue as well as long term. Too bad the Navy doesn't have a couple of extra air craft carriers in the area.
 
Tragic.


I was scheduled to take my first ever trip to New Orleans this winter. I was really looking forward to Bourbon Street, and the French Quarter, and all that cool-sounding stuff that I had never seen.

It is surreal to think of there not being a New Orleans. I cannot imagine the feelings for those who have been there for generations.


tragic.
 
leckert said:
Tragic.


I was scheduled to take my first ever trip to New Orleans this winter. I was really looking forward to Bourbon Street, and the French Quarter, and all that cool-sounding stuff that I had never seen.

It is surreal to think of there not being a New Orleans. I cannot imagine the feelings for those who have been there for generations.


tragic.
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I just heard this morning from a friend of mine that lives in New Orleans that it will be something like 6 weeks before he can even go to his home and see what's left of it. My grandmother in Mobile AL, is home but has no water or power, some damage we're not sure how much, so we are trying to do something about her as well. But I know we would rebuild her home no matter what the damage, that is our family home it's been there for generations, it's very old and beautiful and we intend to keep it that way. I think my friend's family is the same way his folks home is very old and if they can rebuild they will.
 
I am psychic....

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4201060.stm

Reports on CNN are now estimating that the death toll could easily pass 1000, and that lawlessness has begun to rule the day.

I can't for the life of me understand why the National Guard is not called into action the second a storm like this has passed through the area. We all know what's going to happen.....people become animals...
 
Well, I hope and pray that everyone from the Prez on down has learned a few lessons from Katrina, and evacuate quickly.

Ya know, it seems wrong somehow to feel so safe and secure here in tornado alley! (This is the second tornado season of the year here)
 
I heard about Rita on the news this morning.

Best of luck to all those in the affected areas - especially in the by Katrina affected areas - Rita will not make things easier :(
 
These two major hurricanes back to back remind me of a made-for-tv movie I saw several years ago. It had Craig T. Nelson, and was a propaganda piece about global warming. In it there were a string of monster storms that ruined the southern US and the rest if the nation suffered severe drought and heat. The only place to go to get cool was northern Canada. Regardless of the intent of the producers, whenever a big storm is expected, I pray a little harder for those in its path.
 
Has anybody seen the proposed cost of re-building after Katrina?

$250 Billion that's a B....Billion...!!!! And Dubbya is trying to say that tax increases will not be needed, that we just need to re-direct funds from other areas....

I'm not sure if some of that 250 Billion is for Rita re-building or not.

I heard some of the things that that $250 billion is to go towards, but if anyone can find a news story outlining it in detail I'd love to see the link.
 
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