So how did the destruction of New Orleans happen?

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by SpencerH
So do we build surge protection for Miami, Charleston etc? Why is New Orleans so special?

We aren't undersea level. In SE Florida, we have have destroyed our natural defenses against hurricanes, dunes and mangroves, but even a massive storm surge would be over when the storm is gone. The survivors could walk out, if necessary.

BTW, The Prez has been especially responsive to our needs in Florida. Whether thtat's because his brother is our governor or his father lost his job in part due to the collosal fubar that was the FEMA reponse to Andrew I don't know. But they were Johnny on the spot here.

[SpencerH]

Originally posted by Boris Godunov


Neither of which sit in a below-sea level bowl. It has always been acknowledged that NO was especially vulnerable. It's als especially important, given its location and status as port and oil refining hub.

If a 25ft surge hits Miami it will have the same effect. Miami is not exactly buily on top of a mountain and it is also an important seaport. Not to mention that the huge elderly population there tend to sit and try to ride out the hurricanes.

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by SpencerH
BTW, in other interviews it looked as if Landrieux is simply not jumping on the 'blame the feds' bandwagon.

I do not solely blame the Feds. All levels of government are equally culpable for the post-storm disaster.

[Boris Godunov]

Originally posted by SpencerH
If a 25ft surge hits Miami it will have the same effect. Miami is not exactly buily on top of a mountain and it is also an important seaport. Not to mention that the huge elderly population there tend to sit and try to ride out the hurricanes.

I had a lot of other post there you seem to have conveniently ignored, including:

But yes, why not build it for those cities?

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by chegitz guevara


No, but they are conservatives.

I suspect Blanco (?) is a DLC type 3rd way dem, but Id be surprised that Nagin is. Of course if you consider Slate a conservative magazine

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by SpencerH
If a 25ft surge hits Miami it will have the same effect. Miami is not exactly buily on top of a mountain and it is also an important seaport. Not to mention that the huge elderly population there tend to sit and try to ride out the hurricanes.

We have barrier islands to protect us from the worst. Miami Beach would be destroyed by a storm surge, but Miami won't be. Far more worriesome is the fact that our building inspectors are on the take, and look aside when shoddy construction is being done, while construction workers get paid some of the lowest wages in the country and don't give a ****. Wind damage is far more likely to wreck us.

[Jack_www]

Every time I wake up, it seems that the diaster in New Orleans is getting worse. Now the city is on fire, and even President Bush is admitting that the Federal response in New Orleans is really bad.

[Boris Godunov]

If Michael Brown, at least, isn't ****canned over this, then there truly will be no justice whatsoever.

[Jack_www]

Originally posted by SpencerH


So do we build surge protection for Miami, Charleston etc? Why is New Orleans so special?

Like everyone else said already, New Orleans is under sea level. And as we can see, that once it floods it is very hard to get the flood waters out. In other cities the strom surge would go away after the strom is gone.

[SpencerH]

Originally posted by Boris Godunov


I had a lot of other post there you seem to have conveniently ignored, including:

Only cos you DanS'ed me.

Originally posted by Boris Godunov But yes, why not build it for those cities?

Let me get this particilar meme straight, though--spending $25 billion per month on a war in Iraq is vital to our national interests, but spending substantially less than that to secure our own cities from disaster is impractical and not worth the government's efforts? Nice priorities.

I think that you could make an argument that if we can afford $25 billion per month on Iraq that we should have spent it on ourselves. That has never happened previously so blaming Bush for continuing the tradition of not doing so is pointless while singling New Orleans for special protection is unfair to the citizens of other large and important cities (and politically impossible IMO).

[SpencerH]

Originally posted by chegitz guevara


We have barrier islands to protect us from the worst. Miami Beach would be destroyed by a storm surge, but Miami won't be. Far more worriesome is the fact that our building inspectors are on the take, and look aside when shoddy construction is being done, while construction workers get paid some of the lowest wages in the country and don't give a ****. Wind damage is far more likely to wreck us.

Dont kid yourself. Although I couldnt find the mean elevation for Miami, I did find it for Florida - a whopping 100 ft. If you look at the devastation in Gulfport, Biloxi, Mobile you'll see what happened in towns whose mean elevation is considerably above that of Miami's. Sure the water would recede but that's when the damage is done to the undermined buildings. We've had some experience with it in the last couple of years.

[lightblue]

Why did it really happen? Fencing and straightening of the Mississippi is a good place to start looking, as is the destruction of the wetlands for nice seafront properties.

The village I lived in Luxembourg got flooded a couple of timesin the mid 90's (nowhere near as bad but still). The response was to break down the barriers that held the river in a nice straight line, and the what they called "renaturalisation" of the river, including reed fields, islands in the river and letting the river meander more. Haven't had a flooding since. The build up of the surge on a straightened river has nowhere to go, in a naturally meandering river it will end up on designated flood plains.

[Dis]

Originally posted by Patroklos
You guys are impossible

If you honestly think that there was any way to plan for this, and plan for this for every city in America you are stupid. And not just plan for this in every city in America, but also for earthquakes, tidal waves, meteor strikes, locaust swarms...

Given the scale of this disaster, and that the vast majority of the effected ARE getting help, your critisisms are neither warranted or constructive.

Obviously the hardest hit and the most difficult to help will be in the center of teh disaster, that would be the very definition of "center."

seems simple to me. You saw all those flooded school busses. They should have used the busses to get people out before the storm. Use the school bus drivers to drive the busses (pay them overtime of course). Yes there was a traffic jam. They should have opened up both sides of the freeway (not just the normal right side). This could have got the busses out and then they could have returned for another load. It wouldn't have been enough for everyone, but it would have helped.

[Dis]

Originally posted by DanS
Here's one of the evacuees' philosophy on the destruction of the city...



http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...090102305.html

Las Vegas is a more evil city. And we also have a worse school system. Nothing bad will ever happen to my city

[Dis]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui


When the results of not doing so result in a major national catastrophe, then yes, it is. That's why a country exists in the first place. If not, then we'd all be independant states.

exactly. And esp. considering the hit to the national economy we are taking. It is a national problem.