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September 6th 05, 04:53 PM

wrote:
Mike Coslo wrote:

wrote:

OTOH, the mistakes of one generation (like pollution) *can*
affect following generations. (Why the heck did anyone
ever decide to build a major city on ground that is *below*
sea level and right next to three major bodies of water? And
in a hurricane zone?!)

It must be remembered that New Orleans has been sinking
at the rate of
3 feet per century. This has been accelerated due to the
deterioration of the Mississippi Delta.

Agreed!

When the city was founded, it was a low lying
coastal city, just like
most coastal cities. At that time, there was plenty of Delta,
and it
looked like a fine place to build a port city.

Sure - but that was centuries ago.

Over the years, as the geology changed, it was not at
such as fast rate
that relocation seemed necessary. Then as we learned
more, we found out
that essentially the city was doomed.

But how long has the sinking been known? How long ago did NO
go below sea level?

I think it was in the mid 1800's that there started to be a concern.
Quite a while back.

It's been known for years - decades - that if a big enough
storm came ashore in the right place, NO would be in big
trouble. A little more than a week ago it looked like
Katrina would hit NO dead-on with full Category 5 force.
Had that happened - and it was a real possibility - things
would probably be even worse there than today.

hard to imagine, but I'll grant you that.

Yet even with all that warning, the levee system was only good
for a Category 3 storm. People kept building there. even as the ground
kept sinking. Why?

People have a great capacity for self deception. People build in
California along the fault lines, People live in "Tornado Alley". People
build on the sides of active volcanoes, and don't move even when they
are about to erupt. Building in a place that WILL eventually be
underwater is just about par for the course.

Most of all, why wasn't everyone evacuated *before* the storm?
I know some refused to go, but many more simply did not have
the means to go. Why wasn't there a better plan in place beforehand?
Hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico aren't a new or
unusual thing.

There should have been buses brought in to evacuate people. There was
ample notice of the magnitude of the storm.

Or is that sort of thing too "liberal" for this era?

Yes, the idea of the Federal gvt helping people is too liberal. I hear
a lot of grousing already about this not being the Federal Government's
responsibility.

Meanwhile, Americans keep building big expensive homes and
buildings in lowlying coastal areas. And in places where the
ground shakes every so often. Why?

See above. Of course, the real answer is stupidity.

btw, it was just about 105 years ago that the big hurricane hit
Galveston, Texas - with no advance warning. Look that one up....

Well, it's not exactly that they didn't have any warning....

"Wasn't That A Mighty Storm" (with kudos to Tom Rush)

T'would appear so!

- Mike KB3EIA -

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