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#11
September 7th 05, 12:21 AM
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Michael Coslo wrote:
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. Yet the expansion was to *lower* ground. 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. I posted a link to the warnings of 8 days ago. There would have been fewer left to save... 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. There are building and fire codes to protect people from their own and other's ignorance. That concept needs to expand. 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 kinda expected... I hear a lot of grousing already about this not being the Federal Government's responsibility. ?? From whom? It seems to me that once the Administration got a clue, they began devoting serious resources. Why it took so long for them to get a clue is another issue. But I don't see anyone saying it's not the Fed's job. What I see as an issue that will be ignored is why there are so many resources after the fact, but not before. 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. Or ignorance. btw, it was just about 105 years ago September 8, 1900. 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.... In 1900 they had none. 2005 was different... "Wasn't That A Mighty Storm" (with kudos to Tom Rush) T'would appear so! 73 de Jim, N2EY |
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