Gustav Aims at New Orleans

[timkona]

Here we go again.

If NO gets whacked again, and flooded, do we spend billions again to rebuild?

When do we choose to acknowledge it's a losing battle? How much money will it take? Any thoughts?

[Leo Lakio]

Sounds like this is one kind of "politics of NO" that you might favor, Tim?

New Orleans is a major, historic American city - yet much of its population is poor and has limited options available.

What about when Iniki battered Kauai? Was it worth rebuilding? How about Cedar Rapids, Iowa, a large portion of which was submerged earlier this year in intensive flooding?

Do we give up on every city that gets hit twice in fifty years by tornados or earthquakes? Do those cities have to meet minimum criteria for population, history or median income, in order to get assistance?

What's your solution?

[salmoned]

I think the people who live there can make their own decisions, no need for me to worry much what they may choose to do.

[timkona]

I'm all for the parts ABOVE sea level. Of course, that is changing slowly, and inevitably, every single year. It's a losing battle in the long run.

At some point in the next 20 years, the realization will dawn on folks that ocean front/beach front/ocean proximal land is a bad risk.

Kauai is plenty above sea level.

[Ninja]

Gustav is at least 5 days away from striking New Orleans, if it even strikes. There are plenty of things that can happen in that time, so watch and don't worry, yet.

As for New Orleans itself, people need to remember that Katrina did not directly strike New Orleans. Much of the damage was caused by the failure of the levee system. While the city itself is still very much in recovery from that event, many parts of the city including the French Quarter and it's suburbs mainly survived the storm and flooding with little major damage. While the population of the city of New Orleans is only half of what it was prior to Katrina many of them have relocated to nearby suburbs and the culture and traditions of the region, not just New Orleans, are still alive and well.

[AlohaKine]

Gustav's big and mean.

http://mars3d.com/MER/Spirit1600x1200-3.jpg
Gustav Crater

http://media.techeblog.com/images/crewlargest_2.jpg
Gustav Gun

http://www.caribbeannetnews.com/news/_files/Image/04aug2008/gustav2.jpg
Gustav the Hurricane

[Frankie's Market]

Sounds like this is one kind of "politics of NO" that you might favor, Tim?

New Orleans is a major, historic American city - yet much of its population is poor and has limited options available.

What about when Iniki battered Kauai? Was it worth rebuilding?

Great. With a guy like Tim in charge, Kauai would be abandoned due to hurricanes (1982 & '92). Hilo would be a ghost town due to tidal waves (1946 & '60).