:: Running from the Thought Police ::

:: Sunday, August 28, 2005 ::

Lake New Orleans

With New Orleans looking to receive a direct hit from the Eye Wall of Hurricane Katrina, it seems fair to wonder if the city will still be there after the storm. Most of the city lies below sea level, much less the level of the Mississippi, and the predicted storm surge is much higher than the levees that surround the city. If the city's pumps fail, and nany serious people are predicting that they will, there will be massive flooding. I realize that New Orleans is a major port and a cultural institution in this country, but I think the next day or so is an appropriate time to ask: at what point does the amount of damage exceed the desire to rebuild? For small villages and towns we already have the answer - the Great Flood of 1993 provided it for us. Will Katrina give us the answer for large cities?

UPDATE: Without knowing about it beforehand, I see that CNN.com beat me to the punch on this one. It's got some pretty depressing stuff, too.

"So, imagine you're the poor person who decides not to evacuate: Your house will disintegrate around you. The best you'll be able to do is hang on to a light pole, and while you're hanging on, the fire ants from all the mounds -- of which there is two per yard on average -- will clamber up that same pole. And, eventually, the fire ants will win."

:: The Squire 11:41 PM :: email this post :: ::
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