New Orleans - My Heart Goes Out To Them

[DTCwordfan]

No wonder we left it to the Spanish and the French....this latest hurricane is yet another awful disaster.

This time it was the wind, the water defences holding up. However, one can never discount the wildlife... https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2021/08/31/two-killed-highway-collapse-mississippi-thousands-deployed-hurricane/ or for those of you without a DT sub, https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/gallery/2021/aug/30/hurricane-ida-new-orleans-louisiana-damage

My heart goes out to those affected, having lived through Ike. It's no wonder there's little 'civilisation' between NO and Houston......and, during Ike, the allies apparently had a fest on those living on Crystal Beach (east of Galveston and the Ship Channel).

Global warming or just mother nature?

[fender62]

years of neglect by authorities very little investment.

[DTCwordfan]

I agree fender - there's a big difference in mentality to their Texan neighbours who have a 'get up and sort it out' mentality rather than relying on the State and Fed government - and, as of Katrina, there were a lot of (ex) state officials from the Governor down enjoying time in a State 'hotel' for their part in the gravy train there.....corrupt as hell as Louisiana is/was....

[jno]

presumably there's been some investment if the levees didn't break this time (and Led Zeppelin can relax)

[DTCwordfan]

yep, jno, this time it has been mainly serious wind damage.....

[CrapAtCryptics]

As an allied question I`ve never understood why people build houses totally unsuited to the inherent weather possibilities of the area. In the US they seem to have a lot of wood based housing so you have to ask why they dont change their building codes to reflect their likely weather.

[LadyCG]

How awful and I wish I hadn't read about the man having his arm ripped off by an alligator. How much misery can they have inflicted upon them :-(

[emmie]

even brick buildings were knocked flat, so not sure what you can do to make them more sturdy.

[jno]

CaC, where is safe to live? New York's subway system has just been flooded. California has been burning. Chicago had 19 inches of snow during Super Bowl weekend a few years back. Temperatures can push 50 degrees in Arizona.

Britain doesn't have quite same extremes, but people have to live somewhere. If they can't afford penthouses they may have to live on flood plains.

[Ellipsis]

Most people tend to live fairly near to where they were born ...

[jno]

... and/or where they can find work. Weather isn't usually a factor, though personally I can't imagine living somewhere very hot or cold and wouldn't have applied for a job there.

[Peter Pedant]

chrissakes - global warming - worsening the storms but not causing more of them ( they say)

Organisationally, things are different - Biden has taken Fed charge whereas Katrina, it drifted for one or two weeks. Then the FEMA chief which was a political appt fell on his sword.

Also THEN the levees werent overtopped ( well some were) but the walls/dykes were so poorly constructed ( skimming and corruption) that they were breached by being pushed up to ten metres.

Think straight line becomes castle battlement
Think whole hedge segment being pushed into a field.

[tiggerblue10]

Just awful. Wasn't that long ago since the last one hit the same area and caused complete devastation and killed thousands. Those poor people :o(

[Peter Pedant]

Katrina
very badly handled
heads rolled

[DTCwordfan]

Now the New York/Jersey area toasted.....

[Peter Pedant]

hmm toasted - interesting concept for 3 1/2 " rain in an hour

we had that in Manchester Jul 2012 and I dont think it brought the house down - BUT - it depends as de Blasio DIDN'T want to say, how much you are prepared to spend to save one life

[jourdain2]

Why don't they just rebuild New Orleans somewhere else? Sounds daft until you think about saving all the lives, trauma and expense. It has been done on a smaller scale and would probably pay for itself in about 20 years (tourism) as opposed to more aid being needed all the time.