Drowning New Orleans

Scientific American ^ | October 2001 | Mark Fischetti

[Howlin]

Yes, it is.

[radiohead]

What's that Led Zepplin tune? "When the Levee Breaks"

I'm a terrible person. I have been singing that song to myself all day.

[gitmo]

Pretty girl? (not identified yet)
Ignored scientist who holds the secret to averting disaster? (not identified yet)

[atlanta67]

""that would be the Louisiana Offshore Oil Port. The LOOP handles 50% of ALL INCOMING PETROLEUM and almost that much in natural gas. The tankers pull up, dump the MidEast oil and the pipes send it on its way.""


sorry but I dont beleive that...i saw where it handles about 1m barrels per day...50% of all imports would be something like 7m barrels per day..i dont buy it

[Fishrrman]

From an old Tom Rush recording:

Galveston Flood

It was the year of 1900 that was 60 years ago
Death come'd a howling on the ocean and when death calls you've got to go

Galveston had a sea wall just to keep the water down
But a high tide from the ocean blew the water all over the town.

Wasn't that a mighty storm
Wasn't that a mighty storm in the morning
Wasn't that a mighty storm
It blew all the people away.

The sea began to rolling the ships they could not land
I heard a captain crying Oh God save a drowning man

The rain it was a falling and the thunder began to roll
The lightning flashed like Hell-fire and the wind began to blow

The trees fell on the island and the houses gave away
Some they strived and drownded others died every way.

The trains at the station were loaded with the people all leaving town
But the trestle gave way with the water and the trains they went on down

Old death the cruel master when the winds began to blow
Rode in on a team of horses and cried death won't you let me go.

The flood it took my mother it took my brother too
I thought I heard my father cry as I watched my mother go

Old death your hands are clammy when you've got them on my knee
You come and took my mother won't you come back after me?

Wasn't that a mighty storm
Wasn't that a mighty storm in the morning
Wasn't that a mighty storm
It blew all the people away.

[combat_boots]

"Can cockroaches swim?"

There are a lot of pets left behind, I'll bet.

God bless all the people.

And the historic buildings and ante-bellum mansions and the famous burial grounds.

[Ursus arctos horribilis]

I once read that one of the largest man made projects on earth is a losing battle to keep the Mississippi River flowing down it's present course. As the river silts up, they just keep raising the levees, and in the end it will all be for naught.

Over the eons the Mississippi has alternately changed course between the present one and down through the Atchafalaya Basin, located to the north and west of New Orleans.

[Choose Ye This Day]

Would people really be safe in the SuperDome?

[Ursus arctos horribilis]

Has martial law and a curfew been declared in the Big Easy? To say criminal types will exploit the situation for looting and a myriad of other crimes is an understatement.

[aomagrat]

I can't believe all the people lined up to get into the SuperDome.

TSA must be handling the security at the SuperDome.

[Hot Tabasco]

If so, New Orleans is gonna need all the help they can get.

Wonder how much "foreign aid" is is going to be sent here from abroad?

OK, so it was a dumb question.......

[HitmanLV]

To say criminal types will exploit the situation for looting and a myriad of other crimes is an understatement.

Heaven knows I would. ;-)

[aomagrat]

I once read that one of the largest man made projects on earth is a losing battle to keep the Mississippi River flowing down it's present course. As the river silts up, they just keep raising the levees, and in the end it will all be for naught.

Over the eons the Mississippi has alternately changed course between the present one and down through the Atchafalaya Basin, located to the north and west of New Orleans.

Ever read the book "Flood Tide" by Clive Cussler?

[sportutegrl]

The Loop is why we don't have Exxon Valdeze type accidents in Louisiana. Tankers don't have to come to port so less chance of hitting stuff on shore like rocks.

[luv2ski]

Wow! Really interesting graphic, although extremely frightening for NO residents.

[sportutegrl]

I rode out Hurricane Andrew in BR 11 years ago. Cable out, power out. Nothing but battery powered radio playing non-stop REO Speedwagon Riding the Storm Out. Don't the DJ's have another cd?

[Jorge]

What's that Led Zepplin tune? "When the Levee Breaks"

"....we'll have nowhere to go."

[aomagrat]

Don't the DJ's have another cd?

"Bad Moon Rising" by CCR?

[Ursus arctos horribilis]

Can't say I have, but the title smakes of something along the lines of the mighty Mississippi getting it's old route back to the Gulf of Mexico.

[aomagrat]

With a little help from Chinese terrorists.