Bulldoze New Orleans

My fertile mind ^ | 9/2/05 | rebelbase

[Rebelbase]

Rebuilding New Orleans below sea level is just asking for another disaster even if the levee's are strengthened.

Bulldoze the city except for the downtown and French Quarter and fill it in with spoils from Lake Ponchartrain. The lake is very shallow and could supply the material necessary to fill in the city.

This city is too important to national commerce to just abandon.

[Torie]

Pontchatrain does flow into the gulf.

[Vinnie]

Agreed
I heard two congressmen from La. mentioning the exact idea so maybe it will come to fruition.
I don't think building a residential area in a flood plain is going to fly. Certainly didn't in Eastern NC after Hurricane Floyd.

On the down side, FEMA bought out the people in East NC. Buying out all those residences in N.O.is going very expensive.

[skimask]

Paging Steve Winn....Paging Steve Winn

[Responsibility1st]

You know after the great hurricane that totalled Galveston in 1900, they dredged out Galveston Bay and re-built the entire city of Galveston.

Only that time, they built every house, store, building, whatever 17 feet higher. They built the Galveston Seawall and since then Galveston has thrived.

If that could be done some 100 years ago, I suppose NO could be raised (literally) in the same fashion.

[Rebelbase]

I heard a bit on one of the news stations that there's been a large run on corporations/investors buying real estate in Baton Rouge on Thursday and Friday last week.

They are buying up everything they can find.

Speculators share your opinion that Baton Rouge is going to be the new economic metropolis for the region.

[RTINSC]

Combine Lake Ponchartrain and the low part of the city into one giant lake. NO could become known not only as the jazz capital of the world, but also as the world's largest houseboat community:).

[fallujah-nuker]

I had some thoughts along this line. I wonder if the other parts of New Orleans were originally below sea level, or did they subside when the marshes were drained. When Peter the Great built St. Petersburg he used millions of pilings which seemed to have worked. Is New Orleans built the same way? I want to know more.

[Eagle Eye]

Yes, the port must be re-opened.

But as I've posted on other threads, any building under three stories will need to be condemned and razed due to contamination.

The cost of remediation for these buildings and homes is prohibitive.

Add to that the folly of rebuilding where they don't belong.

[Ruddles]

It's my understanding the Back Bay's fill would liquify under flooding conditions and swallow the buildings. Perhaps a Boston myth. Details anyone?

[Torie]

The river is too shallow in BR to fulfill the function that the NO port fulfills. That is why NO grew originally. The port in NO will be back up and running, because it has to be. And that means at least the higher ground in NO will be back up and running. I certainly hope they abandon the low lying areas, and not make the place a residence for the under class without cars. But it probably will be rebuilt, and we will get to run this drill all over again, in the next 10 years.

[FreedomCalls]

I wonder if the other parts of New Orleans were originally below sea level

It was originally above sea level and indeed was the highest ground around in the area. Two factors have caused it to subside. 1. It is build on wet silt, so the weight of it causes it to slowly sink. 2. The surrounding areas prior to the channelization of the Mississippi were continully built up with new layers of silt every time the area flooded.

[TexasTransplant]

Sure it does via Lake Borne which you might as well lable Gulf of Mexico.

[AntiGuv]

Here's an excellent elevation map of the city, and here's a map of the neighborhoods with neat, concise descriptions (click on links). It makes no sense to rebuild the slums, and much of what's below sea level was exactly that. Concentrate on restoring the high ground and do whatever with the rest. Raising it shouldn't be a huge problem in the grand scheme of things because most of it needs to be leveled now anyhow. Just do it!

[FreedomCalls]

Buying out all those residences in N.O.is going very expensive.

Why? How much do you think each residence would sell for right now with them up to their rooflines in water? I wouldn't give $20 for one.

[ryan71]

It will be rebuilt in the same place...

1. It will have to be filled in and raised to please insurance companies.

2. Who will rebuild there? Will the Government build new slums? Will those who have the money rebuild on large lots?

3. What will land cost? Will it be in demand? Or will nobody want it?

4. What will the population mix look like, if rebuilt? 67% black, 33% white? The other way around? I don't care. Just wondering.

It will be interesting OR sickening OR both to see what develops...

[AntiGuv]

If the lowlands get properly raised it would be 200-300 years before subsidence creates the present vulnerabilities again.

[wolfpat]

I have a vague memory of reading something about the Mississippi River not going to NO were it not for the Army Corp of Engineers. I think it has been trying to change course for years.
IIRC this was in National Geographic about 20 years ago.

[Freebird Forever]

The port in NO will be back up and running, because it has to be.

I bet the accountants at Hutchison Whampoa are crunching numbers at this moment.

[Quix]

Methinks that whatever the NEW MADRID HUGE QUAKE is going to do--will more or less obliterate whatever is near the NO area regardless of whatever rebuilding has been done however high unless it's what . . . ??? . . . considerable miles away and considerable 100's of feet above sea level.

We can't afford exercises in futility at this time.

Toooooo much grief headed our way.

[Torie]

Nice map. Prior, I used this one. Scroll down to the pinkish one. The little high ground area along the lake, also has some chic neighborhoods (my brother has a friend that lives there; we checked it out last night; it went underwater too, because the water got to five feet above sea level, as the lake rose, but presumably not by more than about 3 or 4 feet or so). I don't think it is an accident that the money followed the elevations. Other than that island, the motto was to live between St. Charles Street and the river, and hope the river levees last as long as the Wall of China.

Which reminds us, that in a surge, the lake will rise, and if the winds are strong enough in a perfect storm, the surge will be another 5 or 10 feet, and nothing will be spared. Nothing. The motto is that if you live there, and the weather Gods get ugly, you need to leave. Period.