People can choose to live anywhere they wish. For centuries people have been building their homes and cities on rivers, oceans, volcanoes, geological faults, etc. Are you or the Federal government going to establish guidelines on where people can live? Should San Francisco be shut down since it is built on the San Andreas fault?
New Orleans is a great American city with a rich history that has contrbuted to the greatness of this country. The famous Higgins boat was invented and manufactured there that helped us to take the fight to the enemy on Normandy and the Pacific. Over 20,000 boats were built there. It is no accident that New Orleans was selected as the site of the D-Day museum.
New Orleans has given us jazz, great cuisine, and much more. From its beginnings, New Orleans has been a city wed to river and ocean; an almost natural dock for the transshipment of goods. Pierce Lewis, perhaps its most knowledgeable scholar, describes New Orleans as the "inevitable city on an impossible site." It is a tribute to the ingenuity and greatness of Americans that a great city could be built and then flourish.
Few census were taken during New Orleans' colonial period, but it is estimated that about 250 people lived in the town during the early 1700's. By 1760, the population numbered about 4,000, and by 1803, it was upwards of 8,000.
By 1800, New Orleans had become a center for the preparation, storage, shipping, and financing of local sugar and rice crops, cotton from further up the river, and wheat and other products from the American midwest. Clearly, no matter what Spain's wishes or policy, New Orleans' natural economic development was tied to its position near the outlet of the greatest river in the United States.
From 1803 until 1861, New Orleans' population increased from 8,000 to nearly 170,000. The 1810 census revealed a population of 10,000 making New Orleans the United States' fifth largest city, after New York, Philadelphia, Boston, and Baltimore and the largest city west of the Appalachians. From 1810 until 1840, New Orleans grew at a faster rate than any other large American city. By 1830, New Orleans was America's third largest city, behind New York and Baltimore; and in 1860, it was still the nation's fifth largest city. New Orleans, despite the Post-Civil War boom that transformed the North into an urban-industrial area, would remain among the twelve largest U.S. cities until 1910.
New Orleans' growth between 1810 and 1860 was the result of its unique geographical situation, the increasing industrialization of the American Northeast and Great Britain, and the westward movement of the young United States.
New Orleans will survive and thrive. The people are taxpayers like you and me. They pay higher rates of insurance because of where they live. Instead of pontificating about where they should live and whether they should share the risk on society, have a little compassion for your fellow Americans. This is a major tragedy and no one should blame the victims for being struck by a once-in-a-lifteme natural disaster.
You seem so smug about living in Iowa, which I guess makes you less a burden on the society. Well, Iowa receives federal disaster relief funds for floods and droughts as well as generous farm subsidies. How many times have the Quad cities been flooded out over the last century?
The 1993 midwest flood was one of the most significant and damaging natural disasters ever to hit the United States. Damages totaled $15 billion, 50 people died, hundreds of levees failed, and thousands of people were evacuated, some for months. The flood was unusual in the magnitude of the crests, the number of record crests, the large area impacted, and the length of the time the flood was an issue.
From May through September of 1993, major and/or record flooding occurred across North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin, and Illinois. Fifty flood deaths occurred, and damages approached $15 billion. Hundreds of levees failed along the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers.
The magnitude and severity of this flood event was simply over-whelming, and it ranks as one of the greatest natural disasters ever to hit the United States. Approximately 600 river forecast points in the Midwestern United States were above flood stage at the same time. Nearly 150 major rivers and tributaries were affected. It was certainly the largest and most significant flood event ever to occur in the United Staes.
Tens of thousands of people were evacuated, some never to return to their homes. At least 10,000 homes were totally destroyed, hundreds of towns were impacted with at least 75 towns totally and completely under flood waters. At least 15 million acres of farmland were inundated, some of which may not be useable for years to come.
Transportation was severely impacted. Barge traffic on the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers was stopped for nearly 2 months. Bridges were out or not accessible on the Mississippi River from Davenport, Iowa, downstream to St. Louis, Missouri. On the Missouri River, bridges were out from Kansas City, downstream to St. Charles, Missouri. Numerous interstate highways and other roads were closed. Ten commercial airports were flooded. All railroad traffic in the Midwest was halted. Numerous sewage treatment and water treatment plants were destroyed.
Finally, it should be recognized that this flood event was so big, it simply overwhelmed everyone and everything. As Mark Twain said a hundred years ago, the Mississippi River "cannot be tamed, curbed or confined.....you cannot bar its path with an obstruction which it will not tear down, dance over and laugh at."
Do you blame these victims for living near the Mississippi River?
The smug, callow arrogance on display makes me sick. I wonder if the Iowan expresses the same condescending smugness to his neighbors who have been victims of tornadoes. After all, "why would anyone build a house in an area where you know tornadoes are going to hit?" Duh.
"once-in-a-lifteme natural disaster"?
Um, how long is a life-time?
This could be repeated at any time, even in the next couple of weeks!
Rebuild, but only on higher ground!
Some years ago the flood water from a "100 year rain event" stopped right at the edge of my property, leaving me dry and relieved.
The VERY NEXT YEAR I lost everything I owned, after it spent two weeks under eight feet of water!
I have never recovered financially, despite a token "settlement" due to that particular flood having been quite preventable.