Why are people rebuilding in hurricane prone areas?

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NOLA guy

New Orleans is not optional. History, architecture, culture, and the fact the city is home to many people are usually mentioned when the topic of the cityâ€™s future is discussed. However, those factors (while significant) are NOT why NOLA is important to the rest of the United States.

First, New Orleans is a metro area of almost 1.4 million people â€“ not some small town that could be easily relocated somewhere else.

More than 35% of America's energy is either produced in Southeast Louisiana or imported through here, and the infrastructure is focused on New Orleans. What may be the largest oil field on earth was discovered offshore of Louisiana in 2006, and it will be exploited via New Orleans.

The Port of New Orleans is the largest or second largest port in North America each year (tons of cargo) and one of the top ports in the world each year. The Port of New Orleans is not replaceable.

More than 25% of America's petroleum refining capacity is in the New Orleans area. That percentage will increase due to a new refinery already under construction and the planned expansion of existing refineries.

A large percentage of America's non-petroleum chemical industry is here.

New Orleans is one of only three principal east-west transportation points for the USA, and the resulting convergence of water, rail, pipeline, electricity, and highway links is not replaceable.

A large percentage of America's ship building & repair industry is in New Orleans.

NASA builds essential parts for the space shuttle in New Orleans, and will build components for the next generation of spacecraft here. Other manufacturers (ex. Bell-Textron) have factories in New Orleans.

A large percentage of America's seafood comes from SE Louisiana, and the distribution network is focused on New Orleans.

And so onâ€¦.

It is theoretically possible to move the industry and the population, but only at horrific cost. The Mississippi river, Gulf of Mexico, and the oil fields cannot be moved. To even attempt to replace New Orleans would cost Trillions of Dollars and the attempt would fail.

In contrast, New Orleans can be protected from future hurricanes with the expenditure of about $15 Billion (that should have been spent before Katrina) spread out over a period of a decade.

In case $14 Billion sounds like a lot, the federal government spent that much for a 3-mile tunnel under Boston harbor for commuters.

Note that New Orleans is NOT "prone" to hurricanes or being flooded. The last one to hit before Katrina was in 1965 and before that was in 1947. Neither of those flooded the city proper like Katrina, which was the strongest storm ever recorded to strike North America (size + surge). Gustav was a near-miss but did test the levee system.

There is a widespread myth that New Orleans is "built below sea levelâ€, but that is not true.

Realize that nowhere is without risk. NYC and Miami are at more risk from hurricanes than New Orleans. Los Angeles and San Francisco are at risk from earthquakes and fires. Seattle is threatened by volcanoes and Tsunamis. The Midwest is hit by tornadoes every year and floods much more often than New Orleans. However, I donâ€™t hear anyone claiming New York, Florida, California, Kansas/Iowa, or Washington (state) be abandoned, or even not rebuilt after the next disaster.

However, people routinely claim New Orleans should be abandoned, or that we somehow donâ€™t deserve help after Katrina.

Why is that?

Kristina L

If you stop building in all areas prone to natural disaster: hurricane, earthquakes, tornadoes, avalanches, tsunamis, wildfires, flooding or mudslides - where would we live?

traveler

Natural disasters happen all over the world. California with its earthquakes, the Midwest with tornado's, tsunamis in Asia and obviously the gulf coast has had its fair share of hurricanes lately. But you have to remember that New Orleans is one of out nations oldest cities and has only suffered from a few major storms over its history. So with that said you would really limit where you could live if you are limited to where a natural disaster has ever struck.

travelnut

Why do you live in a trailer park when you know it will get hit by a tornado?

And for those who keep referencing cheap insurance how wrong you are. The price of insurance has doubled after Katrina and many companies wont even insure in Louisiana any longer even if you did not flood or were not effected by the storm at all.

Lisa

Why do people keep asking this ridiculous question??

As for the answer about cheap insurance.... the insurance in Southeast Louisiana is a far cry from cheap!!!!

And why shouldn't the insurance companies pay for it??? That's why we have insurance. It's the risk the insurance companies take when they insure us. I pay a lot of money for insurance and haven't ever had a claim. I am fortunate to not have any major storm damage, but I still pay the price.

Those are our tax dollars too and we are entitled to help from the government just like everyone else in this country! There are many other states that have received assistance from the government for disasters. Why is it that no one seems to have a problem with others receiving assistance? http://www.fema.gov/news/disasters.fema?year=2008

Jeffrey F

Why do people build on the slopes of volcanos
Why do people build on the banks of major rivers
Why do people build in wild fire prone areas

Who knows, but people have been living along the edge of danger for centuries.

There are many areas where the governments (either local or federal) are buying up properties following catastrophes.

The problem usually happens in areas of 100 or even 500 year catastrohes....after 2 - 7 generations, people forget what nature is capable of.

La vedette

No Barry answer? He LOVES answering this kind of stuff....

C'mon Barry.... tell em why NOT re-building NOLA isn't an option :)

La Vie Boheme

New orleans is not hurricane prone. Do some research,.

jugghayd

Ok, Miami, Tampa, Jacksonville, Pensacola, Ft. Lauderdale, Mobile, Houston, Galveston, New Orleans, Charleston, West Palm, Corpus Christi, Savannah, Myrtle Beach, Daytona! You heard him!

Let's pack it up and move to Omaha.

wihntr

Agreed, Also when you are told to leave then dont and have to call in rescuers you should be charged by financially and criminally for them having to come in and rescue your dumb rear. I guess you cant fix stupid though.

mike p

NOLA IS hurricane prone - i assume the above comment was misguided humor.

Flood insurance IS cheap in NOLA. "subsidized" flood insurance means it is being sold below market value which is most people definition of cheap. Congess wrote off (you and I are paying for it...or we borrowed it from China) about $80 billion in national flood insurance program losses after Katrina. Not charging enough to pay insurance claims is more evidence that the program is subsidized.

The reason people keep asking this question is because it's legitimate to question policies that result in human suffering. I'm not saying NOLA shouldn't be rebuilt, i'm saying its a debate worth having. Probably HOW it should be rebuilt is also in the mix.

lestermount

They are building there because the federal government gives them cheap insurance, which means the rest of us are paying for their cheap insurance.
Greed allowed people to build in flood plains and on barrier islands, so not instead of only agricultural damages we have billions of dollars in structural damages, and human lives.

Angelah

I agree. THey are wasting our tax dollars.

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