1. New Orleans, Louisiana Is it Worth Rebuilding?
Kristen L. Clarke
04 Nov 2005
Geology 107

2. Hurricane Katrina 29 August 2005 Final Landfall – Central Gulf Coast
category IV hurricane
140 mph winds
3rd most powerful storm of the season
6th strongest storm ever recorded in the Atlantic Basin
10-30 ft storm surges breached the levee system protecting New Orleans from Lake Pontchartrain and the Mississippi

3. The Aftermath Mass Flooding 3 levees gave way 80% of city underwater
Areas of Flooding
3 levees gave way
80% of city underwater
flood pool ft deep
death toll – 1,302
mainly from Mississippi and
Louisiana
damages – $70-$130 billion
most expensive natural disaster
in U.S. history
Satellite Photo of
New Orleans – 31 Aug

4. It is not worth spending > $100 billion to rebuild
Is it Worth Rebuilding? No
It is not worth spending > $100 billion to rebuild
We can build levees and channels, but nature will inevitably win.
Where will the money come from?
“ With the projected rate of subsidence (the natural sinking of land), wetland loss, and sea level rise, New Orleans will likely be on the verge of extinction by this time next century.”
-Dr. Chip Groat, Director of
the United States Geological
Survey in Washington D.C. 2001

5. Loss of a natural hurricane barrier
Louisiana Wetlands
Loss of a natural hurricane barrier
Hurricanes will have a larger and larger effect due to coastal land loss.
marshlands serve as natural buffer between land and sea
every 2.7 miles of wetland absorbed a foot of storm surge
Louisiana coast losing 16,000 acres of wetland each year
Coastline – 40% of nation’s wetlands; 80% of the loss
natural processes artificially accelerated – levying rivers, draining wetlands, dredging channels, and cutting canals through marshes
as stands, the protective delta will be gone by 2090

6. More Hurricanes to Come
Statistics show another ‘Katrina’ is inevitable
It is likely that we’ll see another Katrina scaled hurricane in our lifetime
6 Category IV or stronger hurricanes within 100 miles of New Orleans since 1899
increased number of storms in past few years
four hurricanes in 2005 by end of august
long term average

7. New Orleans…The New Atlantis How far below sea level can it survive?
New Orleans sits on a bed of silt, sand and clay.
rebuilt with each flooding – new silt and sand are deposited
levees that protect the city from flooding prevent rebuilding of silt
Pumping water from the soil is required for new construction
lowering water level adds weight to surrounding soil – causes ground to sink more
With current rates, New Orleans’ highest point will be below sea level in 100 years

8. Where will the money come from?
Repairing the Damage
Where will the money come from?
Can we afford up to $200 billion to repair the damage from Katrina?
Of course not.
we’ll borrow it from foreign lenders
at 4% interest, a $200 billion debt quickly
becomes $240 billion over only 5 years
eventually we will have one ‘Katrina’
too many and the financial markets
will take a crash

9. New Orleans is Not Worth Rebuilding What we lose
New Orleans is best known for Bourbon Street and Mardis Gras. By not rebuilding we lose a distinct cultural site. The history, people, architecture, food, music and traditions make New Orleans a truly unique place.
In addition, by not rebuilding we would see a decrease in the oil and fish industries of the United States.
Would all these be equivalent to $200 billion dollars to rebuild a city that is doomed in the end?
No.

10. Sources
Monthly Tropical Weather Summary. August National Hurricane Center
Hurricane Katrina.
Cohen, Adam. “The Big Easy on the Brink.” Time Magazine 10 July 2000
Widmer, Lori. “The Lost City of New Orleans?” Risk & Insurance Dec 2000
Fischetti, Mark. “Drowning New Orleans.” Scientific American 1 October 2001
Sloan, Allen. “No Money? No Problem!” Newsweek 26 September 2005