Should New Orleans be rebuilt?

Now that the realization of everyone’s fears concerning New Orleans has
actually come to pass, namely a direct hurricane hit to a city that is near
the coast , below sea level, and is situated between a large lake and a
major river. We must now question the sanity in rebuilding a city located
in such an inappropriate place.

Are we really going to spend billions of dollars and invest hundreds of
thousands of man hours into a city that is likely to suffer the same fate again
within the next few to several years?

Perhaps restoring New Orleans to its original state is not such a good idea?

Not without a serious overhaul of the levee and pump system.

Enough to protect the city from a hurricane of equal strength.

When you want to spend billions in rebuilding the city, then it would make sense to make sure when the next hurricane season comes, they arent going to have to rebuild all over again.

I dont see the point in rebuilding New Orleans at all.

I know I dont want them to spend any of my tax money on a city that is doomed to fall again. There is no point. Water will go where it wants to go and no amount of money can change that. You might be able to keep a large body of water contained for a while, but only if it wants to be contained.

The bigger part of that question is will large business's want to rebuild in an area that is obviously a disaster waiting to happen that just did happen. Im thinking major business's are weighing the risk factor on rebuilding there which will mean those locations will never be the same. Building the leve's to withstand a category 3 hurricane was stupid and aparently the army's core of engineers didnt add the life factor if something larger gave that location an upper cut.

A shorter answer to your question is it will be rebuilt but never the same in many ways, regardless of the risk, its America's nature. Whether we learn from this mistake is a larger question.

[edit on 31-8-2005 by madmangunradio]

Trying to rebuild that city would be completely foolish on our part. The gov has to admit now that global warming is real, that more storm are going to come.
The fact that they have now told the police in the city to stop rescue mission and concentrate on stopping the looters is insane! I can't believe it! The city is ruined, these people are trying to survive there and the government tells the 1500 police to stop rescuing them and stop the looters! We should admit the city is ruined, let the people get what they can from the city, let them loot it, abandon it, and move on! I'm afraid this decision is showing just how nieve and foolish people can be.

The police etc are for the most part letting those looting food and provisions do there thing to survive. I've also seen some video footage of the police targeting the idiots trying to steal other things like tv's etc. Show me a link where the police etc where told to stop rescueing people to target those looting both necessary things as well as unecessary things. Point is its one big F*****D situation in many areas hard hit. I cant imagine being put in a position like these people who decided a, category 5 *1/2 before it hit, hurricane was worth staying home. Personaly Im smart enough to know a storm that size is a reason to get the hell out of town. I still have compassion for the stupid. Maybe its because I live in tornado valley.. However you want to look at it..... loot the food and target the true criminals

There are many cities that get destroyed and rebuilt. It seems a year doesn't go by and a major European gets flooded out. Grand Forks ND was a lake for several weeks, the entire downtown burned, and today it is going stronger than ever before. Right now there are several thousand construction companies packing up and getting ready to head in. If this city isn't rebuilt, all that money will be pocketed and the economy will truly suffer.

I predict that Americas ego (which is good) will rebuild the area stronger and better than ever. However If I was a business owner etc I'd rethink rebuilding in those locations. Personaly it *awes me to see these deep offshore hubs for imported oil and exported goods along with the number of refineries are located in the gulf where hurricanes are a normal thing. I never thought about it till this odd yet EXPECTED natural disaster. Oil is american blood obviously and there placed in these locations.. *shakes his head*

Edited: Took large out of business.

Edited to ask another question..... If anyone can help me here why are the deep import export locations located in these areas. Im smart enough to know why the refineries are located next to the oil import locations but why are these locations located in a region prone to this area of threat and to add to this question why in the hell where these locations allowed to refine our oil located in an area that was expected to be a disaster one day. WTF!

[edit on 31-8-2005 by madmangunradio]

I heard on NPR that the expected construction required to rebuild would actually provide a stimulus to the US economy,so I would expect the city will be rebuilt.

My home,Darwin was destroyed by a cyclone/hurricane on Christmas Day 1974,a city of 40,000 almost blown off the map.It was considered to be a once in a hundred year storm and all buildings since then have been built to a strict code to withstand a similar event.

Current population 100,000 and growing,a beautiful and vibrant city,it would have been a shame to leave it in ruins.I'm sure the residents of New Orleans would like to see their home rebuilt.

I certainly hope they consider bringing in lots of dirt, build up more areas to higher than sea level. They'll have to demolish all the buildings that got soaked anyway due to molds and structural damage.

Originally posted by madmangunradio
The police etc are for the most part letting those looting food and provisions do there thing to survive. I've also seen some video footage of the police targeting the idiots trying to steal other things like tv's etc. Show me a link where the police etc where told to stop rescueing people to target those looting both necessary things as well as unecessary things. Point is its one big F*****D situation in many areas hard hit.

Your right, the situation is very much F'd. Appearantly the national gaurd feels unsafe there as well and are being shot at by people that looted guns.
The mayor did order 1500 police to focus on the looters instead of search and rescue. Anyone else agree is search and rescue a little more important than fighting looters in this situation?





Here is link of the situation.

Apparently someone doesn't think so:

From the Times Picayune

WASHINGTON - House Speaker Dennis Hastert dropped a bombshell on flood-ravaged New Orleans on Thursday by suggesting that it isn’t sensible to rebuild the city.
Hastert said that he supports an emergency bailout, but raised questions about a long-term rebuilding effort. As the most powerful voice in the Republican-controlled House, Hastert is in a position to block any legislation that he opposes.

"We help replace, we help relieve disaster," Hastert said. "But I think federal insurance and everything that goes along with it... we ought to take a second look at that."

The speaker’s comments were in stark contrast to those delivered by President Bush during an appearance this morning on ABC’s “Good Morning America.”

“I want the people of New Orleans to know that after rescuing them and stabilizing the situation, there will be plans in place to help this great city get back on its feet,” Bush said. “There is no doubt in my mind that New Orleans is going to rise up again as a great city.”

The last line seems to sum up alot of people's feelings: "if the people of New Orleans and other low-lying areas insist on living in harm's way, they ought to accept responsibility for what happens to them and their property."

HELL YEAH it should be rebuilt...it was one of the best food cities in the south in my opinion. I started a thread on BTS to remember New Orleans with word and picture. Stop by and add your 2 cents

www.belowtopsecret.com...

Well we know one thing: The oil companies will leave their rigs in place so when this happens again they will say they a legit reason to skyrocket oil prices again.

Originally posted by 12 12 2012
HELL YEAH it should be rebuilt...it was one of the best food cities in the south in my opinion.

So you are saying a good gumbo is worth a hundred ot two drowned citizens? How crazy is that?

Built a New New Orelans in a safe and dry place, for Gossake.

Originally posted by Aelita

Originally posted by 12 12 2012
HELL YEAH it should be rebuilt...it was one of the best food cities in the south in my opinion.

So you are saying a good gumbo is worth a hundred ot two drowned citizens? How crazy is that?

Built a New New Orelans in a safe and dry place, for Gossake.

Did I say anything about not building it up to sea level. Did I post anywhere that people should die. For god sakes Aelita I have friends there that are still un-accounted for. Please tell me how you read that into my post. I would appreciate you NOT putting words into my post. If you want me to I would be happy to explain to you HOW to build a BETTER, SAFER New Orleans, but that wasn't the title of the thread now was it! The title was Should New Orleans be rebuilt?

[edit on 1-9-2005 by 12 12 2012]

It's not that I think New Orleans wasn't a cool place. I've always
meant to visit there sometime in my life but I never have. Now it seems it will
be a long time before I even think about going there.

If they are going to rebuild it, I feel that the elevation issue must be dealt
with. A law that requires new construction to sit atop 8 ft stilts perhaps?
Only allow oval structures that can withstand 180MPH winds maybe?

Something needs to be thought out. Lack of critical thinking is what put the
city in the place it is in now. Any simple wood structures built on or
near the coast should be thought of as temporary at best.

Originally posted by 12 12 2012

Originally posted by Aelita

Originally posted by 12 12 2012
HELL YEAH it should be rebuilt...it was one of the best food cities in the south in my opinion.

So you are saying a good gumbo is worth a hundred ot two drowned citizens? How crazy is that?

Built a New New Orelans in a safe and dry place, for Gossake.

Did I say anything about not building it up to sea level. Did I post anywhere that people should die. For god sakes Aelita I have friends there that are still un-accounted for. Please tell me how you read that into my post. I would appreciate you NOT putting words into my post. If you want me to I would be happy to explain to you HOW to build a BETTER, SAFER New Orleans, but that wasn't the title of the thread now was it! The title was Should New Orleans be rebuilt?

[edit on 1-9-2005 by 12 12 2012]

Sorry, I apprently misread the meaning of your message.

If you visit "Stratfor", there are plenty geopolitical reasons for NO to exist.
I just meant the current (or previous) shape and form of it was fraught with danger.

I have a love/hate relationship with NOLA. I have visited the city for years. I loved the food, the music, the French Quarter, the track, and the Riverwalk. The city was a great place and I have many fond memories.

On the other hand, I absolutely hated the crime (another reason why I refused to live there.)

I would hate to see NOLA abandoned. But it should not be rebuilt the way it was.

It should be done on mother nature's terms. Let's face it, if it weren't for the levy system, NO would be part of Lake Pontchartrain. The entire area needs to be raised up above sea level, before rebuilding. It's been done before. They raised most of the island of Galveston up by several feet after the devistating hurricane in 1900. It would be a project on the scale of the Big Dig, but it can be done.