NationStates Jolt Archive

http://www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,10772635%255E401,00.html
New Orleans itself is about -2.2 m below sea level, and most of the surrounding land is barely at sea level. If Ivan hits New Orleans head on at Catagory 5, I'm pessimistic on what it may do. Not only will storm surge flood the city, but the many levees, dams, and canals ringing that area will burst. It'll leave tens of thousands homeless. I don't even want to begin how it'll effect the economy of the rest of the nation. The busy port of New Orleans will be destroyed, much of the nation's refining capacity will be off line, and the intricate system of dams, levees, and canals near the Mississppi delta may be destroyed. I saw a National Geographic documentary once that predicted this if a major storm hit. Hurricane Andrew, actually, almost did hit New Orleans.

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Damn, New Orleans is one of my favourite cities. Cafe Du Monde is wonderful and just all the history and culture of the city makes me sad to see it could all be under water. I remember when I was there last November and our tour guide was explaining the problem the city had with the graveyards and being below sea level.

I'd hate to see what it would do there. It'as bad enough storms have battered the Carribean and Florida...

Damn, New Orleans is one of my favourite cities. Cafe Du Monde is wonderful and just all the history and culture of the city makes me sad to see it could all be under water. I remember when I was there last November and our tour guide was explaining the problem the city had with the grave yards and being below sea level.
Yes, they're famous for their graveyards. I bet they'll stay in their graves, but I'd imagine that Ivan will speed up their rotting. It may contaminate the groundwater there.

Yep, apparently they ran a projection on this a few weeks back...the result:

A general consensus of KYAGB.

it would seem to me that part of louisiana is used to that kind of stuff, ought to be interesting here though, ivan is going throigh alabama straight

Psssh, I was in Miami, take it like man :P

Seriously, board up or dig a bunker, unless you can run away...

it would seem to me that part of louisiana is used to that kind of stuff, ought to be interesting here though, ivan is going throigh alabama straight
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/ftp/graphics/AT09/refresh/AL0904W%2BGIF/070303W.gif

They are well within the cone of error. If it doesn't turn...

actually its projected path is into alabama, though lousiaiana should get decent rainfall
There are a few projected paths, but this has convinced New Orleaners to evacuate. I imagine that the Lake Pontchatrain Bridge(sp?) will be double lane traffic by tommarow.

There are a few projected paths, but this has convinced New Orleaners to evacuate. I imagine that the Lake Pontchatrain Bridge(sp?) will be double lane traffic by tommarow.
the only part predicted to get hit by ivan bad is the words i cant think of now where the river lets out, and thats just gonna be storm surge, but if your there its time to leave, and the projected paths i see have it going straight through alabama

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/ftp/graphics/AT09/refresh/AL0904W%2BGIF/070303W.gif

They are well within the cone of error. If it doesn't turn...
The mayor actually said that there's about a 25% chance that it'd hit New Orleans dead on. While it'll certainly be bad wherever it hits, if it hits New Orleans, it'll be absolutely catastrophic.

I lost the article, but I saw something that a meteorologist at NOAA said. If the eye does actually hit the New Orleans area, tens of thousands could die. I think that's a little pessimistic myself, as quite a few are leaving New Orleans. But it'll certainly kill many of those who do stay.

Geez this is bad :(

Yes, they're famous for their graveyards. I bet they'll stay in their graves, but I'd imagine that Ivan will speed up their rotting. It may contaminate the groundwater there.
Actually, people aren't buried in New Orleans. The water table is so high that coffins won't stay underground. People are buried in ossuaries, or bonehouses, and on occasion, if the flooding is really bad and the bonehouses aren't kept in top shape, you get a surprise floating down the street. I saw it as a kid one time.

I'm keeping a close eye on this one, because I have family down there. My daughter lives on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, and she and her mom are heading for central Louisiana right now, and my parents live in inland Mississippi, but they're getting battened down in case of the worst.

New Orleans is only really in danger if Ivan destroys the system of locks north of them in Baton Rouge. Those locks keep the Mississippi river flowing through New Orleans, and if they ever break, the river will take off through the Atchafalaya basin, wiping out Louisiana's only remaining cypress swamp (big loss), the town of Morgan City (not so big of a loss :D j/k), and New Orleans' source of drinking water (humongous loss) because the Gulf of Mexico will back up through the delta into the areas where the river once ran.

God I hope that doesn't happen, because I really want to return to live there one day.

Actually, people aren't buried in New Orleans. The water table is so high that coffins won't stay underground. People are buried in ossuaries, or bonehouses, and on occasion, if the flooding is really bad and the bonehouses aren't kept in top shape, you get a surprise floating down the street. I saw it as a kid one time.
That's what I meant, actually. I just didn't know the names for them. Where I live, everyone's either buried, or locked in one of those huge crypts, if you can afford to own one.
[/quote]I'm keeping a close eye on this one, because I have family down there. My daughter lives on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, and she and her mom are heading for central Louisiana right now, and my parents live in inland Mississippi, but they're getting battened down in case of the worst.

New Orleans is only really in danger if Ivan destroys the system of locks north of them in Baton Rouge. Those locks keep the Mississippi river flowing through New Orleans, and if they ever break, the river will take off through the Atchafalaya basin, wiping out Louisiana's only remaining cypress swamp (big loss), the town of Morgan City (not so big of a loss :D j/k), and New Orleans' source of drinking water (humongous loss) because the Gulf of Mexico will back up through the delta into the areas where the river once ran.

God I hope that doesn't happen, because I really want to return to live there one day.[/QUOTE]
Good luck to your family. They're in my thoughts and prayers.