Would you guys go back to New Orleans to rebuilt your life again? I mean if you were the victim of Katrina. I wouldn't go back at all. The area is at high risk and the govn't refused to build up the dam to withstand category 5 hurricane.

*laughs* A class 5 hurricane, any earthquake over R6, tornado of any size, these are things that you can't design something to stand in front of and say with a straight face that it WILL survive.

Probably survive, sure. But when you build on a fault or below the flood plain, there are certain risks you are assuming. I know too many civil engineers who laugh at suggestions like a completely reliable levy to do anything but laugh with them. There are too many variables that come into play to say what kind of natural event a human structure will withstand. Survive the winds, sure, they don't stick up all that much. Survive the storm surge, probably. But you have no idea how fast or in what direction a hurricane will move until has moved, and the rain it will drop is what will get the levys.

It doesn't really seem that many of the problems in NOLA can be fixed, including their government. Why go back and wait for it to be hit again, with probably the same results? Mt. St. Helens had a man named Harry Truman who wouldn't leave after the first (lesser) eruption. They never found his body. Ask for trouble and you'll probably get it.

Oh, that meant "NO", okay? <img src="/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

Sue

Heh - I've seen designs for stuff that will handle R6 earthquakes and Tornados - and shrug, Of course you and I could not afford them - something about doors multi feet thick, in 6 ft thick concrete walls - dome shaped - think reactor containment buildings - they are designed to take BIG earthquakes and tornados and shrug

They could be fixed, but political posturing and the need for individual power will probably corrupt the process. Not all of this will be intentional, but just a by product of the way humans interact.

Alot could be done, but it will have to be things the government insists on. Things like stronger levees and better pumps (pumps were earth 20th century technology, parts could only be made, not purchased! Okay, not a big thing, anything over 20 years probably has to have parts made).

Perhaps the biggest thing would be increasing trust in local government. I have heard stories of corruption in New Orleans and Louisiana, but I don't know that for sure, as I've never lived there. If there is in fact, people aren't going to trust anything their local government says. "You better evacuate, because it's going to be real bad" "Yeah, right, just like you said that other thing was real bad. Turn out to be nothing. I've lived here for XX years, and nothing has happened". Oh, and educating ignorant people about things.

It can all come back together and be better, but it starts by accepting personal responsibility for your actions. This goes for the Mayor, Governor, and individuals. If everyone had done their part, this mess would not have happened. You can point fingers in every direction, but at some point an individual has to make a decision. Sometimes you just have to go it alone!

In a word, no.

There will be more hurricanes, more floods, and more breaches of the levees.

Why the devil go back and rebuild just to risk loosing it all -- AGAIN?

-- Craig

I wouldn't go back, and not just because of the geography.

I would think most "survival minded" folks would not live below sea level. Or if they did they would have better and more efficient emergency preparedness plans to deal with "the next one...."

Good point! Let me ammend my statement:

They will never be built becuase the politicians don't want to cough the money.

But, no offense, I stand by my statement that nothing is 100% relable.

isn't there a survival rule not to build your shelter in a flood plain?