New Guidelines And Infrastructure Improvements In New Orleans Essay

“There are natural hazards, but disasters are the result of human actions that put people and property in harm’s way” (Cigler 2007: 64). Throughout history New Orleans has been continuously altered by the presence of humans through the creation of levees and canals, the introduction of artificial irrigation systems, and through human induced processes that have ultimately accelerated the process of land degradation and erosion. While a natural hazard struck New Orleans in 2005, the disaster portion resulting from Hurricane Katrina was a result of human induced interactions throughout the history of New Orleans.

Flooding of the settlement was problematic. By 1812, the settlers had built miles of levees on the banks of the river. For the next two hundred years, the surrounding wetlands were drained to eliminate swamps filled with yellow fever carrying mosquitoes and to encourage economic development. Draining water from peaty soils encouraged subsidence. The land which was just inches above sea level to begin with steadily sank. In combat of this, higher and stronger levees were built, tightening the straight jacket already placed upon the Mississippi River. The massive flooding of 1928 brought further flood control systems implemented by the Army Corps of Engineers with Congressional blessing. By the 1950’s, dramatic rates of land loss in Louisiana’s coastal zone stretched across 300 miles from Texas to Mississippi and inland 50 miles. (Tibbetts)

The failure to adequately prepare for the storm led to increased and more widespread devastation, which in many cases harmed those living in the affected areas. An independent analysis of the reason for such massive chaos was performed and determined that “Most of the damage was due to the failure of the levee system that surrounds the city to protect it from flooding” (Ubilla). Had these levees been properly built, and had there been more of them protecting the city of New Orleans, major flooding could have potentially been lessened. A simple feature of the levee structure which engineers neglected to include is the concrete

New Orleans was built on a marsh. The city was inundated by water during Hurricane Katrina in 2005, causing a tremendous loss of human lives and costing the economy billions of dollars in damage. Since the storm, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has built a system of lift stations and levees to control the flow of water around the city. This has created what is best described as a bathtub surrounded by water. To further elaborate, New Orleans is the bath tub, while Lake Pontchartrain and the Mississippi River surround the city. Over the years keeping water from entering the city has become more difficult because the city continues to sink lower below sea level. Subsidence of marshy soils lowers the ground elevation in and around the City of New Orleans. The gradual caving in or sinking of land is known as subsidence.

For example, the barrier islands on Louisiana’s coast are being destroyed or altered. The islands, reefs, and shelf protect Louisiana from storms and hurricanes. However, humans have altered the formation and existence of the protection. Stone et el. argues, based on statistical analysis of the coast, that the “physical loss of the barrier islands and marsh resulted in a considerable increase in modeled surge levels and wave heights.

32 | spring 2016 get involved www. kappa.org | 33 For more than two centuries, coffee has been a fundamental part of the culinary and social culture of New Orleans. It’s not just the city’s penchant for chicory café au lait served alongside warm beignets.

The benefits as explained above will be the lifeblood of New Orleans. These sectors include tourism, port operations, wages, and taxes. I feel that examining these areas will give us a better look at the microeconomics of New Orleans and allows us to better estimate the benefits of a recovery effort.

Hurricane Katrina. [Electronic Resource] : Wind Versus Flood Issues. Washington, DC : Office of Inspector General, U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security, [2008], 2008. EBSCOhost, excelsior.sdstate.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=cat04225a&AN=sdsu.008408717&site=eds-live.

Discussion Questions: It has been over 10 years since Hurricane Katrina devastated communities in the gulf coast region. Many people were relocated and were never able to return to their own communities.

Katrina hit New Orleans, Louisiana on August 29th, 2005, but the failure of the government started before this day “by allowing building and growing in areas in low flood lands.” The government did not regulate these land areas that have always been at a threat for flooding and natural disaster, which was ignored by the government and public, and was in place, still a place for growing infrastructure. Failures included by the author of the national agencies include design limits that can lead to levees being overtopped by flood and hurricane events that are larger than they were designed for and design flaws and construction and maintenance shortcomings that lead to protective works being breached when they cannot stand up to the forces exerted by large flood and hurricane events. The author also points out the problems with the hundred-year flood event, which only has a one percent chance of happening every year. When the NFIP focuses on this possible catastrophe, it losses the

Quality of life in New Orleans: a cause for concern. New Orleans residents today are facing an onslaught of serious issues that threaten the quality of life in the city. New Orleans has seen an increase in crime and violence, a decrease in academic performance and threats from natural disasters. From uptown, through central city to the French Quarter, it seems as though no corner of the city is spared.

Many communities are suffering due to coastal erosion. One example is the village of Cocodrie, LA in Terrebonne Parish. This village’s small population and its 220 residential and commercial buildings are surrounded by marshes. In Cocodrie, there is no barrier against hurricanes. Local marinas play host to recreational and commercial fishing, and The Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium is located in Cocodrie. This facility of around 100,000 square ft houses laboratories, classrooms, and a research center. Infrastructure that will be affected by coastal erosion includes paved highway, dirt roads, a bridge, water supply systems, and natural gas lines. By 2050, Cocodrie will be surrounded by open water as the marshlands around the village give way to rising sea levels. Another community affected by this issue is Yscloskey, LA in St. Bernard Parish. The most important part of the economy here is fishing, and highways link the parish to New Orleans fishing communities. The Yscloskey area lies outside of the protective levees and is quite vulnerable to storms. Though losses in Yscloskey are not predicted to be as great as those in Cocodrie, a 16 percent loss by 2050 leaves the infrastructure of Yscloskey even more vulnerable (Coast 2050, 1998, p. 64-66). Local residents in these areas are watching the land disappear along with the beachfronts and Cyprus swamps that were on that land (Marshall, 2014).

"In addition to endangering the wildlife and economic prosperity of an area, the loss of wetlands also puts humans at risk. Wetlands serve as a natural buffer zone against storms and hurricanes, slowing down the storms and reducing their force before they move inland. However, as the wetlands disappear, some cities are becoming more exposed. The city of New Orleans, Louisiana, has already suffered the consequences of this gradual depletion of wetland buffer zones. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina, one of the deadliest and most destructive hurricanes in the entire history of the United States, hit the Gulf Coast. There were more than 1,800 casualties, with the greatest number of them concentrated in New Orleans. Eighty percent of the city was flooded, and there were more than 700 dead. Many blamed the destruction of New Orleans on the failure of the levees, which are manmade barriers that prevent water from flooding into a city. However, scientists and researchers believe that the hurricane would have done far less damage to the city if the surrounding wetlands had been intact. Since the storm, there has been a greater national focus on preserving and restoring the wetlands on the Gulf Coast. Preserving our wetlands and maintaining a buffer zone against storms will only become more crucial in the future, as climate change may increase both the frequency and the severity of extreme weather events such as hurricanes. " There are so many

First and foremost, I have learned a great deal of information this semester in Dr. Heidi’s advanced clinical practice groups’ class. For instance, this class has given me the tools that can be utilized in therapeutic settings as well as help me to engage group members in dialogue while encouraging them to develop their own community of support. In addition, the role as a facilitator allowed me to demonstrate skills on how to effectively initiate discussions, and at the same time, develop the skill of active listening. During, the demonstration I did utilize the skill of listening, however, I found it challenging to actively listen and know when to probe for more information. For instance, throughout the demonstration, I kept trying to remember

Parents all want what is best for their child. However, sometimes knowing what is best for them is not always easy. For instance, sports. Parents hate to see their child get hurt, so most sports are not “ideal”, but most also realize that their child may need sports to help their child develop motor skills and socialization skills. This makes things complicated at times. The one exception to this rule is that soccer is both non-violent and perfect for kids of all ages. There are also those who feel that soccer and motor skills go hand in hand.