Following Hurricane Katrina, there was plenty of discussion about the location of the city of New Orleans, and much of southern Louisiana and its geography. The geography is one of the most fascinating parts about the state of Louisiana as the entire state lies only on average around 100 feet above sea level. Parts of the state are even several feet below it. One of the great debates after some of the hurricanes in the last several years have created some speculation about the location of major cities in the state, mainly New Orleans.
There are plenty of myths about Louisiana’s land area including that it is sinking, which would also contribute to the land loss in the region. Levees.org put together a compilation of myths and facts of the area with clear explanations as well. One example is that contrary to popular belief, New Orleans does not reside below sea level. The areas of the city that are above it, albeit by several feet, include the French Quarter, the Lower Ninth Ward, the Garden District, and many others. People also tend to believe that the city and these small parts of the city are sinking at rapid rate. While the city of New Orleans and the New Orleans area is sinking, the rate it’s sinking is greatly overrated. Studies from the Geological Study of America show that the rate of sinking and subsidence is around 1 millimeter per year. At that rate, it will only total a little less than four inches in this century which is barely anything. Lastly, people make the argument about rebuilding a city that is so vulnerable to floods, hurricanes, and other disasters. The study addresses is there are 39 major cities that, not unlike New Orleans, lie in flood plains. With that, there is just as much risk of rebuilding cities on fault lines, in the middle of Tornado Alley, and in the Dakotas where huge ice storms occur annually.
Sources:
Levees.org
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