Does the rest of the country know about the land crisis in Louisiana?

Question

At Sunday dinner, my family were discussing disappearing land along the Gulf of Mexico in the southern part of a neighboring parish. My basic question is does the rest of the country realize that the Louisiana Gulf Coast is disappearing? If you are aware, do you realize how dangerous this for us? We will have no hurricane protection. Please understand that levees only protect against flooding, but land and swamps protect diminish hurricane strength and absorb storm surge. Just so you have some protection, I live 75 miles southwest of New Orleans, and the disappearing land is approximately 130 miles southwest of New Orleans. If the overwhelming answer is "no," I may have to buy a pirogue (kind of like a canoe) to save life during the next hurricane.

Answer 1

It does stand to reason since cutting down trees removes the natural storm break for tornadoes. But what you describe happens everywhere there's a coast or shoreline. I live about 10 or 15 miles from a major river. Sandbars here have disappeared while up-river they're created. Land shifts and changes.

I think in your case Katrina did destroy the coastline and it's up to you guys to help nature out a bit.

Answer 2

The melting of ice and typical erosion will cause that. Plus the fact most of it is under sea level.

Might not be a bad idea for you to purchase a canoe. Just in case.

Answer 3

Have not heard a word.  I do know we've  lost shore areas all up and down the East Coast for a number of years.  Folks paying big bucks to put up rip-rap of one sort or another to keep their back yard from the ocean.

Answer 4

OK, you know about the problem and you still choose to live there.  That is your choice.  If your home gets smashed by the next storm that goes through, whose fault will it be, yours for living there or the government's for allowing nature to take its own course?  Don't you dare choose to live somewhere and then decide that all American taxpayers are somehow responsible to make you safe.  If you want protection from hurricanes, move to Arizona.  There hasn't been one there since Fred Flintstone lived there.

Answer 5

I'm so sorry, but I have heard enough about New Orleans and and Katrina.....What about the people in the north along the Mississippi and it's tributaries that have lost everything!  they have gone out and sandbagged without complaining or asking for a government check...they have not had any 'RAP'

singer say that the president doesn't like them because they are the wrong color....they haven't sat on the behinds and waited to be moved with checks in hand....they haven't been seen on TV looting along with the cops.... they don't have any celebrities donating money and rebuilding new homes for the cities no rap/singers having concerts to raise money to help them..from now on if your afraid take the time to remember there is more to the United States than Louisiana....you know all that talk about global warming....my friend there will be a lot less to ALL of the states with a coast line not just Louisiana.

Find another soap box to stand on  I've heard your story too long now.

Answer 6

No!  Most people are too provincial to care what is going on in another town in their state, much less another state.  They do not even realize we STILL have not helped the people in the towns on the coasts of Louisiana and Alabama flooded by the levee breach.  Perhaps with the events of late with all the levees being breached, people may realize just how we turned our backs on our own citizens.  The levees in New Orleans have not even been repaired to withstand a level 4 storm (this is what it was said it could withstand before the breach).  We were told that they would do "Whatever it takes"  to improve the levees there so the disaster there would never happen again!  not only did they not improve them, they have not restored them to the same level they were before the storm, and here we are in the beginning of another hurricane season!  It is sad that we care about no one but ourselves (For the most part, not everyone).  Our lack of compassion and response to the travesty that went on there is sad.  That we can be so callous as to ignore a whole geographical area of our country that was devastated by a natural disaster, is disgusting!  Everyone should watch "When the ?Levees Broke"  which is a HBO documentary.  

It should be shown each year just before the hurricane season.  Funny how Texas got all the help it needed when it was hit by storms!..............

Answer 7

Yes, there are many places where the land is eroding due to the hurricanes.  Remember Galveston in 1910? Hurricane.  So many died ,they tried to dump the bodies at sea and they washed back up so then they had to burn them.  They rebuilt the entire island by transporting sand and building the wall.  They are also doing this in Cancun, right now.  I would suggest you move to higher ground to be on the safe side.  Why risk life in an area that can kill you!!

Answer 8

No, I really had no idea about the disappearing gulf.  I live in West Virginia, and all I hear up here is how that area of the country is trying to still recover from Katrina.  Honestly, that's all I really ever hear up hear.  I had no idea about that crisis... That's not good.

Answer 9

i know about that crisis, but the government wont do anything about it until New orleans is underwater, and the government loses millions since that city is a major port. i say that city can last only 2-3 more moderate hurricanes before it becomes part of the Gulf

i feel with you i am from south florida and the same thing is happening in south florida, sea water is rising covering land and both of our regions are only predicted to last like 60-100 more years until they are gone

some scary stuff nowadays