Question:

Why do people insist living below sea level?

by  |  earlier

0 LIKES UnLike

Gustav might wipe out Louisiana again. I hope not, but why live there if it is unsafe. The only thing keeping it dry is Levey's and pumps. I know its your home land but jees. not worth your life. No disrespect meant. Just hope it turns out ok this will be a bad one!

 Tags:

   Report

5 ANSWERS


  1. i completely agree with you. it's a man made space that was unnaturally made for people to live in. If Katrina could take it out then Gustav probably is just as likely to do so.

    i think nature might be trying to tell us something.


  2. Most areas below sea level are near the ocean or other water (below the embankments of the Mississippi for example) which often means that they are near a good harbor protected from ordinary weather.  Harbor means shipping means employment means housing.   It is normally too expensive to build up the level of the land all the way across, so you build up the edges and dry out the land - as in Holland (winter storms, not hurricanes) and New Orleans.  

    levees not Leveys

  3. Generational habit. My father, grandfather, etc. lived here for decades. So will I. Money from shipping is another necessary habit. Legends, history, religion, etc. are of many reasons why people would put themselves in harms way year after year. The aforementioned items I spoke were examples. I live up north.

  4. The answer is- because land in flood basins is relatively cheap, as compared to the high ground. People looking to save a few bucks buy or rent in these flood prone regions everywhere, its not unique to New Orleans. We have low-rent districts like that in the Detroit area too. Oh sure there are nice places in the greater New Orleans region also, but those folks know its all just one storm away from calamity. I don't have much mercy for the residents who knowingly take risks by living there. The bigger question for the taxpayers of Louisiana should be whether or not to rebuild infrastructure in areas that have been known to be in flood plains. Personally I don't think any of those homes in the devastated area should have been rebuilt. Additionally, I don't think homes in Michigan flood plains should be rebuilt either after a disastrous flood event. And finally, I certainly don't think we should collectively pay (through our taxes) for the restoration of private property damaged via natural disaster, especially homes built in well doccumented flood plains.

  5. Because they can't afford to do otherwise. The biggest problem is in the Ganges delta, where millions of people live by farming the rich soil but which floods regularly every few year and wipes out a whole lot of them.

    The New Orleans problem is one of negligence. Good levees (Levey's are jeans!) would have prevented it but the government cheaped out. The Dutch seem to do much better.

Question Stats

Latest activity: earlier.
This question has 5 answers.

BECOME A GUIDE

Share your knowledge and help people by answering questions.