Why do people throw a fit about helping New Orleans in the face of disaster? ?

Question

The frequency of a storm hitting the city is few and far between. In California earthquakes happen frequently as well as wildfires, several each summer these disasters call on tax dollars in the form of help from FEMA, and fire fighting services. Yet the call to abandon New Orleans is frequent and I don't think I ever hear the same about Cali. Why is there such different feelings about these two places prone to natural disaster?

Answer 1

Because New Orleans is shaped like a bowl.  Seriously.  If there is a big rain, it could be devastating, such as katrina.  That's why there's such a big fuss.  And um...last I checked, there are human beings living there.  Americans.  Seems like we help other countries before we help people in need on our own soil.  It's ridiculous.

Answer 2

Most of the people who claim NOLA should be abandoned are simply misinformed.  There is a lot of wrong information floating around (pun not intended) and people don't check facts before repeating the wrong information.

A good example is the idea New Orleans has been frequently rebuilt after hurricanes when Katrina was the FIRST time the city had to be rebuilt since becoming part of the USA in 1803. The city had to be rebuilt in 1788 after a fire that had nothing to do with hurricanes.

People also think NOLA is nothing more than the French Quarter and don't understand how much of America's critical national infrastructure is in & around New Orleans.  Many don't realize the city has over a million population.

There is also the extremely prevalent myth that New Orleans was "built below sea level", and the amount BSL tends to increase with each telling.  In reality, most of the city is above sea level and the parts below are on swamps that were drained in the20th century to make room for neighborhoods (Ex. Lakeview, Gentilly, and the Lower 9th Ward).

Many people also believe the falsehood that is still running around that claims NOLA "stole all the money for the levees and spent it building casinos". I really don't know where that BS comes from, but the levee system is the responsibility of the federal government, and was designed & built by the US Army Corps of Engineers (a federal agency).  The USACE is also responsible for major maintenance.

Sadly, some of the people who want to see New Orleans abandoned believe that out of hate.  Some are racists, others hate Catholics, and so on.  They are vindictive out of bigotry. The silliest haters are the ones who believe NOLA deserves to be punished by God because there are strip clubs in the first 5 blocks of Bourbon Street, and because there are g**s living in New Orleans (all that equals Sin City. Golly).

Answer 3

Thank you.  It's good to know not everyone in the US is ignorant and hates New Orleans.

There's natural disaster everywhere.  New Orleans hasn't been hit badly since Betsy in the 50's before Katrina.  And now everyone thinks we don't deserve the same respect that they recieve from our government.

We don't want pity, we just want some respect on the 3 year anniversary of Katrina as we prepare for yet another storm.

Answer 4

New Orleans is below the water line. It's the easiest city to flood. Naturally people would be concerned.