We saw a story on PBS a few months ago about how New Orleans
will probably be destroyed by flood (part of a great story on
the Mississippi River Delta). The very levees built to protect
the city are likely to be the cause of its destruction: When
they stopped the river from flooding, they also prevented the
wetlands from getting the regular doses of floodwater and mud
that they need to survive. Studies show that if the wetlands
keep vanishing over the next few decades, then you won’t need a
giant storm to devastate New Orleans — a much weaker, more
common kind of hurricane could destroy the city too. What’s
more, the way the city’s built, the evacuation routes would
flood. Tens of thousands would be trapped. A big storm is all it
will take to completely wipe out the city, and sooner or later
it will happen. Here’s a related American RadioWorks story:
Hurricane Risk for New Orleans. A Washington Post article
yesterday (registration required) explores the possibility that
Hurricane Ivan might be The One: the st