4 ms·
New Orleanian here - the areas in the article are generally on top of swampland and structures sink/erode quite substantially. They’re also outside of the levee
by pjot 2y ago
New Orleanian here - the areas in the article are generally on top of swampland and structures sink/erode quite substantially. They’re also outside of the levee protection zone which are primarily earthen levees. When following the road all the way to the end[0] roughly halfway it’s a real trip when you pass the massive concrete structure with a flood gate and suddenly see water bordering each side of the road. It’s also quite dystopian the amount of giant oil facilities that you pass by.
There are non-earthen levees in the city as well. For instance in the 9th ward. These are the levees that failed during Katrina. It’s the Army Corps of Engineers that constructs these levees and have become more complex (better?) over time; imagine an upside-down “T” structure buried in the ground.
If I had to guess, I suppose the reason may be that it’s because they’re outside the protection zone, and so, when it floods (not if) their infrastructure would be surrounded regardless. Also, a concrete structure surrounding only their plant I assume is orders of magnitude cheaper than moving the amount of earth it would take to build 100+ miles of earthen levees.
[0]: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Venice,_Southernmost_Point_In_Louisiana.jpg https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Venice,_Southernmost...
- gerdesj 2y agoI had the privilege of rocking up in NOLA in a sodding huge cruise ship some years ago after whizzing across the Atlantic. I am well aware that it wasn't the "greenest" action I have ever performed. It takes nearly a day to crawl up the river M from the Gulf of Mexico. A 18 deck monster at around 180,000 tonnes has to take it easy to avoid damaging the levees with its wash, scouring out the river bed etc. At one point, over the course of 45 minutes, our captain decided to overtake a tanker (showboating). A few minutes later we had to park up in a herringbone formation to wait our turn to dock, which took several hours. I think it is around 70-80 miles from the sea to NOLA. From 18 storeys up a river as huge as the Mississippi still looks huge. The levees don't look very large though from up there though, they look very flat and fragile. I studied Civil Engineering in Plymouth (Devon, not MA) and that trip on a cruise ship gave me quite a perspective on engineering works and nature. @pjot - if you get a chance, take a run up the Mississippi on a really big ship. Its quite an eye opener.
- pjot 2y agoI live in a neighborhood right on the river - one of my favorite things is watching these massive boats go by; especially the Chiquita and Dole container ships filled with bananas. Fun fact, a ships captain is not the one piloting the boat, they instead must relinquish all control to specialized Mississippi River pilots at the mouth of the river. https://www.crescentpilots.com/ https://www.crescentpilots.com/
- unholythree 2y agoYeah it’s always crazy looking down some street perpendicular to the levee and seeing something the size of a skyscraper on its side slide by at 10 mph.
- selimthegrim 2y agoThe cruise ships are the really fun ones to watch (sadly I moved to Mid-City)
- jeromegv 2y agoSame happens in the St Lawrence river / seaway in Canada.
- gerdesj 2y ago"Fun fact, a ships captain is not the one piloting the boat," All ports and many transits require a Pilot.