Can New Orleans look to Amsterdam as a model?
Amsterdam (a city that is also below sea level) underwent a very significant flood in 1953. A tremendous effort was initiated right away to try to protect Amsterdam in the future — massive infrastructure construction projects. The first step was to construct a moveable storm surge barrier. That went into operation in 1958. The Delta Project was not completed per its original design until 1997. How long could it take to rebuild New Orleans to that same level of safety? We can build things that would protect New Orleans in the future. I will probably be long since retired before they’re done. So we’ve got a period of 30-ish years, even if we’re aggressive, that says it’s not protected. That raises real questions about the future of the city. Natural disasters tend to accelerate the rate of change. New Orleans is a city that was economically challenged before. The median household income in New Orleans before the storm was $27,000. The national average is $41,000. People have not been mov
