Is New Orleans worth saving?

I'm not talking about the people trapped there, who we need to get out of there as soon as possible. The government authorities have been doing a pretty lousy job on this account and the Superdome was a really stupuid place to use as a shelter.

But what about the city itself? Yesterday morning, we were told 80% of the city was flooded, and since then there have been more levee breaches and waters have continued to rise. By now I assume that close to 100% of the city is flooded.

I'm not a structural engineer, but I am pretty sure that houses flooded up to their roofs cannot be saved, and will have to be torn down and entirely rebuilt once the flood waters are finally gone. So far I have not read any reports about what percentage of homes will have to be torn down and rebuilt, but I'm guessing that the majority of homes in New Orleans will fall into this category.

Does it really make sense to rebuild a home in a "bowl" that's susceptible to future hurricanes? Did it ever make sense to build it there in the first place?

This morning on CNN, there was an interview with a woman who so far was the first person to publicly speak any common sense. She's with her parents in South Carolina and she has no intent to return to New Orleans, she's looking for work elsewhere.

I don't want to see our government spending tens of billions of dollars to restore New Orleans to a condition that will never be what it was before when the money might be better spent closing down the city and moving the people elsewhere.

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Mark agrees with me.

Comments

[Porkopolis]

I'm starting a blog list of responsible bloggers asking the tough questions regarding the rebuilding of New Orleans at Discussions on alternatives to rebuilding New Orleans.

I've added your post to the list.

Please point any like minded bloggers that would like to be added to the list over my way at:

http://porkopolis.blogspot.com/2005/08/discussions-on-alternatives-to.html

Part of what has to be done is contact Senators and Congressman to let them know there's another way to help those in need.

Porkopolis