Editing New Orleans (section)

===Threat from tropical cyclones===

[[File:Hurricanes Category 3 or greater within 100 miles of New Orleans.jpg|thumb|upright=1.15|Hurricanes of Category 3 or greater passing within 100 miles, from 1852 to 2005 ([[NOAA]])|alt=]]

[[Tropical cyclone|Hurricanes]] pose a severe threat to the area, and the city is particularly at risk due to its low elevation, the city being surrounded by water from the north, east, and south, and Louisiana's sinking coast.<ref name="Katrina">{{cite book |last=Tidwell |first=Mike |title=The Ravaging Tide: Strange Weather, Future Katrinas, and the Coming Death of America's Coastal Cities |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9cFajSK4cjIC |year=2006 |publisher=Simon and Schuster |isbn=978-1-4165-3810-3 |access-date=January 10, 2024 |archive-date=January 10, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240110085307/https://books.google.com/books?id=9cFajSK4cjIC |url-status=live }}</ref> According to the [[Federal Emergency Management Agency]], New Orleans is the nation's most vulnerable city to hurricanes.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.fema.gov/emergency/reports/2006/nat112006.shtm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120703204951/http://www.fema.gov/emergency/reports/2006/nat112006.shtm |url-status=dead |title=Federal Emergency Management Agency |archive-date=July 3, 2012}}</ref> Indeed, portions of [[New Orleans metropolitan area|Greater New Orleans]] have been flooded by the [[Grand Isle Hurricane of 1909]],<ref name="ReferenceB">See [[Hurricane preparedness for New Orleans#Early 20th century hurricanes]]</ref> the [[New Orleans Hurricane of 1915]],<ref name="ReferenceB"/> [[1947 Fort Lauderdale Hurricane]],<ref name="ReferenceB"/> [[Hurricane Flossy]]<ref>See [[Hurricane preparedness for New Orleans#Late 20th century hurricanes]]</ref> in 1956, [[Hurricane Betsy]] in 1965, [[Hurricane Georges]] in 1998, Hurricanes [[Hurricane Katrina|Katrina]] and [[Hurricane Rita|Rita]] in 2005, [[Hurricane Gustav]] in 2008, [[Hurricane Isaac (2012)|Hurricane Isaac]] in 2012, [[Hurricane Zeta]] in 2020 (Zeta was also the most intense hurricane to pass over New Orleans) and [[Hurricane Ida]] in 2021. The flooding from Betsy was significant and in a few neighborhoods severe, and that from Katrina was disastrous for the majority of the city.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/13/us/13ike.html |title=Huge Storm Slams Into Coast of Texas |first1=James C. Jr. |last1=McKinley |first2=Ian |last2=Urbina |newspaper=The New York Times |date=September 12, 2008 |access-date=February 22, 2017 |archive-date=April 12, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170412123248/http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/13/us/13ike.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>[http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/09/24/rita.assess/index.html Rita's impact, city by city. Flooding and power outages plague Texas and Louisiana.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071115115620/http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/09/24/rita.assess/index.html |date=November 15, 2007 }} CNN, September 24, 2005.</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=The Weather Channel's Special Report: Vulnerable Cities – New Orleans, Louisiana |url=http://www.weather.com/newscenter/specialreports/hurricanes/vulnerablecities/neworleans.html |access-date=October 26, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060427160836/http://www.weather.com/newscenter/specialreports/hurricanes/vulnerablecities/neworleans.html <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date=April 27, 2006}}</ref>

On August 29, 2005, storm surge from Hurricane Katrina caused catastrophic failure of the [[Flood Control Act of 1965|federally designed and built]] levees, flooding 80% of the city.<ref>{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20050910190054/http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/08/photogalleries/New_Orleans_flood/ "New Orleans People, Pets Flee Flood (photographs)"]}} ''National Geographic'', August 30, 2005.</ref><ref>[http://www.cnn.com/2005/WEATHER/08/30/katrina.neworleans/index.html Floodwaters, tensions rise in New Orleans.] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081218083246/http://www.cnn.com/2005/WEATHER/08/30/katrina.neworleans/index.html |date=December 18, 2008 }} CNN, August 31, 2005.</ref> A report by the American Society of Civil Engineers says that "had the levees and floodwalls not failed and had the pump stations operated, nearly two-thirds of the deaths would not have occurred".<ref name="ASCE"/>

New Orleans has always had to consider the risk of hurricanes, but the risks are dramatically greater today due to coastal erosion from human interference.<ref name="barry">{{cite web |url=http://johnmbarry.com/bio.htm |title=What You Need to Know About Katrina – and Don't – Why It Makes Economic Sense to Protect and Rebuild New Orleans |author=Barry, J.M. |access-date=December 11, 2007 |archive-date=January 12, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080112075941/http://johnmbarry.com/bio.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> Since the beginning of the 20th century, it has been estimated that Louisiana has lost {{convert|2000|sqmi|km2|-3}} of coast (including many of its barrier islands), which once protected New Orleans against storm surge. Following Hurricane Katrina, the Army Corps of Engineers has instituted massive levee repair and hurricane protection measures to protect the city.

In 2006, Louisiana voters overwhelmingly adopted an amendment to the state's constitution to dedicate all revenues from off-shore drilling to restore Louisiana's eroding coast line.<ref>[http://gov.louisiana.gov/index.cfm?articleID=2439&md=newsroom&tmp=detail President Bush signs OCS revenue sharing bill; Statement by Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071107163356/http://gov.louisiana.gov/index.cfm?articleID=2439&md=newsroom&tmp=detail |date=November 7, 2007 }} From: gov.louisiana.gov, December 20, 2006.</ref> U.S. Congress has allocated $7 billion to bolster New Orleans' flood protection.<ref>Walsh, B. [http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/washington/index.ssf?/base/news-2/1192603358244350.xml&coll=1 Blanco, Nagin lobby for Louisiana aid.] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090701222201/http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/washington/index.ssf?%2Fbase%2Fnews-2%2F1192603358244350.xml&coll=1 |date=July 1, 2009 }} ''The Times Picayune'', October 17, 2007.</ref>

According to a study by the [[National Academy of Engineering]] and the [[United States National Research Council|National Research Council]], levees and floodwalls surrounding New Orleans—no matter how large or sturdy—cannot provide absolute protection against overtopping or failure in extreme events. Levees and floodwalls should be viewed as a way to reduce risks from hurricanes and storm surges, not as measures that eliminate risk. For structures in hazardous areas and residents who do not relocate, the committee recommended major [[Flood mitigation#Protection of individual properties|floodproofing]] measures—such as elevating the first floor of buildings to at least the 100-year flood level.<ref>[http://www8.nationalacademies.org/onpinews/newsitem.aspx?RecordID=12647 "Levees Cannot Fully Eliminate Risk of Flooding to New Orleans"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090428070859/http://www8.nationalacademies.org/onpinews/newsitem.aspx?RecordID=12647 |date=April 28, 2009 }} National Academy of Sciences, April 24, 2009</ref>