How a City Slowly Drowned - 1950 Words

New Orleans was originally founded on high ground overlooking the Mississippi River, above sea level. Also surrounded by Lake Pontchartrain and Lake Borgne, New Orleans was susceptible to hurricanes that would come up the coast into the Gulf. Originally New Orleans was naturally protected by â€Å"coastal swamps that helped absorb the energy of storm surges before they reached dry land.† (Stillman 228) At this point Americans were more concerned with the floods that happened annually from the Mississippi River. In the early days, settlers built a mile long levee to block overflows from the mighty Mississippi while landowners constructed their own levees. â€Å"In 1879, Congress created the Mississippi River Commission† (Stillman 228) in†¦show more content†¦This was holding up legislation that could have been approved to proceed with levee upgrades and the coastal restoration plan. On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast at daybreak, â€Å"pummeling a region that included the fabled city of New Orleans and heaping damage on neighboring Mississippi. In all, more than 1,700 people were killed and hundreds of thousands of others displaced.† (Laforet, New York Times) Packing 145-mile-an-hour winds as it made landfall, the category 3 storm left more than a million people in three states without power and submerged highways even hundreds of miles from its center. The hurricane’s storm surge — a 29-foot wall of water pushed ashore when the hurricane struck the Gulf Coast — was the highest ever measured in the United States. Levees failed in New Orleans, resulting in political and social upheavals that continued a half decade later. (Laforet, New York Times) In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, fires broke out, corpses were in streets, looting was taking place around the city, floor waters became toxic with sewage and gas. US Army Corps of Engineers came in to pump New Orleans dry; this was a continuous operation. (video: The Lost City of New Orleans: A Case Study) Organizations such as the American Red Cross, Salvation Army, National Guard and others helped the relief effort with housing,Show MoreRelatedHow a City Slowly Drowned1697 Words   |  7 Pageshit the city. No wonder that evaluation of the threats was again commissioned to the Corps instead of another research institute or agency. It becomes obvious that the Corps had failed their mission, but still had the authority for the implementation. Other key actors of the case are politicians, particularly the local officials and the Congress. Local officials didn’t want to spend money on expensive but effective projects, which could have saved the lives and infrastructure of the city if implementedRead MoreNaturalism in Stephan Crane and Jack Londons Works1265 Words   |  5 Pageslife: We can either acknowledge or accept the law determining social structure or be consumed by it. Maggie is an illustration of how destructive consequences are capable of befalling any person who violates this unsaid law, defies the economic and social limits set upon them since birth. The author’s illustrations of the underprivileged persons within the inner-city show the inevitable susceptibility to the ills of their environment. By centering on the Johnsons, the author personalizes a greatRead MoreFate in Miles City, Montana by Alice Munro Essay583 Words   |  3 PagesFate in Miles City, Montana by Alice Munro In life no one knows their actual fate and the story Miles City, Montana gives a true picture of just that. 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(Pollution Myths) AlsoRead MoreMagazine Review of Baz Luhrmanns Romeo and Juliet Essay780 Words   |  4 Pages Imagine that you are writing a review of Baz Luhrmanns Romeo and Juliet for a magazine aimed at English teachers. Concentrating only on the first ten minutes of the film, explain its possible appeal to 14 year olds and how the director has adapted Shakespeares play. Finally explain whether you would recommend it to be used in the classroom. Baz Luhrmann has produced a vibrant, innovative and modern version of Romeo and Juliet. He brings attractive actorsRead MoreEssay about The Women of the Aeneid1745 Words   |  7 Pagesand powerful leader. In her stride she seems the tallest, taller by a head than any At the door... Of the goddess shrine, under the temple dome, All hedged about with guards on her high throne, She took her seat.. This statement illustrates just how supreme and crucial she is. Virgil portrays Dido with a goddess type of image. 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