Ironically, New Orleans might be OK because we have elaborate flood control systems and have always dealt with flooding. Vulnerable places like the Netherlands and New Orleans are what we all assume will end up flooded. (And we will.)
But we’re built for it. A river delta floods sometimes anyway. I’m honestly more worried about places where snowmelt creates small streams now but in the future, will just create terrible floods every Spring and then draught immediately after.
To me, the scary part isn’t having water in the streets. It’s climate change. We had an issue recently where there wasn’t enough fresh water draining into the Mississippi to push the salt water back. It ultimately never reached NOLA but it reached plenty of people downriver. And because of a drought in the Midwest.
Ironically, New Orleans might be OK because we have elaborate flood control systems and have always dealt with flooding. Vulnerable places like the Netherlands and New Orleans are what we all assume will end up flooded. (And we will.)
But we’re built for it. A river delta floods sometimes anyway. I’m honestly more worried about places where snowmelt creates small streams now but in the future, will just create terrible floods every Spring and then draught immediately after.
To me, the scary part isn’t having water in the streets. It’s climate change. We had an issue recently where there wasn’t enough fresh water draining into the Mississippi to push the salt water back. It ultimately never reached NOLA but it reached plenty of people downriver. And because of a drought in the Midwest.