Rising seas will swallow New Orleans. People need to start relocating now, scientists say

3946 points by esporx a day ago on reddit | 284 comments

Wurm42 | a day ago

It's hard. Louisiana has actually been pretty proactive in pushing "managed retreat" for smaller coastal communities threatened by storms, rising water, and sinking land. The idea is to get people to move away from threatened areas before there's a crisis.

More on managed retreat:

https://www.georgetownclimate.org/adaptation/toolkits/managed-retreat-toolkit/introduction.html

https://www.nationalacademies.org/projects/DBASSE-BECS-21-01

But New Orleans is vital to Louisiana's economy, and its position at the mouth of the Mississippi River makes it important for the whole country.

Shutting down New Orleans is not an option, and even moving a big chunk of the workforce out of the city would get tons of pushback.

Plus, the state of Louisiana just does not have the resources to do anything on the scale required here. It would require substantial help from the federal government. That kind of help is not likely to come from this administration.

devilishycleverchap | a day ago

>That kind of help is not likely to come from this administration.

And you would think money would be funneled to the state considering who the speaker of the house is.

Wurm42 | a day ago

Yes, you'd think Mike Johnson would understand the danger to his home state.

But apparently the well being of the people of Louisiana is not as important as maintaining the Republican myth that climate change isn't real.

Besides, New Orleans is a diverse city that favors Democrats. It may be that Mike Johnson doesn't want to help "those people."

baronessvonbullshit | a day ago

Mike Johnson and his ilk loathe New Orleans and attempt to extract every bit possible while punishing the City for its lack of deference to Baton Rouge. I guarantee you Jeff Landry and Mike Johnson do not give one flying fuck about the citizens of New Orleans

MuscaMurum | a day ago

The important thing is that all federal buildings are engraved to say "In God We Trust" and that trans people don't exist.

/s

OldBanjoFrog | 5 hours ago

He’s from North Louisiana.  They are completely separate from South Louisiana.

ottawadeveloper | a day ago

I hate to say it but eventually nature will just shut down New Orleans. It's not really a question of if but when.

zackks | a day ago

>Plus, the state of Louisiana just does not have the resources to do anything on the scale required here.

Imagine that, instead of putting their heads in the sand to please the emperor and his billionaires, they did this in smaller increments over time. They could absolutely afford to do it.

Status-Basic | a day ago

But that would be socialism! /s

ohsnapdevin | 22 hours ago

“Shitting down New Orleans is not an option” - brother, Mother Nature doesn’t ask.

Happy-Gnome | a day ago

After Katrina it was discussed that the river parishes and Baton Rouge be turned into the new New Orleans with the critical infrastructure relocated up river. Then the government reinvested in the area and that was that

Dependent_Ad_1270 | a day ago

It may be rational thing to move everything and everyone

But it is very human to love historic New Orleans and to want to preserve it

Happy-Gnome | a day ago

I’m from St. Bernard. I get it. I just don’t have any interest in reliving Katrina

SoberBobMonthly | a day ago

"Its not an option" it is unfortunately the only option.

The way you describe New Orleans is how it is NOW. That will not be how it remains and it cant be stopped.

It either moves, or it gets swallowed up

Dependent_Ad_1270 | a day ago

Someone tell the Netherlands that they’re really underwater

TwoFlower68 | a day ago

Like I wrote elsewhere, the Netherlands doesn't have hurricanes with the attending storm surges

Dependent_Ad_1270 | a day ago

Very true

But do not underestimate civil engineering good sir

Wurm42 | a day ago

The Netherlands have started their own managed retreat program in the southwest part of the country. They call it "Room for the River."

https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/land-to-the-river-planned-relocation-in-the-netherlands/

So even the Netherlands has limits to how much they can push the water back these days.

Dependent_Ad_1270 | a day ago

That area isn’t worth it to them on a cost-benefit analysis

Our civil engineers can protect New Orleans if the bean counters deem it worthy

Do not underestimate our engineering capabilities

The issue is having the budget and the will to listen to civil engineers who aren’t concerned about elections

Its a political/budget problem, ask the engineers and they will give you the solution

jaunty411 | a day ago

Is there a point where it no longer makes sense to spend money to protect the city and instead spend it relocating the people?

asyork | 22 hours ago

Yes, but we can also do neither and then blame the Democrats for using their weather control machines, and at least a third of the country will believe it.

transitfreedom | 20 hours ago

Umm you can see the infrastructure in this country right?

PoodlePopXX | a day ago

Proper help also won’t come from their corrupt governor, Landry, either.

That state should have been an economic powerhouse and instead politicians have run it into the ground for years.

1PistnRng2RuleThmAll | 23 hours ago

That’s not to mention how important culturally important the city is to the states culture.

_x_oOo_x_ | a day ago

How do you relocate when you can't sell your home because its value is 0€ due to the flood risk? Unless they're offering free houses on higher ground, people have no choice

BrerChicken | a day ago

>How do you relocate when you can't sell your home because its value is 0€ due to the flood risk?

Easy. Spend the trillions of dollars we collect every year on improving the lives of regular people, instead of starting illegal wars and giving the superrich handouts disguised as "tax incentives."

msm2485 | 17 hours ago

Almost like us regular, average Americans ought to be the ones in charge...

TheVoidSeeker | 11 hours ago

Maybe Americans ought to not vote for a convicted felon?

Orchid-Analyst-550 | a day ago

I bet the Florida coastal residents get a government bail out. At least the neighborhoods that vote GOP.

co5mosk-read | a day ago

Just sell it to the Aquaman

Tabmow | a day ago

Knowing New Orleans, they'll probably build private levees around the Garden District and the rich parts, and let everyone else drown

Psych_Art | a day ago

Simple. You just ‘pull yourself up by the bootstraps’ and buy a second home.

/s

Curleysound | a day ago

My prediction: They will not relocate until they are knee deep in ocean water and lose everything

glowFernOasis | a day ago

I kind of get it for those who own their homes - you can't sell it, so it's a hell of a loss. Pretty brutal.

kstar79 | a day ago

A real government of the people would do something about it now rather than spending money bombing Iran. It's going to cost more the longer folks live there, and the higher real estate gets in other locations.

crispydukes | a day ago

This is what I keep saying. People living in flood zones? A real government would buy their house at market rate and relocate them.

transitfreedom | 21 hours ago

We don’t have a government just an occupation

gummo_for_prez | 13 hours ago

We have a collection of the worst type of parasites.

somafiend1987 | 13 hours ago

Instead, well to do developers target minorities with cheap homes on floodplains. The estate kids and country club are on the hills overlooking the river.

gloriousgirl89 | 16 hours ago

To where? These people have jobs there. They cant just be relocated and then not have a living.

transitfreedom | 15 hours ago

They can be relocated in a functional society

fleshfinder420 | 11 hours ago

Job markets fucked though. I applied for 20 positions and got one interview. If the federal government pulled something like this off I’d start giving myself fellatio on Only Fans. As it stands the federal government can’t even properly staff its own agencies

transitfreedom | 5 hours ago

It doesn’t want to that’s the difference this is not a people’s government it’s a hostile force.

SSquirrel76 | 3 hours ago

You actually got an interview? Buy a lottery ticket that’s rare as hell

gummo_for_prez | 13 hours ago

It's sad that you think this is an unsolvable problem

Bigkillian | a day ago

What do other taxpayers get for the money spent? I’m drowning in debt over here, can’t afford to even visit New Orleans and I’ve been heavily subsidizing Louisiana my entire life (50% of their state budget comes from the federal government, and unlike some people, I actually pay my taxes).

In my lifetime, New Orleans flooded in 1995, then again during Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and we all helped them out when they stupidly decided to move back into the flood plains. Years later, their representatives voted against aid for the northeast after Hurricane Sandy, then had their hands out for more flood aid in 2016. How many times are we supposed to bail them out? Fuck that. How is this my responsibility?

JuicyDarkSpace | 23 hours ago

Bigkillian | 23 hours ago

Yes. The same billionaires and corporations that, because of citizens united (what a dumb fucking name, but it makes sense in that the poorly educated think it’s for them) have more political sway than they should in influencing our government.

kstar79 | a day ago

What's happening now is when a hurricane hits an area like New Orleans, the feds are paying for the cost of replacement for these homes, and some of them are being rebuilt. Then we do the whole dance again. Paying people to leave now is the cheaper solution in the long term.

Bigkillian | 23 hours ago

The taxpayers and our children’s future are the federal wallet. The government doesn’t have its own money. It’s our money, and they’re not spending it wisely.

Open_Examination_591 | 22 hours ago

A one time relocation is a wise investment.... how is it not?

crispydukes | 18 hours ago

This is exactly the point. The government should say, “no, we’re not paying for this. We are paying one time to move or rebuild in. Responsible way.”

To be fair. New Orleans is a historical and culturally/significant place, but some McMansion along a flooding river in whocaresville is more the target of my program.

Used-Lake-8148 | 18 hours ago

Please tell me you’re not old enough to vote

Bigkillian | 17 hours ago

“In my lifetime” and events going back over thirty years. Who do you think I voted for and who do you think I should vote for?

Used-Lake-8148 | 17 hours ago

I only needed to read the first sentence to know you lack the thinking skills required for decision making

Bigkillian | 17 hours ago

What were you hoping to accomplish by joining into this conversation?

Putrid-Week4615 | 23 hours ago

This is why states like Louisiana rush to gerrymander even more. They want to keep govt not working for the people, and keep it working for investors and billionaire criminals.

krichard-21 | a day ago

They will. MAGAs are more than ready to blame Democrats.

That is the extent of their leadership capabilities.

phoneacct696969 | 3 hours ago

They won’t do anything because realistically it’s the next governors problem.

Photomancer | 21 hours ago

Bailouts for the rich? /s

devilishycleverchap | a day ago

Why not Aquaman?

AlwaysUpvotesScience | a day ago

Why not Zoidberg?!

candygram4mongo | a day ago

Ben Shapiro is such an unserious person.

TrevGlodo | a day ago

I'd rather sell below market value now than get $0 for it later

bstabens | 23 hours ago

Sell to whom? The whole point is NOT having people live there.

waitwuh | 22 hours ago

Maybe to someone who can set up rice paddies or fish farms haha

cliko | 21 hours ago

> Sell to whom?

FUCKING AQUAMAN

bstabens | 10 hours ago

Did you notice the "man" in Aquaman?

RedTrumpetVine | 11 hours ago

But you can sell it. There is demand for it now and the next decade. But as a native-born New Orleanian (who got out) I can tell you the Inshallah attitude is pervasive. Just deny the obvious and God will fix it eventually. Something always works out.

_trouble_every_day_ | 4 hours ago

I’m curious, are you lying intentionally or are you just oblivious? Because It’s one of the worst markets for sellers in the country.

RedTrumpetVine | 2 hours ago

I didn't write that you can sell it doe the inflated 2022 prices. But people are still buying. It is the absurd asking prices combined with HOI that is causing homes to sit empty

moocat55 | an hour ago

Responsible municipalities are looking at planned retreat, but it's extremely hard to buy back a neighborhood. It's expensive, and people think the environmental rational is just an excuse for a government land grab. So, what we're seeing happening now is the insurance agency kicking off the process by pulling coverage in vulnerable areas. One way or another, people are going to move.

venturousbeard | a day ago

Similar to my prediction that people won't start leaving Arizona until there's a mass casualty event of heat strokes.

Ttthhasdf | a day ago

People are leaving Arizona now and moving to places like Tennessee. And California. Everyone talks about these immigrants like they are COVID political movers but they are climate refugees also, really.

Mysterious-Prompt212 | a day ago

Loss of water is going to be the big one.

fuzzimus | a day ago

Check out “wildcat subdivisions” that have no water supply and rely on trucked-in water. People still live there.

transitfreedom | 21 hours ago

So idiots

ChronicBitRot | 15 hours ago

I mean, a lot of people there now are going to have to sell property in order to leave (or take a massive financial loss that very few could afford). If someone were to buy that property now knowing what the water situation is, they'd absolutely be an idiot.

justaguywithadream | 5 hours ago

How is getting water trucked in any different than getting oil or propane trucked in in cold climates?

Or getting food trucked like pretty much everywhere?

I think the way we (the western world at least) live is unsustainable and we should change and live more in harmony with the earth, but getting water trucked in doesn't seem any worse than any other irresponsible things we all do, including yourself likely (and if you are living in a fully sustainable way then major kudos!)

Sunshine33_ | 22 hours ago

I was told this twenty years ago by my Geography professor at Pima CC.

Meritania | a day ago

That’s only going to happen if the aging power infrastructure also collapses during the event.

IncubusDarkness | a day ago

"If"

Lmao

Child_of_the_Hamster | a day ago

For many, how can they relocate when the government isn’t offering any assistance? Who is going to buy their homes that will be underwater soon?

I’m not disagreeing at all that they *should* relocate, but for folks who live paycheck to paycheck, it’s not hard to understand why they stay when their choice is between being voluntarily homeless now or an involuntarily homeless climate refugee later.

TeamHope4 | a day ago

FEMA has programs where they buy houses of people in flood-prone areas. I don't know how well they are funded, particularly now, buy they do exist. Part of it is that people don't want to move away from the only place they know and away from the only people they know. But they can't move entire towns of people to the same different town, so they stay.

petit_cochon | a day ago

FEMA does not offer that to us in New Orleans, and frankly, anyone alive during Katrina has about as much trust for FEMA as for the Army Corps, which is to say none.

ravens-n-roses | a day ago

Right without government aid relocating out of a city isn't exactly easy. Like yeah ok maybe everybody who rents could theoretically leave, but what about the people who don't?? I'm not here to sux off the landlords, but litterally what are you supposed to do if you own one or more properties?? Hope some other fool will be willing to sink so you can swim??

gloriousgirl89 | 16 hours ago

And leaving a job. Getting a job now isnt easy. Taking a million peoples homes away and sending them to where? No jobs no money.

27Elephantballoons | a day ago

My prediction, people can't afford to just leave

transitfreedom | 21 hours ago

So can’t afford to live

Curleysound | a day ago

Well, tell the scientists that

whichwitch9 | a day ago

A large chunk of the city cannot afford to relocate. Without aid, they're literally just fucked. We're talking people born and raised in the city, not transplants, who's families have lived there for generations.

Gnomey_dont_u_knowme | a day ago

It’s been the same story since Katrina - the federal government would love for these people to just die

Rickshmitt | a day ago

The state government allows building in flood plains. And the state says the levys are fine. The fed is approached for disaster relief after all the bad decisions were made.

Nowadays though, yes, the fed wants every blue city to die

Nabe8 | a day ago

New Orleans was established before the state of Louisiana existed. 🤷‍♂️.

Dependent_Ad_1270 | a day ago

The levies are “fine” now

They weren’t before Katrina because bean counters didn’t listen to the engineers

Everyone wondered why the Los Angeles river is so wide and deep, until it filled up a few years ago

Because they built it the more expensive way that the engineers knew was required for hundred-year storms, not what the bean counters said we could afford

If they didn’t listen to the engineers in Los Angeles, many homes would’ve been washed away. Nobody has any clue because it was effective and they complain about all the concrete and how it should be turned to a green park lol

petit_cochon | a day ago

Incorrect. The Army Corps build shitty levees and a shipping canal they knew would bring floodwaters into the city and beyond in the event of a direct hit from a big storm. They knew.

Dependent_Ad_1270 | 23 hours ago

Yeah and then they were forced to listen to the civil engineers in the Army Corps who knew what needed to be done

The Army Corps are the ones who improved that after

Its not the engineers in the Army Corps who are the problem, they do incredible work

It’s the budget restraints and the bean counters who didn’t approve what should’ve been done in the first place

petit_cochon | a day ago

The levees are built and managed by the Army Corps of Engineers, which is federal, and the state. It's complex.

And you have it exactly backwards. We got fucked in Katrina because the Army Corps a) built an unnecessary shipping channel against our protests that funneled water straight into the city, just like their studies said it would and b) built absurdly substandard levees and lied about their capacities. Then we goy blamed for asking for aid. We goddamn BEGGED them not to build the MRGO. I know people have short memories, but really, Katrina was only 21 years ago and all of this was covered in great depth by the media.

The whole country is reliant on our shipping port, our refineries, etc. New Orleans becoming uninhabitable will not simply be a local issue.

FYI, the levees are better now. We've had direct hits from extremely powerful storms and been okay. Climate change will fuck us for sure, but look at the U.S. and ask yourself how many coastal cities will be sitting pretty in 70 years? Current predictions say not many.

transitfreedom | 21 hours ago

So USA is just over then

transitfreedom | 21 hours ago

That’s sadly the point

kdogrocks2 | a day ago

True but not out of stupidity or anything, after all who will they sell their homes to? Aquaman?

bayhack | 20 hours ago

I’ve been to New Orleans frequently and I love the people and the city. But I saw that Katrina documentary that showed the maps of New Orleans and all I could think was the hubris of man to build a city there and keep trying. That city is literally just walls pushing back the water. It’s insane really but yes as ppl point out can’t just leave your homes. If the govt really wanted to help and relocate the city it could but they don’t care unfortunately.

DoublePostedBroski | a day ago

Then they’ll blame Obama

petit_cochon | a day ago

New Orleans is a deep blue, majority black city. We do not hate Obama. We are not unaware of climate change. Poverty, not ignorance, is what prevents New Orleans from rising up.

transitfreedom | 21 hours ago

Vietnam, China, Russian empire: no excuse

PW0110 | a day ago

Not really a prediction tbh Florida’s already been doing this

conanmagnuson | a day ago

Am I oblivious or do neither the article and paywalled study project a timeframe?

One-Incident3208 | 23 hours ago

"Fema can take my swamp when they pry it from my cold dead hands"

NotSoFastLady | 23 hours ago

Mostly because their local officials will need a disaster to profit off of. They'll steal the funds and then rip as many ppeople off as possible. I'm sure other red states will get in on it too.

tigolbing | 22 hours ago

"imma wait it out"

cascadia8 | a day ago

Sing song sing song!

NotAnotherEmpire | 22 hours ago

The Florida strategy.

gamerjerome | 20 hours ago

iftheydietheydie.gif

-zero-below- | 19 hours ago

Then when the water recedes for a few months, they’ll rebuild.

limbodog | 19 hours ago

And they'll keep rebuilding until the water stops receding after each storm

superanth | 18 hours ago

Pity. I really love the food there.

GodzillaSuit | 18 hours ago

It will be very hard for a lot of people to leave, especially people who own property. They will have more and more trouble finding someone willing to buy real estate in an area that's going to be underwater in a couple of years. Without selling their houses, many people can't afford to move, and they can't afford to maintain two residences, so they just end up getting trapped. Even worse, insurance companies are moving toward not covering homes in flood regions, so when the houses do inevitably flood, those people are going to lose absolutely everything and there will be no recourse for them.

Herpderpyoloswag | 17 hours ago

It will be interesting to see what happens with insurance.

mecheterp96 | 17 hours ago

And then just like every time a hurricane hits, the rest of the country will bail them out

abhishek888 | 14 hours ago

So that's where the original usage of "knee deep" came from.

norfolkdiver | 8 hours ago

It won't be a gentle transition. Storm surges will increase so more of the area will be flooded more often.

That's the trouble with trying to convince people that things are changing, it's gradual and becomes the new normal. Same as heat in the UK, people are convinced that previous heat waves were worse, when those years that were exceptional at the time would be unexceptional now.

Proper-Exercise-2364 | 7 hours ago

I know, right? Why don't they just buy a house somewhere else?

Repulsive-Royal-5952 | a day ago

Yep. If anyone in the City, County or state government goes along with the science they will be loudly and swiftly protested and removed from office.

Curleysound | a day ago

I’m wildly speculating here, but if/when the current administration drives this country into the ground, we might get to rebuild it with modern sensibilities and eschew a lot of this kind of thinking.

Repulsive-Royal-5952 | 22 hours ago

That is wildly underestimating the complete stupidity of American voters.

petit_cochon | a day ago

We have parishes in Louisiana, not counties, FYI. It's from the French "paroisse," an administrative division originating from the Catholic Church that later became a secular government term.

Repulsive-Royal-5952 | 22 hours ago

Yes I know and I hate the term.

Accurate_Ant_921 | 23 hours ago

Property value wise they probably already just lost billions. Thats a national disaster on steroids if you consider that value is going to be permanently lost. Do they get checks from the government because trump “weaponized” climate change? Its nit good on the math no matter what people do in real time. Thats a national security concern financially, i would figure. Gov gunna have to have boots on ground to facilitate a whole coastline being essentially blown up with a nuclear bomb. No going back type shit

fppfpp | a day ago

You sound very satisfied with your smug comment. But a very large amount of ppl literally cannot afford to just up and leave.

Curleysound | a day ago

Did you read the article? They literally say the same thing is likely going to happen. People do this, regardless of societal conditions, and while we’re at it, don’t dare criticize the absolute trash Louisiana government.

Fishinluvwfeathers | a day ago

The LA government had a $3 billion wetland-restoration project financed by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill settlement. It was called the Barataria Sediment Diversion and designed specifically to combat rising sea levels and coastal land loss. It was supported by science and had widespread local level bipartisan support. Gov. Jeff Landry’s administration scrapped the initiative to “save commercial fisheries” and avoid maintenance costs.

Yes, this administration would love the pesky blue enclave in the red rash that is LA to go the fuck away.

ctdrever | a day ago

America's new Venice.

UntowardHatter | a day ago

Oh, when you say it like that it sounds so fancy

Rickshmitt | a day ago

Fancy fast food for alligators. Just swim up to your house and grab a bite

ExMOnotwiththeflow | a day ago

I have a really good idea! Let's just introduce a predator/competitor for the alligator and declare open season on hunting them.

Similar programs have been done many times and have never had any long lasting negative environmental consequences whatsoever.

(/s)

XonikzD | 6 hours ago

I suggest resurrection of the Deinosuchus, a three generation waiting period for full ecosystem rebalancing with a new apex predator, and pile raised human habitation for continued societal development. Let's get on that.

/s

ctdrever | a day ago

Reality and labels often differ.

szazzy | a day ago

There already is a Venice, Louisiana located directly south of New Orleans. If NOLA is under water, Venice is probably already fully submerged

Brainrants | a day ago

*Atlantis

Cleopatrashouseboy | a day ago

New Orleans is sinkin’ man and I don’t wanna swim.

Successful-Table-455 | 15 hours ago

In Gord We Trust

MerrieJingles | a day ago

If I were moving because I feared my home would be underwater in the next 30-40 years, I'd kinda feel like an a-hole to the people buying my doomed abode. 🫤😟🙃

EverybodyMakes | a day ago

We should start trying various climate refugee relocation and housing plans so we can better deal with the tens of millions of climate refugees around the world in the coming decades.

FixMyCondo | a day ago

We can’t even get affordable healthcare.

HighOnGoofballs | a day ago

Sure, all we have to do is convince the country to let us raise taxes

synocrat | a day ago

That's going to entirely depend on who's in charge at the time. The current administration would be very happy to simply not allow anyone on a plane coming this way unless they have a US passport or several million dollars, would militarize the borders with orders to shoot to kill, and sink any boats full of climate refugees coming this way. Even if you have a sympathetic administration and the political will to help, at what point do we get overwhelmed with too many to help? The most sane response is guided degrowth everywhere, live more simply, and assist developing nations to build the infrastructure necessary to shelter in place or nearby.

TwoFlower68 | a day ago

What about the internal climate refugees? People currently living in low lying parts of the east coast.
Phoenix is a pretty big city too. What if there's no more water to pipe into the desert?

Take a look at insurance premiums and how they've changed over the past few years. Whole swathes of the country will be uninsurable. FEMA's budget isn't infinite either

synocrat | a day ago

Well. That's going to be tricky. How much do you want to spend on people who were told over and over again they shouldn't be living there because of climate change and then voted for someone who made it worse and then stayed still until you couldn't survive there anymore?  I would say a national reclamation program like the new deal would be in order. They can be part of the population needed to rebuild things in mitigation. They can work at night in their former homes in the desert to strip useful materials until that's all done then work on other projects elsewhere to be useful. I'm certainly not willing to give them a dime to make them whole for their formerly one million dollar mcmansion in the desert, happy to give some income and shelter if they want to do the work to fix it.

synocrat | a day ago

We could move a lot of them to currently low population states in the north like Wyoming and Montana and North and South Dakota, they could build the desalination pipeline and canal system from the coast inland to support the development. But no subdivisions suburban hell. Walkable and solar powered reasonable accommodations that last in urbanized satellite cities connected with high speed light rail.

transitfreedom | 20 hours ago

High speed rail is intercity rail light rail is a local service within cities. They are different categories. Unless you willing to evolve maglev( medium speed)

synocrat | 20 hours ago

Are you saying it would illegal to use it for connecting satellite developments?9

transitfreedom | 17 hours ago

High speed rail is not light rail

transitfreedom | 20 hours ago

Do the China method of dealing with the dessert

synocrat | a day ago

Imagine you build tight clusters of medium rise buildings connected by glazing covered public greenhouse walkways between buildings and you can walk to the train station and go 140mph to next city in the chain. It's doable and sensible.

New-Leader-7891 | a day ago

That would require acknowledging that climate change is not a Chinese hoax

EyeSuspicious777 | a day ago

Tens of millions wouldn't be a problem. The problem is that there are billions of people living in places that will be soon be uninhabitable.

alwcrcrap | 9 hours ago

You misspelled billions. A billion people live within 10km / 6 miles of an ocean coast. 3.5 billion live within 150km / 100 miles.

Covfefetarian | a day ago

I mean, you are absolutely right, and we should start with this right the f NOW (or some 20 years ago, but ah well), the thing is though.. given the state of the world right now, and recent developments in politics (of the past cuppa years) lead me to doubt anyone will actually do the right thing and start approaching this with the urgency and seriousness this whole global trend requires…

Whooptidooh | a day ago

Which has been known for quite some time now.

ChrisRiley_42 | a day ago

The Tragically Hip even wrote a song about it.

CrowdyPooster | 23 hours ago

Not trying to discredit this, but I heard this back in the 1990s

Redtex | 22 hours ago

Upcoming environmental disaster alert, in case no one has thought that far ahead. All those gas stations, oil dumps, dumpyards in general, septic tanks, etc. underwater can't be a good thing for the environment.

PMmeIamlonley | a day ago

The fact they didn't start doing this directly after Katrina is a testament to the entrenched stupidity and courruption that runs every American city

Orchid-Analyst-550 | a day ago

shinyxena | a day ago

Or they start building on giant boats and become a cool steampunk flotilla village.

Mach5Driver | 20 hours ago

I guarantee that people will continue to buy and sell property there for the foreseeable future. It won't stop until insurance companies refuse to insure them.

knowledgeable_diablo | 9 hours ago

Won’t stop them for a while either. They’ll just find bigger idiots than them to unload it onto. Each with a cry to some goverment agency of either “help me” or “buy me out”

Mach5Driver | 7 hours ago

Buyers won't get a mortgage until they line up homeowners insurance. It is literally impossible. Cut off insurance, and the game of musical chairs is over. And the ones sitting in houses lose the game. Republican governments don't give a damn about their citizens. They figure that the citizens knowingly bought in high-flood-risk areas, so why help bail them out, literally and figuratively.

khaalis | 15 hours ago

They’ll just rebrand the city as New Venice.

jkurratt | 22 hours ago

Spoilers: But they will not relocate, and will cry a lot when the submerging starts.

Calzinarzin | 19 hours ago

They won't, just like people won't leave Phoenix until the last drop of water is adays gone.

begaterpillar | 16 hours ago

If you have to rebuild your city every 8 years because of a disaster maybe...

SupaSlide | 14 hours ago

Who are they going to sell their houses to, Ben?? Fucking Aquaman!?

Aggie_15 | a day ago

(Read fast for immersion)  Say rising sea levels do happen, what’s stopping these people from selling it.

hakairyu | a day ago

Who’s going to be buying? I doubt even the troglodytes who still think the sea level isn’t going to rise would like to bet house money on that.

KennyFulgencio | 11 hours ago

Aquaman

Muted_Bee7111 | a day ago

What about Miami?

summane | 22 hours ago

Someone in PR really dislikes new Orleans because this headline has been bouncing around and fails to mention all the countless other coastal cities would need to be evacuate

I have no idea why Nola gets the headline but I'd love a scientific explanation for that instead of all these weird articles and comments about it

red286 | 22 hours ago

Because Nola's already been underwater.

summane | 22 hours ago

And we heard the same thing then too

fsischatbotplz | 15 hours ago

The geography of Nola vs Miami are completely different. It's one of the reasons why Katrina was so disastrous. The water essentially pooled in Nola, and with the river flow (or lack thereof), water couldn't drain out fast enough.

Miami is on its way there but it is nowhere near as catastrophic as Nola. Helene and Milton back to back gave Florida oversaturated ground that couldn't be absorbed due to the increased industrialization post COVID (ft. Desantis). This led to flooding in places where it wouldn't be a problem, typically.

summane | 8 hours ago

You've got no idea what you're talking about. River flow? Wtf

Magog14 | 16 hours ago

It's above sea level. Nola is below sea level.

Sensitive_Scar_1800 | a day ago

lol where? It’s not like theres a housing crisis….oh wait

SteakandTrach | 23 hours ago

The map of Louisiana hasn’t been accurate for a long time. It no longer looks like a boot. It’s an ankle, roughly chewed off by an alligator.

red286 | 22 hours ago

Act fast folks, Aquaman's wealthy, but not that wealthy.

djangovsjango | 18 hours ago

Just believe its not happening like republican party !

TraditionalLaw7763 | 14 hours ago

It’s all a hoax. That water has always been there. Above your head.

knowledgeable_diablo | 9 hours ago

Or it’s another perfectly timed and executed Biden Trap he laid out to trip up the holey golden court jester

TheMuffler42069 | 18 hours ago

A little late on your prediction

GlowInTheDarkSpaces | 16 hours ago

We’ve known this was coming for years.

MacroMicro1313 | 13 hours ago

Best we can do you is nothing, however there’s a lot of need in this age so your gonna have to share the nothing with others.

fonduelovertx | 12 hours ago

A lot of them left with Katrina already. It's going to be done more through big events than through attrition.

Quereilla | a day ago

Are we sure that New Orleans isn't being relocated by now? Its population has reduced a lot since a long time ago.

Manicpixiemanateeman | 21 hours ago

It’s estimated that 25% of housing in the area is vacant and nearly 20,000 residents have left since 2020. They’re basically the Detroit Of The South at this point.

angrycat537 | a day ago

Or, you know, build walls like Netherlands

TwoFlower68 | a day ago

The Netherlands doesn't have a hurricane season lol

angrycat537 | a day ago

Japan does and they also have strongest earthquakes on earth, but that didn't prevent them to build ramparts to hold back river floodings.

TwoFlower68 | a day ago

River flooding is a different beast than living below sea level

angrycat537 | 23 hours ago

Ok, sea level flooding expert

TwoFlower68 | 22 hours ago

Not sure if expert, but I live ten feet below sea level 😉

Over here these last ten, fifteen years we've actually given the rivers more room because higher dikes are great, until they inevitably fail one day

Due to climate change weather extremes are getting more frequent, what used to be 'once in a thousand years' events have turned into 'once every few decades' events, so adjustments had to be made

River levels can vary drastically, sea level not so much. Unless you get hit by a strong hurricane, like you regularly have on the US east coast

harryx67 | a day ago

Drill baby drill and burn baby burn…

Adrasto | a day ago

What about NL?

TurboHenk | a day ago

What would calling it New Lorleans help?

moose098 | a day ago

They don’t get hurricanes. They will most likely be in trouble eventually though, even with their investment in flood infrastructure.

oldmanhero | 20 hours ago

Bangladesh is the more salient comparison.

Zagar1776 | a day ago

I guess Poseidon won the Battle of New Orleans

1337ingDisorder | a day ago

Quick! Someone get Donovan to do a NOLA re-write of his song Atlantis!

Lawsmay | a day ago

How did this happen??? Who could have saw this coming???

Sometime-the-idiot62 | a day ago

When you build your city in a swamp...

sorry97 | 23 hours ago

I believe I saw a similar article in australia? Or was it an island in Florida?

Anyway, there simply aren’t enough planes/boats to take everyone out, so even if you were to relocate people, it’s impossible to do so with current means. Not only that, even if you relocate, then what? You don’t suddenly create jobs, crops, houses, etc for everyone.

Fornico | 23 hours ago

After reading the article, it really seems like most of the people who need to move will not have to worry about in their lifetimes. So it's not going to happen.

Important_Pirate_150 | 22 hours ago

Llevan con esa historia desde 1990 y las casas de los marineros de Milos en Grecia siguen estando a nivel del mar desde el siglo XlX

Senior_Income_1785 | 22 hours ago

Found the perfect place for OLeary and his data centers !

PLIKITYPLAK | 20 hours ago

You want people to start believing in human induced climate change? Stop sensationalizing garbage like this. Just giving them more ammunition to say "another prediction that didn't come true"

dungeonsprawler | 20 hours ago

Many already did after Katrina. Ive been a few times and even though its been decades since the storm there are still quite a few abandoned buildings that no one will return to.

VirtualPoolBoy | 20 hours ago

Of course it’s the coolest city in America that goes first. This is why we can’t have nice things.

No-Common-1801 | 19 hours ago

Ponders in Miami

Euphoric-Cold9592 | 18 hours ago

Evacuate to MS or AL! TX is full af

kingcakeaholic | 14 hours ago

A) all of NoLa isn’t beneath sea level. B) the reason it’s there is much commerce.

YallRedditForThis | 12 hours ago

Zion to the Lakers confirmed.

SundryArtifice | 10 hours ago

Haha people won't do squat but complain that no one warned them or tried to do anything about it

knowledgeable_diablo | 9 hours ago

Mumma June “nuh huh, Im staying right here!”

314159Man | 9 hours ago

hey climate change deniers, here is your big chance to buy up some cheap real estate when people start leaving. go put you money where your mouth is. love to see how it works out for you.

sorE_doG | 8 hours ago

Rising seas will swallow much of Florida real estate, and Manhattan island is going to struggle too.

XonikzD | 6 hours ago

What would it take to lift all of the buildings in the area to sit on piles well above the projected flood rise and have all the streets be lifted to that level too?

spike | 5 hours ago

Billions, in public investment that we don't seem to be able to do anymore.

Dedjester0269 | 4 hours ago

Awww shit. Here we go again.

mmilthomasn | 4 hours ago

Can we have a Venice of the New World situation?

Tiedfor3rd | 4 hours ago

They’re gonna turn it into an American Venice oughta be pretty cool if they do it right

JackFisherBooks | 22 hours ago

Given the people currently in power in Louisiana, it's more likely people will do the exact opposite. That's just the world we live in. Even when the ocean swallows up a city, idiots will respond with "fake news!" or "democratic hoax!"

Elvarien2 | 19 hours ago

Hire the Dutch. We have some relevant experience a.k.a half our whole ass country.

spike | 5 hours ago

You also had centuries to deal with it.

Elvarien2 | 5 hours ago

Everyone did.

Climate collapse did not spring out of nowhere you've had roughly 80 or so years to deal with either it, or it's consequences.

mkt853 | 17 hours ago

Where will we have Mardi Gras then?

knowledgeable_diablo | 9 hours ago

Burbon river.

IncidentalApex | a day ago

Lol. This has been known forever. People will wait until the water rises above the threshold of their homes before screaming for the government to come and and save them.

Impressive-Window135 | a day ago

These articles are alarmist and a way to discourage action. Nobody says to relocate Venice. New Orleans is a vital city.

transitfreedom | 20 hours ago

Nature: 🤷🤷‍♂️ don’t care destroying it anyway

phusler | 23 hours ago

Poor people can't move so they'll stay till it's too late.

gnarlyknits | 23 hours ago

I get it honestly. It’s unlike any other place I’ve been and I’d die there. It’s sad that it may not exist soon. It’s my dream place to live.

sourpussmcgee | 23 hours ago

I mean a lot of Louisiana is poor and can’t really afford to just move so easily.

ImpactNext1283 | 22 hours ago

Many coastal cities are just as vulnerable as NOLA! Miami, Brooklyn, Galveston, Houston are all shortly behind NOLA in terms of timeline for going underwater.

We should have started building sea walls 20 years ago, but starting anytime now would be a huge help.

BayouMan2 | 21 hours ago

This isn't really news; frankly it's sensationalist and defeatist and will only hurt the people who live there by discouraging solutions.

sourpickles1979 | 15 hours ago

Lol

EyesfurtherUp | 5 hours ago

Nobody is going to believe them. They predicted many cities would be under water 10 years ago and guess what , those cities are not under water.

kateinoly | a day ago

Duh

Stooper_Dave | a day ago

They have been saying this stuff for 30 years and the water marks on rocks and piers have not moved. Its not something we need to worry about in our lifetimes if it cant be seen in 30 years time.

Regurgitator001 | a day ago

Lol, New Orleans is peanuts compared to New York, Miami.

ProcrastinationSite | a day ago

Sure, but that doesn't mean it's not an important city in terms of the people, culture, history, and economy since the port for the Mississippi is there

Ashamed-Country3909 | a day ago

Lol. If it all floods ...and we have advanced notice of it flooding....dig out some spot closer inland. Boom. New port of Mississippi.

BannedByFascistss | a day ago

They are trying to get all of the poor people to leave.

morganational | a day ago

I predict the scientists can suck my balls.

UntowardHatter | a day ago

Nobody wants to suck on your dried little raisins.

Tiny man balls.

morganational | a day ago

I have rather large balls thank you very much. If this is your way of trying to get in on them, it's not going to work. Nice try.

UntowardHatter | a day ago

Only man with tiny raisins would say they have large balls.

Nobody is fooled, Tiny Ball.

morganational | a day ago

Nice try. Not falling for it. You'll never see these glorious huevos.

UntowardHatter | a day ago

They are smooth like the egg?

A man let's the hair dominate the crinkles and sack.

morganational | a day ago

Wouldn't you like to know...

UntowardHatter | a day ago

Non. A gentleman never inquires. Nor does he tell.

AwkwardChuckle | a day ago

Cold ocean water tends to cause shrinkage.

tony-ole | a day ago

Science has failed our world. Science has failed our Mother Earth.

Otherwise_Bee_8799 | 18 hours ago

Democrats and their Chinese handlers must want to buy property…..

Ashamed-Passion-314 | a day ago

The problem with scientists is that they love throwing in the towel and screaming about risks. No one is relocating a city. Better find ways to mitigate this.