New Orleans, Louisiana
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New Orleans is a city in the state of Louisiana in the United States of America.
The Flood Problems This city was hit by Hurricane Katrina on August 29, 2005. The city was first built by the French before it became a territory of the United States under President Thomas Jefferson in 1803. It was built at the mouth of the Mississippi River. It has been one of the World's greatest seaport cities for many years. Over half of the grain that is sent by ship to other countries, comes first by barge through the Port of New Orleans. The grains are grown in the farming states bordering the Mississippi River, the Missouri River, and Ohio Rivers. Much of the crude oil that is made into gasoline and diesel fuel is brought to New Orleans for refining oil refinery and distribution to other parts of the United States by barge or oil pipeline. Also, there are many oil well platforms nearby, in the Gulf of Mexico. The French located the city a short vertical distance above sea level. In the last three hundred years, the city has sunk slowly into the marshy soil. Large portions of New Orleans are now below sea level. A system of many pumps, dikes, seawall, and levees was built. The Katrina hurricane set a new record for the lowest barometric barometer pressure ever recorded in a hurricane. The nation's weather services forecast storms by following changes in this pressure. Their work is often very accurate. In this storm, people knew several days before the storm that it would be very dangerous and very close to New Orleans. The very low pressure gave the storm unusual strength. The special systems built to protect this under water city failed in several ways. Water came over the dikes, seawalls, and levees at six places. The engines on the pumps failed as the water rose above them. It is estimated that more than three quarters (3/4) of New Orleans was under water in early September of 2005. The very deep water caused failure of sewer, phone, electric and fresh water systems. Many people drowned. Many homes were completely covered with water. Many important records, some from the French period of the 1700s were destroyed. Many people believed that a flood in New Orleans would happen. They spoke openly about this concern for many years. A very serious flood happened several hundred miles upstream, on the Mississippi River, when heavy rains fell in 1927. The severe hardships from this flood led many people to move away. Many moved to Chicago. Now, many people who lived in the flood area are living in other cities. Many are afraid to move back. Their jobs are gone. Their homes are gone and their possessions are lost. The people who cannot move back have spread to many states. Texas is the largest state and has received the most flood victims. Many volunteers and charities are helping the flood victims to relocate to new homes and, at the same time, repair homes and services in this underwater city.
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