Sunken Cities: Why New Orleans Is 'Doomed' But Amsterdam Is Safe

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New Orleans is often considered to be a "doomed" city. Already well below the sea level on average, the city suffered a catastrophic disaster in 2005 with Hurricane Katrina. But its issues go far beyond a single storm. Due to the ever encroaching issue of climate change and land subsidence, the city could very well be underwater in a few decades if nothing is done. But what's weird in all of this is that Amsterdam is safe from sea level rise despite existing in conditions that are otherwise pretty similar geographically. So, if this is the case, why is New Orleans doomed, but Amsterdam considered to be thriving well into the future?

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Video editing support provided by Kat Olsen

[disneylandguy]

New Orleans local here - really cannot overstate how much poor flood control infrastructure upkeep coupled to bureaucratic inefficiency and corruption contributes to our frequent floods - it's usually afternoon thunderstorms, not hurricanes, that cause flooding because our broken systems cannot handle even mild rain events.

[Brambrew]

It's worth mentioning that New Orleans has to construct levees to prevent the Mississippi River from overflowing its banks and flooding the city which largely sits in a bowl shaped valley.
However, the construction of levees to protect New Orleans prevent the formation of new swampland in the Gulf of Mexico, making New Orleans more vulnerable to damage after every consecutive storm.
They're caught in a double bind.

[michaeldufresne]

As a former resident of the NOLA area I was particularly interested in this week's video. Well done. As expensive as it might be to "save" the city it is too important on many levels to let it go to easily.

[harmg]

That is not the Afsluitdijk but the Markerwaarddijk.

[zews]

The Afsluitdijk is incorrectly marked. It’s much farther up north between Noord Holland and Friesland.

[dafudd]

All the flow control and levies on the river are not allowing the Mississippi to deposit silt, which is the major problem that New Orleans faces, along with pumping underground water, which causes the subsidence. Building on a silt based sponge and then depriving the land of silt replenishment and pumping out ground water is what made New Orleans below sea level. It wasn't when they started.

[toddwerther]

Could it be because we have an entire political party more devoted to grievance and make believe than governing? They have to be against anything that can make things better, because something-something 'woke'.

[bobsinhav]

You should do New Orleans and Kolkata!

[glike]

A solution to end flooding problems for New Orleans is to build water pipelines, preferably next to major highways to expedite and facilitate the construction, to use the Mississippi river excess water to refill Lake Powell and Lake Mead is important for National security as it allows greater agriculture instead of the current curtailment. It also allows food exports which improves global security and dollar strength through greater exports. We should strive for enough excess agriculture to create a grain food Bank in Arctic or Antarctic storage.
One option is a pipeline from Memphis area reservoir or Keokuk reservoir to Lake Powell.
2-axis floating solar on Lake Mead and Lake Powell could be used to maximize solar power hours and use the excess solar power for pumping water through the pipelines.
The Western USA has a lot of agriculture potential with agrivoltaics, a win win with water being a limiting factor.
The Western mega drought is curtailing farming. The USA needs a new pipeline from the massive excess water Louisiana Mississippi River bypass (Atchafalaya flood way basin) to Colorado River reservoirs could solve all the west mega drought problems and be great for agriculture and pay for itself.
The Arizona, Western USA and New Orleans water crisis is easy to solve with a pipeline from the Atchafalaya flood way basin in Louisiana that would take excess flow from the Mississippi River and store it in lake Mead or lake Powell.
Cost $21 Billion, but it will pay for itself and make a lot of money with an expansion of agriculture in the West.
Call your Senators and Representative to request support for the "Coalition For A National Infrastructure Bank" H.R. 3339, which is an excellent plan to build a pipeline from the Atchafalaya flood way basin using only a small percentage to refill Lake Mead and Powell.
Search for nibcoalition
Call Congress for HR3339 and Share
Her is plenty of water if we actually stop dumping it in the Gulf of Mexico.

Call your Senators and Representative to request support for the "Coalition For A National Infrastructure Bank" which has an excellent plan to build a pipeline from the Atchafalaya flood way basin using only a small percentage to refill Lake Mead and Powell.
According to Wikipedia,
"The Mississippi River floods most years, usually in late spring when runoff is at its peak. The intensity of flooding can vary from year to year, and some years can be devastating. For example, the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 was one of the most destructive floods in US history, destroying thousands of homes and businesses. The 2019 flood was also significant, lasting 235 days and surpassing the 1927 flood's record of 152 days above flood stage. "

[kirkhepburnmiddleagedwhiteguy]

New Orleans is the single most strategic city in the nation.

[Alex-]

Great video Geoff. It would be interesting if you could compare it with Venice. It's maybe something between by the two cities

[melodyhart]

A sacrifice must be made, allow the area below New Orleans recieve the yearly floods, before the flood season the area must be evacuated, allow reoccupation after the floods for cattle grazing and tiny homes.Provide those who must leave land to settle on .

[jimlawton]

I got curious as I was watching and followed along a map of New Orleans. I saw a couple canals but as you said nothing near Amsterdam. My question about New Orleans is: Why is there a Canal Street and Canal Boulevard, NEITHER of which contains or even crosses an actual canal? The street comes a couple blocks from Bayou St John which is there I guess but certainly not close enough to give the street its name. Were there canals there in the past?

[ImJamieX]

Amsterdam is safe because everyone is HIGH 🤣

[Versedyoutube]

Damn lol I had a video coming out on this tomorrow

[timsmith]

We saw W's lack of response to Hurricane Katrina flooding New Orleans decades ago. The problem is partly political. - Gen Z

[richardnigten]

I was not able to watch the whole vudeo because it contains so much errors. The afsluitdijk is situated more north than shown in the video. The evacuation of 200.000 people in 1995 had nothing to do with Amsterdam, it was about 50 miles to the south and there was no thread to Amsterdam. The disasterous floods of 1953 was also not related to Amsterdam. Etc...

[StephRich]

Yes New Orleans would get heavy rain often

[CandycaneBeyond]

i would love to see a video about Cape Coral in florida. i never knew they had so many canals

[MattPerdeck]

You can't compare the two. Amsterdam is the capital city, located in the very heartland of a wealthy nation that has defense against the sea burned in its culture. The Dutch national government will spend whatever it takes to defend Amsterdam. New Orleans is a poor tier 3 city far away from the US heartlands on the East and West coasts with very little if any clout with its national elite.

Yes, conditions in New Orleans are tougher than in Amsterdam with the hurricanes, swamps and the massive Mississippi river. But if New Orleans is doomed, it is because of politics.