On my way home Friday afternoon, I was listening to my local NPR station, WAMU. They were broadcasting Science Friday, and had discussions about the levee system in New Orleans with a few experts. In addition to a discussion about how to make it better, they also discuss how it was made worse by a century of vanishing coastal marshlands as well as years of vanishing funds for studying and potentially correcting for the problem.
The stories are ostensibly distinct, but were broadcast back-to-back, and therefore have some sense of continuity; they have the same guests and discuss much of the same material. I recommend listening to them both.
I’ll merely point out that much of the Netherlands has been below sea level for–what?–centuries. They have developed rather significant technology, that is actually quite sophisticated, that provides them with a levee system (they call them dikes) that has worked fairly decently at keeping back the sea water.
BTW, they do have at least winds that reach hurricane strength up there. Maybe not Camille or Katrina strength, but definitely hurricane strength.
Brian, I fail to see what you’re talking about. Do dangerous storms and tides threaten the Dutch? Absolutely. But monstrous storms with high winds and storm surges are not the likely culprit. The article all but admits it’d have to be a “perfect storm” combined with lunar high tides.
It actually doesn’t matter that it’s not going to be a tropical storm grown large that does it - all it takes is the wrong combinations of wind and water, and *any* low-lying (below sea level) place is at risk …
Then again, in some areas, the local authorities make plans beforehand, and then follow them as needed …
Andrew, you stated that storms do not threaten the Dutch. The article clearly states that such a thing has happened repeatedly through history. The “it couldn’t happen here” attitude of New Orleans is what you’re suggesting for the Dutch, i.e., since they aren’t threatened regularly, why bother? Well, now the Dutch have a 40 ft sea wall designed to withstand any storm.
Why? Because of a storm followed by massive flooding which caused over 1,800 deaths. (Stop me when this sounds familiar.)
September 6th, 2005 at 2:40:54 pm
Just discovered the web site.
I’ll merely point out that much of the Netherlands has been below sea level for–what?–centuries. They have developed rather significant technology, that is actually quite sophisticated, that provides them with a levee system (they call them dikes) that has worked fairly decently at keeping back the sea water.
BTW, they do have at least winds that reach hurricane strength up there. Maybe not Camille or Katrina strength, but definitely hurricane strength.
September 6th, 2005 at 6:43:14 pm
raj, it’s not even the same. Not even close. Holland does not get 20 foot storm surges with 150mph winds. The North Sea is ugly, but not that ugly.
September 6th, 2005 at 6:59:32 pm
Brian listens to NPR? I’m *shocked*!
September 6th, 2005 at 7:21:45 pm
Holland does not get 20 foot storm surges with 150mph winds. The North Sea is ugly, but not that ugly.
Sure it is.
September 6th, 2005 at 8:11:45 pm
Brian, I fail to see what you’re talking about. Do dangerous storms and tides threaten the Dutch? Absolutely. But monstrous storms with high winds and storm surges are not the likely culprit. The article all but admits it’d have to be a “perfect storm” combined with lunar high tides.
September 6th, 2005 at 8:26:42 pm
It actually doesn’t matter that it’s not going to be a tropical storm grown large that does it - all it takes is the wrong combinations of wind and water, and *any* low-lying (below sea level) place is at risk …
Then again, in some areas, the local authorities make plans beforehand, and then follow them as needed …
September 6th, 2005 at 8:36:29 pm
Andrew, you stated that storms do not threaten the Dutch. The article clearly states that such a thing has happened repeatedly through history. The “it couldn’t happen here” attitude of New Orleans is what you’re suggesting for the Dutch, i.e., since they aren’t threatened regularly, why bother? Well, now the Dutch have a 40 ft sea wall designed to withstand any storm.
Why? Because of a storm followed by massive flooding which caused over 1,800 deaths. (Stop me when this sounds familiar.)
September 6th, 2005 at 10:40:23 pm
I love Science Friday.. Listen to it every week..
I love podcasting… if it wasn’t for NPRs podcast, it’d be a little hard for me to listen to Science Friday, seeing as I live in Australia and all..
Well done NPR!