Boing Boing reader Josh says,
About three years ago I remember watching Bill Moyer's NOW on PBS and listening to a facinating piece on the threat New Orleans faced from a major hurricane. Then, last year Ivan had a near miss and I was reminded of the program.
Now that Katrina has hit, I went back and read the transcript. It is eeriely prophetic. The most interesting piece is near the end, where they link the increased exposure to major storms to the levees designed to protect.
The Mississippi delta has for years been a major buffer to storms as it quickly reduces the power of most storms. However, as levees are built to protect the city from flooding, they have funneled water away that is essential in keeping the delta healthy. In the past decade the delta has been reduced significantly in size. Thus major storms have a mouch larger impact when they hit the land.
