From USA Today: Interesting animated graphic showing history of NO...

[tex-wyo-dem]

...development and today's flooding areas.

Original city built in the 1700s where the French Quarter is was built on a high piece of land (5 ft. above sea level), which stayed relatively dry during the flooding.

As early as 1840s swamp land began to be drained to facilitate home building.

In the early 1900s levee system and pump stations were put in place to drain city, most of which was now in a bowl below sea level.

Most of which flooded is where there was originally swamp land.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/graphics/neworleans_growth/control.htm

[MADem]

1. Not nice to fool mother nature, I guess nt

[tex-wyo-dem]

2. Nope, you're exactly right...

The problems with NO is not only did they drain swampland and build the city below sea level in the first place, they didn't adequately fund the upkeep of the levee and pumping systems and destroyed much of the wetlands on the gulf side of the city, which would normally create a natural buffer zone against hurricanes. Couple that all with surrounding the city with chemical plants and oil refineries and global warming resulting in more frequent, stronger hurricanes and you have a catastrophe waiting to happen.