[egypturnash]

Americans Have Options. So Why Do They Go West and South?

I spent about seventeen years in the north. I came pretty close to offing myself due to seasonal depression. There's a not-insignificant chance that New Orleans will end up drowning before the end of my expected GenX lifetime but I'm still gonna enjoy the rest of life several orders of magnitude than if I'd stayed in Boston or Seattle. Even if it ends in that flood.

[burlesona]

I will say, New Orleans is really underrated. I understand the flood risk and it would make me nervous too, but what a great city. Perhaps there’s a way to keep the core city above water long-term?

[egypturnash]

Ha, it's about five feet below sea level already and the way we use the land and river just makes it keep on slowly sinking even without factoring in rising seas. Really the bigger worry is heavier/longer hurricane season meaning more chances for one to fill up the bowl of the city, especially with the pumps and their generators being increasingly in need of maintenance - right now there's barely enough of the power system online to keep them running if the cyclone coming up the gulf at us decides to dump an asston of rain, for instance.

Or maybe the Mississippi will finally triumph over the Army Corps of Engineers and start going down the Atchafalya, like it's been wanting to do for most of my life, and then a significant part of the city's revenue dries up.

Ain't nothin' permanent anyway. Any given hurricane could be The One, and everyone in town knows it, and that's part of why we have such big parties. Enjoy it while it lasts.

[sys_64738]

NE cities are having milder winters. Climate change isn’t bad for everyone.