New Orleans == Atlantis 2.0?

[passive wind]

Cunt Cunt Cunt Cunt Cunt Cunt Cunt Cunt

[Kintaro]

In meteorology, a tropical cyclone (or tropical disturbance, tropical depression, tropical storm, typhoon, or hurricane, depending on strength and location) is a type of low pressure system which generally forms in the tropics. While they can be highly destructive, tropical cyclones are an important part of the atmospheric circulation system, which moves heat from the equatorial region toward the higher latitudes.

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Worldwide, tropical cyclone activity peaks in late summer when water temperatures are warmest. However, each particular basin has its own seasonal patterns.

In the North Atlantic, a distinct hurricane season occurs from June 1 to November 30, sharply peaking from late August through September. The statistical peak of the North Atlantic hurricane season is September 10. The Northeast Pacific has a broader period of activity, but in a similar timeframe to the Atlantic. The Northwest Pacific sees tropical cyclones year-round, with a minimum in February and a peak in early September. In the North Indian basin, storms are most common from April to December, with peaks in May and November.

In the Southern Hemisphere, tropical cyclone activity begins in late October and ends in May. Southern Hemisphere activity peaks in mid-February to early March.

[worker201]

Probably be the best thing that ever happened to New Orleans.  Unfortunately, 17 hours later, it looks like New Orleans has survived.

I spent a couple weeks down there last August on business.  It is a kinda scary city.  There's this constant aura of menace anytime you get near the lake or the river.  It's like the water is a tiger in the jungle, just waiting for the right moment to devour the city.  Every time it rains, you think "is this gonna be the one?"

Certain parts of New Orleans are beautiful, and if you are the kind of girl who likes to show your tits, it would probably be a fun city.  And damn, some of the best food I have ever eaten in my life, and some of the best beer too (Blackened Voodoo Lager).  But I don't want to spend too much time there - it just feels wrong.  Kinda like walking down that street in Dallas past the grassy knoll and the book repository.

[worker201]

For the record, the most immediate effects of global warming will be more severe weather.  Or rather, more severe weather in different places.  The Pacific Northwest may get drier, SoCal could get wetter, the rain shadow of the Rockies could extend past the Mississippi river, and so on.  That's just in the US.  An increase in atmospheric heating at the equator will cause the Hadley cells that influence our weather patterns to shift, changing environmental conditions all over the globe.  Indian monsoons might be longer, hurricane season in the Gulf of Mexico might be shorter, and it might rain more in Algeria.  Who knows?  Hurricanes may or may not be part of the equation.  But there will be some changes - they can't be stopped.

[Annorax]

You mean, will New Orleans look like this next week?



Possibly... but not bloody likely.

[Kintaro]

I hear New Orleans has a totally awesome Jazz festival, a friend of mine (old friend, was a friend) went there, it is apparently the raddest thing ever. I will visit the city for sure one day. Its susposed to have a rad (as in talented) underground hip hop scene.

[worker201]

New Orleans is not without merit.  But it has been living dangerously for too damn long.  It takes the entire US Army Corps of Engineers to keep it from flooding every spring.  I don't know what fucknut put a large city below sea level in the middle of a swamp only 20 miles from the ocean.

And, as usual, the 'projects' are the ones that are hardest hit when flooding does occur.

[Aloone_Jonez]

We have similar problem in England to, property developers develop on flood planes and then wonder why it floods. They also make the problem worse because tarmac and concrete don't allow water to soak away into the ground so it all runs off into the rivers in one go. This also makes the river level lower in summer as the ground water is replenished less in winter.

[Kintaro]

Yes, and its all to blame on rich people.

Solution: kill all the rich people.

[Jenda]

What would you do with all the $$$?

[worker201]

Redistribute it, of course.  Duh!

[Lead Head]

What would you do with all the $$$?

*thinks cray super computer*

[Kintaro]

Why the hell would I want a cray?

They are pretty old hat.

In fact, fuck computers, id buy myself a vintage strat.

[Jenda]

Yay - more rich people to kill!

[worker201]

By the way, I heard an estimate the other day that up to 15% of the US oil refining capacity is down, thanks to refinery closures and damages in Mississippi and Louisiana.  So if gas prices hit $3 nationally, don't be surprised.  It's not because of the price of oil - it's the price of turning oil into gasoline.  Additionally, though I haven't heard any reports of this, there are hundreds of thousands of oil and natural gas pipelines off the Louisiana coast, and they are often damaged by strong storm surges.  There's 2 reasons nobody goes to the beach in Lousiana - 1) no waves (you can walk out a mile before your head goes below water), and 2) black sand.

I wonder how smart it is to have 15% of one of our most important energy industries crowded into a place that is almost guaranteed to be hit by a storm four months out of the year.