This is how New Orleans will look like until the levees are fixed and water is pumped out. This is not a case of normal flooding because New Orleans is built 8-10 feet under sea level. Until these two items I outlined are completed, the City of New Orleans will stay submerged and unlivable.

The next debate you will see in the coming days is " shall it be rebuilt?" (there's a real, albeit small possibility it will get abandoned if the cost is too high - making it the 21st century Atlantis; a city lost to water)

Here are some options to help: American Red Cross; Salvation Army; United Way; United Jewish Federation; Catholic Charities.


"They don't bury the dead in New Orleans. The highest point in the city is only 6 ft. above sea level, which makes for watery graves. Fearful that rotting corpses caused epidemics, the city limited ground burials in 1830. Mausoleums built on soggy cemetery grounds became the final resting place for generations. Beyond providing a macabre tourist attraction, these "cities of the dead" serve as a reminder of the Big Easy's vulnerability to flooding. The reason water rushes into graves is because New Orleans sits atop a delta made of unconsolidated material that has washed down the Mississippi River." (Popular Mechanics) - published in September 11, 2001

"In fiscal year 2006, the New Orleans district of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is bracing for a record $71.2 million reduction in federal funding." (Dolan Media Newswires) - published in June 6, 2005