Why New Orleans became America's geographic nightmare

Transcript

This American city was once so valuable that the United States wanted to buy it from Napoleon all because of its location. But today, that same location has become a geographic nightmare. And that city is New Orleans. Just look at a map of North America from the early 19th century. Here's New Orleans, which belongs to France. It's located close to the US border, which runs along the Mississippi River. And at that time, the most efficient way to move goods was by water. That made the Mississippi and its tributaries the region's main trade artery, connecting Central North America to the sea. In New Orleans, it's at right along that route. So whoever controlled the city controlled that trade. That's exactly why the US bought the city. Along with a little extra land. But buying the city was the easy part. Today, the challenge is keeping it from drowning. New Orleans and its metropolitan area are almost completely surrounded by water. To the north is the massive lake Pontchartrain. In the middle is the Mississippi River. And to the south and east is the Gulf of Mexico, which is why the region regularly gets hit by hurricanes. As a result of the devastating hurricane Katrina in 2005, 80% of the city ended up under water. But the craziest part is that about 65% of the city lies below sea level. And in some places, as much as two meters below. New Orleans is literally sitting in a bowl that can easily fill with water during any major flood. That's why authorities have spent billions on levees, flood walls, and pumps to protect the city from constantly rising sea levels. So, ironically, the very water that once made New Orleans so valuable has now become one of the biggest threats to its survival.

Transcribed automatically from the video, so small errors are possible.