A UW engineering expert says some parts of New Orleans should not be rebuilt.
UW Professor Ken Potter grew up in New Orleans. His specialty is flooding. He says redeveloping the devastated areas of New Orleans to the way it was or the way it was going is not a good idea.
Potter says New Orleans is sinking, sea level is rising and hurricanes may get worse. And since the 60's New Orleans just grew too fast and too much. Some of which he personally saw as he grew up in the city. Potter says that growth, especially in the eastern part of the city led to the destruction.
Potter says someone needs to step up and say no. Some people just can't move back. But he doesn't see anyone taking that leadership role. He believes someone on the federal level, outside the city politics, needs to be that leader. New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin made the suggestion once that destroyed sections of the city should remain undeveloped but that idea was not well received at the time.
Potter says other areas in the possible path of future hurricanes need to start talking now about plans for such a hit and how they will deal with it.
orleansva082806.mp3 (417k)
