fear the rain

A Great thunderstorm rolled through Baton Rouge tonight. As the rain started falling, I began to worry for New Orleans. Few people realize it, but the city will flood again under a major rain event. I don't think tonight's showers will do it, but Katrina destroyed so much of the basic infrastructure keeping the city above water that relatively minor storms will cause significant problems.

New Orleans has a pumping system to drain water when it rains. This system was damaged during Katrina and remains compromised. Efforts are continuing to restore those systems to their pre-Katrina capacity, but this will not be done for months. Until then, the city holds its breath every time it rains.