Gas Price Gougers #&@%!

[Willl]

why anyone would be living there unless he/she had to.

My question also.

One would think after the ocean came and tried to reclaim the beach a few times people would get the message. Move inland.

 

[tallyho8]

The puzzle to me is: (1) why they built New Orleans on such low ground to start with, many, many years ago, and (2) why anyone would be living there unless he/she had to.

The original New Orleans (the French Quarter) that was built many years ago was built on high land that has never flooded in the past 300 years or longer.

When New Orleans was built it was 50 miles further from the Gulf than it is today. New Orleans didn't move. The gulf did.

Much of the New Orleans area that was built from 50 to 200 years ago was above sea level when it was built but has since subsided.

Seaports must be located close to the sea to facilitate shipping, offshore oil rigs, etc. This is why they are called seaports.

Recent flooding in Iowa, Illinois and other states should convince you that simply being above sea level will not stop flooding and it is not practical for everyone to live on a mountaintop. After Katrina my sister moved to Hot Springs AR to avoid future floods even though her home in the metropolitan area did not flood. Her brand new home near the top of a hill has had floodwater in it twice!

After Katrina I got tired of hearing people ask that same question, why would people live in an area that flooded. We could logically ask the same question about many other areas of the country after they flood, or are destroyed by earthquakes, tornadoes, blizzards, mud slides, wildfires, etc. Most people live where their roots are and can not be faulted for doing so. While I don't live in New Orleans, I can fully understand why so many people do.

Many of New Orleans' "fine citizens" moved to Houston after Katrina and people there are saying that they should go back home and not worry about the flooding.

 

[tallyho8]

My question also.
One would think after the ocean came and tried to reclaim the beach a few times people would get the message. Move inland.

You mean like to Cedar Rapids Iowa?

 

[tallyho8]

If you guys don't stop disagreeing with me, I'm going to have as many posts as Bird by next week.

 

[Willl]

You mean like to Cedar Rapids Iowa?

Or bring in 30' of fill dirt.

 

[Bird]

The original New Orleans (the French Quarter) that was built many years ago was built on high land that has never flooded in the past 300 years or longer.

When New Orleans was built it was 50 miles further from the Gulf than it is today. New Orleans didn't move. The gulf did.

Much of the New Orleans area that was built from 50 to 200 years ago was above sea level when it was built but has since subsided.

Seaports must be located close to the sea to facilitate shipping, offshore oil rigs, etc. This is why they are called seaports.

Recent flooding in Iowa, Illinois and other states should convince you that simply being above sea level will not stop flooding and it is not practical for everyone to live on a mountaintop. After Katrina my sister moved to Hot Springs AR to avoid future floods even though her home in the metropolitan area did not flood. Her brand new home near the top of a hill has had floodwater in it twice!

After Katrina I got tired of hearing people ask that same question, why would people live in an area that flooded. We could logically ask the same question about many other areas of the country after they flood, or are destroyed by earthquakes, tornadoes, blizzards, mud slides, wildfires, etc. Most people live where their roots are and can not be faulted for doing so. While I don't live in New Orleans, I can fully understand why so many people do.

Many of New Orleans' "fine citizens" moved to Houston after Katrina and people there are saying that they should go back home and not worry about the flooding.

OK, good answer, but unless my job required my presence there, or I simply could not afford to move, I'd be going elsewhere. And there are a lot of other seaports that don't have the problems New Orleans has.

Oh, and I sure don't care if you have as many posts as I have.

 

[JESSE1]

We're getting lots of evacuees moving through the area now. The westbound lanes of I-20 are nearly bumper-to-bumper, about every other license plate is either Louisiana or Mississippi. All area motels/hotels are booked solid. The track is supposed to roll right over our area. We are about 200 miles from the coast but they are forecasting massive amounts of rain, possibility of severe thunderstorms and tornadoes.

 

[DocHeb]

Not trying to pick on DocHeb about this, he was just one of many that have posted something similar to this.

Poor business planning and poor cash management or just a better way to "explain away" the right to rip off the general public? David from jax
David from jax

Gasoline Service Stations are such a competitive business that their margins run ~1-2%. You can be sure that they are so aware of their cash flow and cash management that they must respond several times a day to the current market in wholesale gas prices. If you are running at that margin and you are still in business, you are an expert at cash management. Making 4-8 cents a gallon doesn't give much leeway.

 

[MossRoad]

Since this is something new to me/us, what do you guys recomend that we have on hand? No need to board up windows or any of that, but more along the lines of what to expect or need in case we get hit by severe weather that really dumps allot of rain on us and floods the creeks to the point the roads are not driveable.

Thanks,
Eddie

Eddie.
Go to the American Red cross sight and read up on survival kits. They have good lists of things EVERYONE should have on hand in case of emergency. Be it hurricane, tornado, blizzard, massive power outage, alien invasion, there are core things that you should have on hand if you are a good Boy Scout.

Enough drinking water for everyone for X amount of days.
Enough toilet paper and sanitary items for X amount of days.
Enough food.
Batteries or better yet, hand crank flashlights and radios.
A way to heat your house, if needed.
Multi-vitamins is something I recommend, as ration eating sometimes doesn't provide proper nutrition.
You'd be surprised at how much of this stuff you already have in your house. I just isn't organized into a kit.
Don't forget medications, first aid kits, and pet food and medications for your four legged friends, too.
Also, it never hurts to have a firearm and ammo for protection( most likely you are covered there, huh? ). But occasionally mass hysteria breaks out and looting occurs.
I had some relatives in the Cincinnati area that had looting in their neighborhood after severe tornadoes back in the 70's. The shotgun was enough to convince gangs of roaming thugs to keep roaming and try another place.

 

[DocHeb]

You mean like to Cedar Rapids Iowa?

Yeah, Cedar Rapids may not be built in a great place, but I do know they haven't revieved >$80 billion of our tax money to rebuild under sea level.