Discussion Questions: Hurricanes: New Orleans Under Threat
- Explain the process that has led to New Orleans becoming a "bowl."
- What is a storm surge? Why is a storm surge particularly dangerous when a hurricane hits New Orleans?
- Wetlands around New Orleans are disappearing. What effect does this have upon the storm surge of a hurricane?
- What role did draining swampland and creating levees around New Orleans have upon its vulnerability to hurricanes?
- What aspects of New Orleans make it so vulnerable to being devastated by a large hurricane?
