A Florida International University study reports a list of the sites most vulnerable to a major hurricane. Not surprising is that New Orleans is number one. The Lake Okeechobee dike rebuilt during Hoover's administration is number two. Last time it broke (1928), it drowned 2,500 people. If it broke today, 40,000 would be in danger, according to press stories about the study.
Most interesting to Northeasterners is the listing of Long Island, New York as number 8 on the list. Since the 1938 hurricane, property values along the island's sandy south shore have skyrocketed. Losses from another hurricane like that in 1938 would be "astronomical," according to Stephen P. Leatherman, who directs the International Hurricane Research Center at Florida International University. Surprises in a New Tally of Areas Vulnerable to Hurricanes - New York Times
Posted by dougsimpson at October 10, 2006 08:24 AM