lotsajizz wrote on Aug 31^st, 2008 at 9:46pm:

That's nonsense. My country (Netherlands, hence the name: Low Lands litterally) is below sea level for a third of the surface (where 60% of our country's population lives). Many, many inhabited regions in the US and the rest of the world lie below sea level
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_places_on_land_with_elevations_below_sea_le...).

I live near the coast, indeed also below sea level (even further than most of the New Orleans/Louisiana areas). Our people constructed these brilliant structures called the Delta Works (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delta_Works) after a deadly big storm with flooding in 1953, to successfully prevent future damage and life loss (although we don't have these kinds of hurricanes in our moderate climate thankfully).

But nevertheless there are good building options for those kinds of regions. Dutch experts even went there to advise about construction after Katrina had hit. Of course it will take a huge investment of time and money, but so would moving a city. Problem is that construction won't be ready for the next 3 (?) years or so and maybe not all vulnerable areas can/will be protected equally well. And if a big monsterstorm strikes in the meantime, well... that's bad alright.

I wish everyone good luck. Even if this storm won't turn out to be the biggest (Cat 2 now I hear), having to leave one's home like that must be awful in itself.