Name the City


Clue:

This is a tale of [a] city...and a half-million people living on what was once a natural flood plain. But the final chapter of this story is still being written...

Fireworks couldn’t compete with the spectacular storms that swelled the rivers. Down in the Delta, some feared the worst.

the wind was blowing at close to 60 miles per hour. For a while, we abandoned the flood fight, and there was a concern that we may lose [it all].

“We have the system in place that we can respond quickly, but sometimes situations can get out of hand, and there is a potential or likelihood that the levee can fail. And if the levee fails...the consequences are pretty drastic.”...

The...storms took [multiple] lives, destroyed [thousands of] homes, and caused [billions of] dollars in damage.

And here's the answer.

Yeah, I'm sure y'all had it figured out, or, at the very least, knew it wasn't NOLA. But the point is that there are a LOT of places in the country that are vulnerable to flooding and/or have put human-made works into place for flood protection. If these works aren't maintained, you run severe risks. And in an age when government is supposedly "the problem," I'd bet a LOT of severe risks exist.

The opposite side of the coin, of course, is that these engineering works are built because of the BENEFIT they provide society as a whole. Barry's editorial points out that places like Pittsburgh, Minneapolis, and Tulsa are directly connected to the ocean thanks to ports like New Orleans. Out in California, deep water vessels ply the Sacramento River up to the city of Sacramento itself. The resulting commerce and trade is of value to the country as a whole.

Those arguing for abandonment are literally opting to cut off their nose to spite their face...