Before and After Pictures

[selenite0]

Let it never be said I think ill of all of NASA's work . . . here's some photos from the Terra satellite's MODIS sensor.



Southern Louisiana after Katrina . . . and before.


Notice that it's not just New Orleans. Even the lakes have changed shape.

And something I'd like to point out in the "before" picture. Notice the long wavy line going southeast? That's the sediment that would've maintained the swamplands which used to absorb the impact of storms before they got to New Orleans. Now it goes to the Gulf and the shore has been receding back toward the city. This disaster has been a long, long time in the making.

Hat tip to Winds of Change for the link.
Images courtesy of MODIS Rapid Response Project at NASA/GSFC. Taken by Terra satellite on 8/27 and 8/30.

Comments

[firedrake-mor.livejournal.com]

I put the two pieces together, and adjusted the size of the "after" so the rivers matched, and then switched back and forth.

Dear Mother, what a disaster. Yeah, this disaster has been decades in the making, but you gotta admit the cuts in funding for the levees last year didn't help.

[selenite.livejournal.com]

you gotta admit the cuts in funding for the levees last year didn't help

I'm sure there's some perfectly good explanation that this, as with all bad things, is Dubya's fault, but c'mon--ya gotta be able to do better than that. FY2004 funds doing good this year? If they'd gotten the money they'd still be editing the RFP now.

[noumignon.livejournal.com]

Yes, those images are pretty hard to compare the way they are. I can only see the difference in the big lake north of the wiggly river.

So much land gone

[bkseiver.livejournal.com]

I was shocked to see, even in the before picture, how little land there now is around the Mississippi river south of NOLA. I cruised down that river, but it was at night when we went to the Gulf, and I was only aware of the shore. Who knew there was no longer any land around it. Our state outline is sure wrong, now. No barriers left, eh?

Also, as we went down the river, we saw big oil storage tanks on the shore. They were blown away in the storm.

[(Anonymous)]

Karl, it's been so long since we last had a chat! I'm glad to see you're posting our discussion in good faith (http://www.livejournal.com/users/count_zeroor/101176.html). Unfortunately, Count Zeroor doesnt't allow anonymous comments, so I left my response on the link you posted (http://www.drizzten.com/blargchives/001041.html).

-Charles Hueter
www.drizzten.com