Louisiana's Response to Extreme Weather: A Coastal State's Adaptation Challenges and Successes (Extreme Weather and Society)

This book is open access under a CC BY 4.0 license. This book takes an in-depth look at Louisiana as a state which is ahead of the curve in terms of extreme weather events, both in frequency and magnitude, and in its responses to these challenges including recovery and enhancement of resiliency. Louisiana faced a major tropical catastrophe in the 21 st century, and experiences the fastest rising sea level. Weather specialists, including those concentrating on sea level rise acknowledge that what the state of Louisiana experiences is likely to happen to many more, and not necessarily restricted to coastal states. This book asks and attempts to answer what Louisiana public officials, scientists/engineers, and those from outside of the state who have been called in to help, have done to achieve resilient recovery. How well have these efforts fared to achieve their goals? What might these efforts offer as lessons for those states that will be likely to experience enhanced extreme weather? Can the challenges of inequality be truly addressed in recovery and resilience? How can the study of the Louisiana response as a case be blended with findings from later disasters such as New York/New Jersey (Hurricane Sandy) and more recent ones to improve understanding as well as best adaptation applications – federal, state and local? Front Matter ....Pages i-xiv Introduction to the Book: “Ahead of the Curve” (Shirley Laska)....Pages 1-31 Front Matter ....Pages 33-33 Managing Risks in Louisiana’s Rapidly Changing Coastal Zone (Donald F. Boesch)....Pages 35-62 Front Matter ....Pages 63-63 Connecting the Dots: The Origins, Evolutions, and Implications of the Map that Changed Post-Katrina Recovery Planning in New Orleans (Zachary Lamb)....Pages 65-91 Antagonisms of Adaptation: Climate Change Adaptation Measures in New Orleans and New York City (Kevin Fox Gotham, Megan Faust)....Pages 93-112 Adapting to a Smaller Coast: Restoration, Protection, and Social Justice in Coastal Louisiana (Scott A. Hemmerling, Monica Barra, Rebecca H. Bond)....Pages 113-144 Front Matter ....Pages 145-145 Community Resettlement in Louisiana: Learning from Histories of Horror and Hope (Nathan Jessee)....Pages 147-184 Sojourners in a New Land: Hope and Adaptive Traditions (Kristina J. Peterson)....Pages 185-214 Front Matter ....Pages 215-215 Post-disaster Development Dilemmas: Advancing Landscapes of Social Justice in a Neoliberal Post-disaster Landscape (Anna Livia Brand, Vern Baxter)....Pages 217-240 Reimagining Housing: Affordability Crisis and Its Role in Disaster Resilience and Recovery (Andreanecia M. Morris, Lucas Diaz)....Pages 241-259 Front Matter ....Pages 261-261 The 2016 Unexpected Mid-State Louisiana Flood: With Special Focus on the Different Rescue and Recovery Responses It Engendered (Michelle Annette Meyer, Brant Mitchell, Shannon Van Zandt, Stuart Nolan)....Pages 263-281 Front Matter ....Pages 283-283 Challenges of Post-Disaster Recovery in Rural Areas (Alessandra Jerolleman)....Pages 285-310 Front Matter ....Pages 311-311 Regional Resilience: Building Adaptive Capacity and Community Well-Being Across Louisiana’s Dynamic Coastal–Inland Continuum (Traci Birch, Jeff Carney)....Pages 313-340 Back Matter ....Pages 341-361 Earth sciences; Natural disasters; Climate change; Coasts; Environmental management; Environmental law; Environmental policy; Social justice; Human rights