Rising seas will swallow New Orleans. People need to start relocating now, scientists say

Key Points:

• New Orleans faces an inevitable future of being surrounded by ocean due to rising sea levels, with experts urging the city to begin relocation planning now to avoid chaotic consequences.
• Coastal Louisiana has lost around 2,000 square miles of wetlands since the 1930s, which are critical buffers against storms, and is projected to lose 75% of its remaining wetlands with the shoreline retreating up to 62 miles inland.
• The city’s population has declined by about 25% since Hurricane Katrina in 2005, with nearly all residents at high risk of flooding from future hurricanes, highlighting the urgent need for managed retreat strategies.
• Relocation efforts, while challenging and potentially disruptive to community and culture, offer a chance to build a safer, sustainable New Orleans, though concerns remain about equitable treatment of vulnerable populations, particularly Black communities.
• Despite some attempts to protect the coast, such as sediment diversion projects, political decisions have hindered large-scale restoration efforts, signaling a need for proactive adaptation as New Orleans may serve as a model for other coastal cities facing similar threats.