Why is metro New Orleans sinking? Video NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune Home and Garden Editor Susan Langenhennig talks with Tulane University geographer Richard Campanella and Civil engineer Kevin Vanderbrook about the effect of soil subsidence in the New Orleans metro area.
Tulane University geography professor and NOLA.com Cityscapes columnist, Richard Campanella's recent column on soil subsidence generated a lot of questions from readers about why the metro New Orleans area is sinking and what that means to homeowners. The column generated such a vibrant online conversation, I decided it was worth exploring the topic in a little more depth.
Campanella joined me and civil engineer Kevin Vanderbrook of VECO Consulting Engineers in the newsroom studio on Thursday to discuss the serious issue of subsidence -- and what, if anything, homeowners can do about it.
The video is about 26 minutes long, but it's full of information, both on the macro level -- why is subsidence an issue we should all be concerned about? -- and the micro level -- is it a good idea for homeowners to pump sand under a house slab that's experiencing subsidence and do rain gardens make any difference at all?
The video is the first in a series of home and garden discussions with experts. If you have a topic you'd like to see explored in more detail, add it to the comment stream below.