Property intelligence data confirms that the city carries extreme environmental hazard risks compared to inland locations.
"It's the city with the highest hazard risk in the country," said Howard Botts, Cotality's chief scientist.
Botts explained that the physical geography of the city makes it highly susceptible to water accumulation.
"The city is essentially a bowl surrounded by levies, and water will accumulate within that," Botts said.
Academic experts note that defending the city will require unprecedented long-term strategies and massive infrastructural changes.
"If everyone in New Orleans decides not to retreat, what would it take to stay – taxes on businesses, boats instead of cars, elevated homes?"
said AR Siders, a coastal relocation expert at the University of Delaware.
Siders expressed concern that US politics currently lacks a comprehensive state-level blueprint for managed climate retreat.
"Something big has to change and people in New Orleans will have to choose to become like Venice or have 30ft levees and not see the coast.
Something will have to give," Siders said.
She warned that a lack of preparation could lead to a slow demise for numerous coastal cities across the nation.
"There is no blueprint at all for this. I've been told before that retreat is un-American," Siders said.
Siders emphasized that waiting for future solutions is a dangerous default path.
"A lot of US towns are facing a slow death.
Slow demise is the default, not just for New Orleans but for Miami and Wilmington and lots of other places.
