A coffer dam is a hole in water. It is an artificial condition. Construction workers make them by dropping a cylinder into water and pumping the water out. It is used for the construction of bridge foundations and similar structures that stand in water. The name coffer dam is a corruption of the term coffin dam, because many good men have died in them. Working in a coffer dam is very dangerous.
I was looking at a map of New Orleans and pondering the devastation that Hurricane Katrina did to the people of that famous city. So much material is washed down the Mississippi river, it changes the shore line yearly.
Engineers have addressed the flood of water and washed- in soil , trying to control a natural condition. They build large walls to channel the water. They run large pumps to keep the water out of the city. It occured to me that New Orleans is situated in a coffer dam.
All that water, heat and humidity invite termites to invade wooden structures...even trees. The good people of New Orleans are constantly fighting and losing the battle against termites.
Our changing weather pattern is not debatable. Our weather pattern is changing. It could be a 25 year cycle or it could be a longer cycle due to global warming. Scientists predict more and more severe hurricanes, drought and flood, snow, severe cold and severe heat as this weather pattern continues.
All of the above , makes for a poor prognosis for New Orleans.
When the midwest was suffering severe floods, one town voted to relocate from a river flood plane to higher ground. Government helped them accomplish this. I think I learned of this by watching NOVA on television, but I'm not sure. It was some time ago.
If I had a vote, I would vote to relocate New Orleans to higher ground and save a lot of human misery. New Orleans should not be rebuilt where it is.