A local resident is warning homebuyers about a pitfall of purchasing property in the Pelican State. Louisiana Crawfish Company (@LouisianaCrawfishCo) posted a video explaining how the state's levee and spillway infrastructure is failing to adequately divert flood waters.
While the state of Louisiana built levees to prevent rising water from rushing into cities, as the company explains, many floods produce more water than the levees can hold. As a result, the state also built spillways, which Louisiana Crawfish Co. compares to a bathtub drain. Overflow water from the levees pours into the spillways, which drain through the Atchafalaya Basin.
However, after numerous floods, the spillways have been filling the Atchafalaya Basin with sand and silt, preventing the water from effectively draining through the basin.
"If you dump a bunch of sand into your bathtub, it's not going to be able to hold as much water as it once did," Louisiana Crawfish Co. explains. "This sand and silt filling up the basin is drastically affecting how much flood water the basin can naturally handle, and as a result, this water is spilling into our cities."
"Things could get ugly around here," says Louisiana Crawfish Co.
The video went viral, gaining over 363,000 likes and sparking over 3,000 comments.
"This is a great example of why controlling the natural movement of water is so difficult," responded one user.
"I'm so grateful you guys are spreading awareness about the ecological crisis in the Pearl River Valley area," wrote another YouTuber. "It's a beautiful piece of nature."
While Louisiana isn't the only part of the world impacted by increased flooding, rising sea levels are contributing to coastal areas disappearing at an incredibly fast rate in the Bayou State. According to a report by Restore The Mississippi River Delta, every 100 minutes, "a football field of wetlands vanishes into open water" in Louisiana.
For homeowners and the state economy, the rising waters present a massive financial crisis, costing the state billions of dollars in damages.
However, by spreading climate awareness, YouTubers like Louisiana Crawfish Co. are helping to educate homeowners and raise awareness about the importance of conservation initiatives. In the caption, the company also shouted out the conservation organization Atchafalaya Basinkeeper, which is working to protect and restore the area.
"There's good news, though!" Louisiana Crawfish Co. wrote. "Basinkeeper.org is on the grounds fighting for our public land each day."
YouTubers were appreciative of the video's clear explanation breaking down the flood crisis in Louisiana.
"Thank you for sharing this information," wrote another internet user. "The bathtub example helped me to understand why there's so much flooding around the Mississippi River and Louisiana areas."
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