Risk Management Solutions (RMS) recently released a report that analyzes the future flood risk in New Orleans.

The report, entitled, “Flood Risk in New Orleans: Implications for Future Management and Insurability,” outlines the ongoing threat of flood risk due to future hurricane activity and considers the role of insurance, the planning process, and the government in providing physical and economic protection.

The report also concludes that the threat of flooding will continue to increase due to a combination of three factors that will affect the city through the 21st century:

New Orleans' location is on thick, recent delta sediments along the edge of an oceanic basin, meaning the city is sinking at a geologically rapid rate.

Climate change over the last decade has resulted in a rising global sea levels and is predicted to accelerate into the future.

Atlantic basin hurricane activity has gone up, with big increases projected for the strongest storms, mainly in and around the Gulf of Mexico.

“While this report concerns a single city along the U.S. Gulf Coast, the devastation caused by storm surge and flooding in New Orleans can be seen as a parable of our time,” said Hemant Shah, president and CEO of RMS, in a statement. “These problems are shared by many cities along the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf Coasts, as well as other coastal cities around the world that face similar risks due to rising sea levels and increasing storm intensity associated with climate change.”Interested in more catastrophe news and in-depth articles? Head over to Claims' catastrophe channel for more information.

Special Reports /

RMS Publishes New Orleans Flood Risk Report

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