New Orleans disaster in California?

Another New Orleans-style disaster is in the making in this country. Would you be surprised to learn it’s in the middle of California?

Well, it is. The Delta that forms where the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers converge about 80 miles from the Pacific coast is a vast estuary where about 50 islands of low-lying but highly productive farmland are protected by 1,100 miles of levees. Recently, developers have moved to subdivide the islands and build thousands of suburban homes on what used to be farms. But look carefully at the photo: Do you notice the river is higher than the houses? That’s because most of the new subdivisions are being built below sea level. Sound familiar?