New Orleans

The French named city of New Orleans is the largest metropolitan area and city within the state of Louisiana and a major port in the United States. This well-known southern city is often referred to as the most unique in the US and is a popular tourist destination because of its distinct French and Spanish Creole architecture, the amazing cuisine like gumbos and crawfish, the birthplace of jazz, and the countless festivals and celebrations like that of Mardi Gras which dates all the way back to French colonial times. New Orleans straddles the Mississippi River, roughly 105 miles upriver from the Gulf of Mexico, and is best characterized by ridges and hollows; other bodies of water in the area include Lake Pontchartrain in the northern region and Lake Borgne in the east. It has been noted that 51% of the city itself lies at or above sea level, with the highest point reaching up to 20 feet. The general climate in the city is subtropical with mild, short winters and very humid summers. Due to its low elevation, and it being surrounded by water in proximity, hurricanes have always been a threat to the area and in fact is the nation’s most vulnerable city.