Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now

Louisiana sliding into the Gulf of Mexico, new report says

Talk about kicking a state while it's down. A new report says swampy southeastern Louisiana isn't just sinking -- it's sliding sideways into the Gulf of Mexico. Scientists say Mississippi River sediments are causing Cajun country bedrock to shift. While those rebuilding the hurricane-ravaged area ponder this fact, the authors of the report, published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, offer reassurance. "People should not be afraid that we're going to fall into the gulf," said lead researcher Roy Dokka of Louisiana State University, adding that last year, movement was equal to roughly the width of two credit cards. Call us crazy, but that sounds like kind of a lot. Insurers may be thinking the same: A post-Katrina emergency rule that kept local insurance policies in place ended yesterday, meaning many will not be renewed. And with insurance companies limiting coastal coverage from the gulf to the mid-Atlantic, "we're sliding into the sea" might not be the best way to woo them back.