Throughout this guide, we have talked about the mystique of New Orleans and its ineffable essence. Now it's time for some hard-core stats. The largest city in Louisiana (pre-Katrina) and one of the chief cities of the South, New Orleans is nearly 100 miles above the mouth of the Mississippi River system and stretches along a strip of land 5 to 8 miles wide between the Mississippi and Lake Pontchartrain to the north. This is a city surrounded by water -- a gulf, a river, and a lake -- and it's all largely under sea level. The highest natural point is in City Park, a whole 35 feet above sea level. That brings us to grimmer, more recent facts. There are 350 miles of levee systems, designed to keep the city dry. Breeches in at least three main levees, plus more in the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet, caused flooding in 80% of the city shortly after August 29, 2005. The flooding ranged in depth from mere inches to well over 12 feet, resulting in billions of dollars in damage. Recovery will be ongoing for decades.
