A new study says New Orleans should start planning to relocate now because sea-level rise and climate change have pushed coastal Louisiana past a "point of no return." The paper says the city may be surrounded by the Gulf of Mexico before the end of this century. [1]
The study, published in a report covered by The Guardian on 2026-05-04, says southern Louisiana faces 3–7 metres of sea-level rise and could lose three-quarters of its remaining coastal wetlands. It says the shoreline could migrate as much as 100 km inland, which could strand New Orleans and Baton Rouge. [1]
The paper calls coastal Louisiana the "most physically vulnerable coastal zone in the world" and says immediate action is needed for a transition away from New Orleans. Jesse Keenan, one of the researchers quoted in the report, said: "In paleo-climate terms, New Orleans is gone; the question is how long it has." The study also said: "While climate mitigation should remain the first step to prevent the worst outcomes, coastal Louisiana has evidently already crossed the point of no return." [1]
New Orleans has a population of about 360,000. The article says billions of dollars have already gone into levees, floodgates and pumps after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, but the defenses may not save the city in the long run. [1]
The report says New Orleans may be surrounded by the Gulf of Mexico before the end of this century. [1]
