New Orleans and Dominican Republic. The city is served by Amtrak. The New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal is the central rail depot and is served by the "Crescent", operating between New Orleans and New York City; the "City of New Orleans", operating between New Orleans and Chicago and the "Sunset Limited", operating between New Orleans and Los Angeles. Up until August 2005 (when Hurricane Katrina struck), the "Sunset Limited's" route continued east to Orlando. With the strategic benefits of both the port and its double-track Mississippi River crossings, the city attracted six of the seven Class I railroads in North America: Union
Hurricane preparedness for New Orleans Hurricane preparedness for New Orleans Hurricane preparedness in New Orleans has been an issue since the city's early settlement because of its location. New Orleans was built on a marsh. Unlike the first two centuries of its existence, today a little under half of the modern city sits below sea level. The city is surrounded by the Mississippi River, Lake Pontchartrain to the north, and Lake Borgne on the east. The earliest-settled parts of New Orleans and surrounding communities are above sea level. However, flooding was long a threat, from the periodic high waters of the Mississippi and from more