Let's wait and see if Dubya does a better job this time around. After Katrina, he travled and sang while seeing the destruction from Air Force One. A powerful parallel can be found in history when Nero ordered to set Rome on fire and then tried to find inspiration for playing the harp.
As the Preacher said, "there is nothing new under the sun"

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Making you think twice......

I see where it looks like an orderly exodus has begun. Hopefully, all will be out before this violent storm slams into the region.

Now the question. Given the amount of resources that both New Orleans and Louisiana will have to shoulder due to the evacuation and re-settlement of the population and the lost of tax revenues, will there come a time when both local and state leaders will be faced with a bleak decision to re-locate since the current city location is no longer financially tenable?
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From NWS

A FLIGHT-LEVEL WIND OF 143 KT AT 700 MB WAS JUST REPORTED IN THE NORTHEASTERN EYEWALL...WHICH SUPPORTS INCREASING THE ADVISORY INTENSITY TO 130 KT. MODEST ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING DURING THE NEXT FEW HOURS COULD LEAD TO CATEGORY FIVE INTENSITY AS GUSTAV CROSSES WESTERN CUBA...BUT THE OFFICIAL FORECAST DOES NOT EXPLICITLY CALL FOR CATEGORY FIVE STATUS UNTIL 24 HOURS.

130 KT equals 150MPH

Say a prayer for those in the area.

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Caution - The Surgeon General has determined that constant blogging is an addiction that can cause a sedentary life style.

I fell in love with New Orleans years ago. Uptown/Garden District is where we love to stay, so much history there. My husband and I were there the weekend Katrina hit and evacuated with so many others. It was surreal to watch the places we loved so much and had visited just days before destroyed and/or under water.
I hope the progress they've made isn't wipped out by this new storm. I also hope more people heed the warnings and decide to leave. Despite what some have said, there was ample warning, and people were told NOT to go to the Superdome, Convention Ctr., etc. Unfortunately so many of the NOLA residents had the "Nanny State" mentality and thought the government should have taken them to safety. It's so sad that some of those people lost their lives due to that poor decision.
Let's all hope/pray/wish that the cities & towns that suffered the most don't have to relive the nightmare of 3 years ago.