[Romulus]

Funny, this is the first major cyclone in observed history in that area, yet you don't have to tell folks twice to skeddadle.

Dirtboy, please remember that as a windstorm, Katrina's effects on New Orleans were minimal. The overwhelming majority of damage came from a flood that resulted from the failure of man-made structures. Call it the "Federal flood", if that helps.

[dirtboy]

Dirtboy, please remember that as a windstorm, Katrina's effects on New Orleans were minimal. The overwhelming majority of damage came from a flood that resulted from the failure of man-made structures.

So friggin' what? Are folks any less dead because they were killed by flooding instead of winds?

If you had a Cat 5 coming right at you with 30 hours before landfall and you had access to a car, wouldn't you get the hell out of Dodge? Heck, Katrina took out NOLA with the weaker side of the storm. Had Katrina hit NOLA with the dirty side of the storm, the death toll could have been at least ten times worse.

[Orange1998]

I remember watching TV after the storm passes and the talking head said, “New Orleans was sparred by Katrina, hardly any wind damage”. Then after the storm passes all hell breaks loose.