Yes, living in the "sliver by the river" is a Good Thing, as it turned out for those fortunate enough to do so.
Of course, the lake was unusually low due to drought. A friend went out there the day before the hurricane and it was a couple of feet below the sea wall -- lower than he'd ever seen it and he's lived there his entire life, 60 years.
And -- this is still true -- one of these days a hurricane is coming further west, up the river, and is going to push the river ahead as a storm surge instead of the lake.
But -- well, it hasn't happened yet, so why worry?
One of the saddest things I've seen about Katrina was an interview with Dr. Ivor Van Heerden, an LSU professor who predicted exactly what would happen. He broke into tears because it all happened exactly like he predicted, but nobody listened.
pbs.org
I know the people who wouldn't listen. They had better things to do, like enjoy fine cigars and fine wine and old time jazz and ragtime and all the rest of the finer things in life.
Me, I gave up and moved away. Not my problem. I don't smoke cigars but there is plenty of good wine in Virginia, not to mention lovely courtyards, far better weather, no Formosa termites, no cigar-sized cockroaches, honest politicians, good public schools, good libraries, clean streets, high employment . . . . |
