Katrina Anniversary Thread

[gboudx]

Here's the AFD from the NO NWS on the eve of Katrina making landfall in SELA:

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW ORLEANS LA
1011 AM CDT SUN AUG 28 2005

...DEVASTATING DAMAGE EXPECTED...

.HURRICANE KATRINA...A MOST POWERFUL HURRICANE WITH UNPRECEDENTED STRENGTH...RIVALING THE INTENSITY OF HURRICANE CAMILLE OF 1969.

MOST OF THE AREA WILL BE UNINHABITABLE FOR WEEKS...PERHAPS LONGER. AT LEAST ONE HALF OF WELL CONSTRUCTED HOMES WILL HAVE ROOF AND WALL FAILURE. ALL GABLED ROOFS WILL FAIL...LEAVING THOSE HOMES SEVERELY DAMAGED OR DESTROYED.

THE MAJORITY OF INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS WILL BECOME NON FUNCTIONAL. PARTIAL TO COMPLETE WALL AND ROOF FAILURE IS EXPECTED. ALL WOOD FRAMED LOW RISING APARTMENT BUILDINGS WILL BE DESTROYED. CONCRETE BLOCK LOW RISE APARTMENTS WILL SUSTAIN MAJOR DAMAGE...INCLUDING SOME WALL AND ROOF FAILURE.

HIGH RISE OFFICE AND APARTMENT BUILDINGS WILL SWAY DANGEROUSLY...A FEW TO THE POINT OF TOTAL COLLAPSE. ALL WINDOWS WILL BLOW OUT.

AIRBORNE DEBRIS WILL BE WIDESPREAD...AND MAY INCLUDE HEAVY ITEMS SUCH AS HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCES AND EVEN LIGHT VEHICLES. SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES AND LIGHT TRUCKS WILL BE MOVED. THE BLOWN DEBRIS WILL CREATE ADDITIONAL DESTRUCTION. PERSONS...PETS...AND LIVESTOCK EXPOSED TO THE WINDS WILL FACE CERTAIN DEATH IF STRUCK.

POWER OUTAGES WILL LAST FOR WEEKS...AS MOST POWER POLES WILL BE DOWN AND TRANSFORMERS DESTROYED. WATER SHORTAGES WILL MAKE HUMAN SUFFERING INCREDIBLE BY MODERN STANDARDS.

THE VAST MAJORITY OF NATIVE TREES WILL BE SNAPPED OR UPROOTED. ONLY THE HEARTIEST WILL REMAIN STANDING...BUT BE TOTALLY DEFOLIATED. FEW CROPS WILL REMAIN. LIVESTOCK LEFT EXPOSED TO THE WINDS WILL BEKILLED.

AN INLAND HURRICANE WIND WARNING IS ISSUED WHEN SUSTAINED WINDS NEAR HURRICANE FORCE...OR FREQUENT GUSTS AT OR ABOVE HURRICANE FORCE...ARE CERTAIN WITHIN THE NEXT 12 TO 24 HOURS.

ONCE TROPICAL STORM AND HURRICANE FORCE WINDS ONSET...DO NOT VENTURE OUTSIDE!

[Ixolib]

Here's my take on the statement as a person who experienced not only the storm firsthand in Biloxi, but also the aftermath.... Perhaps "fear mongering" is a good thing, but it can also bring about the boy/wolf syndrome.

HURRICANE KATRINA...A MOST POWERFUL HURRICANE WITH UNPRECEDENTED STRENGTH...RIVALING THE INTENSITY OF HURRICANE CAMILLE OF 1969.
Wind wise - no. Water wise - exceeded

MOST OF THE AREA WILL BE UNINHABITABLE FOR WEEKS.
Uninhabitable for MOST of the area did not take place. The only places that were uninhabatable for weeks were those that were impacted by surge.

AT LEAST ONE HALF OF WELL CONSTRUCTED HOMES WILL HAVE ROOF AND WALL FAILURE.
Well, that didn't come to pass. Overwhelmingly, most of the homes on the coast did just fine unless they were impacted by surge.

ALL GABLED ROOFS WILL FAIL...LEAVING THOSE HOMES SEVERELY DAMAGED OR DESTROYED.
This too did not take place. There were PLENTY of gabled roofs left intact and fully operational on August 30

THE MAJORITY OF INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS WILL BECOME NON FUNCTIONAL. PARTIAL TO COMPLETE WALL AND ROOF FAILURE IS EXPECTED.
Didn't see the MAJORITY of anything non-functional. Certainly a lot, but not the majority.

ALL WOOD FRAMED LOW RISING APARTMENT BUILDINGS WILL BE DESTROYED.
Not unless they were at the water's edge - and even some of those survived! But, surely most (majority) of wood framed buildings survived just fine except for those impacted by surge.

CONCRETE BLOCK LOW RISE APARTMENTS WILL SUSTAIN MAJOR DAMAGE...INCLUDING SOME WALL AND ROOF FAILURE.
Okay, this is a true statement to some degree. But many many many low rise apartments made of concrete block received relatively little damage.

HIGH RISE OFFICE AND APARTMENT BUILDINGS WILL SWAY DANGEROUSLY...A FEW TO THE POINT OF TOTAL COLLAPSE. ALL WINDOWS WILL BLOW OUT.
Well, the MS coast doesn't have many "high-rises" except the Beau Rivage, Grand Casinos, and IP. But, they didn't collapse and certainly not all their windows blew out

AIRBORNE DEBRIS WILL BE WIDESPREAD...AND MAY INCLUDE HEAVY ITEMS SUCH AS HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCES AND EVEN LIGHT VEHICLES. SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES AND LIGHT TRUCKS WILL BE MOVED. THE BLOWN DEBRIS WILL CREATE ADDITIONAL DESTRUCTION. PERSONS...PETS...AND LIVESTOCK EXPOSED TO THE WINDS WILL FACE CERTAIN DEATH IF STRUCK.
The wind wasn't even close enough to being strong enough to move appliances and cars. Perhaps if a dog was hit by debris, it may have given him or her ceratin death

POWER OUTAGES WILL LAST FOR WEEKS...AS MOST POWER POLES WILL BE DOWN AND TRANSFORMERS DESTROYED. WATER SHORTAGES WILL MAKE HUMAN SUFFERING INCREDIBLE BY MODERN STANDARDS.
Yep - the power was out for many for weeks. But for others, only a few days. And I don't believe I saw any "incredible suffering" as a result of no or little water. Lots of water made its way into the disaster zone amazingly quick!! Much quicker than it did during Camille!!

THE VAST MAJORITY OF NATIVE TREES WILL BE SNAPPED OR UPROOTED. ONLY THE HEARTIEST WILL REMAIN STANDING...BUT BE TOTALLY DEFOLIATED. FEW CROPS WILL REMAIN. LIVESTOCK LEFT EXPOSED TO THE WINDS WILL BEKILLED.
Not sure about crops or livestock - I'm a city boy. But the MAJORITY of trees survived quite well albeit mostly defoliated

[Beam]

Ixolib, you have to remember that at the time that advisory was issued, there was every indication that Katrina was going to strike land as a category five rather than a three, in which case everything in that statement would have happened, and more.

[gboudx]

One thing I'm not sure about is if that message was issued for all of the NO NWS area, or focused. Most of that probably applied(s) to lower Plaquemines Parish.

[Brent]

Katrina would have been much worse had it not weakened(and a lot of that NWS statement would have come true)... a lot of people don't even realize that was NOT the worst case scenario. New Orleans didn't flood until many hours later, and the people at the Superdome survived. The winds on the west side were pretty weak.

[HollynLA]

Here's my take on the statement as a person who experienced not only the storm firsthand in Biloxi, but also the aftermath.... Perhaps "fear mongering" is a good thing, but it can also bring about the boy/wolf syndrome.

HURRICANE KATRINA...A MOST POWERFUL HURRICANE WITH UNPRECEDENTED STRENGTH...RIVALING THE INTENSITY OF HURRICANE CAMILLE OF 1969.
Wind wise - no. Water wise - exceeded

MOST OF THE AREA WILL BE UNINHABITABLE FOR WEEKS.
Uninhabitable for MOST of the area did not take place. The only places that were uninhabatable for weeks were those that were impacted by surge.

AT LEAST ONE HALF OF WELL CONSTRUCTED HOMES WILL HAVE ROOF AND WALL FAILURE.
Well, that didn't come to pass. Overwhelmingly, most of the homes on the coast did just fine unless they were impacted by surge.

ALL GABLED ROOFS WILL FAIL...LEAVING THOSE HOMES SEVERELY DAMAGED OR DESTROYED.
This too did not take place. There were PLENTY of gabled roofs left intact and fully operational on August 30

THE MAJORITY OF INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS WILL BECOME NON FUNCTIONAL. PARTIAL TO COMPLETE WALL AND ROOF FAILURE IS EXPECTED.
Didn't see the MAJORITY of anything non-functional. Certainly a lot, but not the majority.

ALL WOOD FRAMED LOW RISING APARTMENT BUILDINGS WILL BE DESTROYED.
Not unless they were at the water's edge - and even some of those survived! But, surely most (majority) of wood framed buildings survived just fine except for those impacted by surge.

CONCRETE BLOCK LOW RISE APARTMENTS WILL SUSTAIN MAJOR DAMAGE...INCLUDING SOME WALL AND ROOF FAILURE.
Okay, this is a true statement to some degree. But many many many low rise apartments made of concrete block received relatively little damage.

HIGH RISE OFFICE AND APARTMENT BUILDINGS WILL SWAY DANGEROUSLY...A FEW TO THE POINT OF TOTAL COLLAPSE. ALL WINDOWS WILL BLOW OUT.
Well, the MS coast doesn't have many "high-rises" except the Beau Rivage, Grand Casinos, and IP. But, they didn't collapse and certainly not all their windows blew out

AIRBORNE DEBRIS WILL BE WIDESPREAD...AND MAY INCLUDE HEAVY ITEMS SUCH AS HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCES AND EVEN LIGHT VEHICLES. SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES AND LIGHT TRUCKS WILL BE MOVED. THE BLOWN DEBRIS WILL CREATE ADDITIONAL DESTRUCTION. PERSONS...PETS...AND LIVESTOCK EXPOSED TO THE WINDS WILL FACE CERTAIN DEATH IF STRUCK.
The wind wasn't even close enough to being strong enough to move appliances and cars. Perhaps if a dog was hit by debris, it may have given him or her ceratin death

POWER OUTAGES WILL LAST FOR WEEKS...AS MOST POWER POLES WILL BE DOWN AND TRANSFORMERS DESTROYED. WATER SHORTAGES WILL MAKE HUMAN SUFFERING INCREDIBLE BY MODERN STANDARDS.
Yep - the power was out for many for weeks. But for others, only a few days. And I don't believe I saw any "incredible suffering" as a result of no or little water. Lots of water made its way into the disaster zone amazingly quick!! Much quicker than it did during Camille!!

THE VAST MAJORITY OF NATIVE TREES WILL BE SNAPPED OR UPROOTED. ONLY THE HEARTIEST WILL REMAIN STANDING...BUT BE TOTALLY DEFOLIATED. FEW CROPS WILL REMAIN. LIVESTOCK LEFT EXPOSED TO THE WINDS WILL BEKILLED.
Not sure about crops or livestock - I'm a city boy. But the MAJORITY of trees survived quite well albeit mostly defoliated

A couple of things, it sounds as if you're trying to downplay what happen with Katrina, otherwise, I'm not sure what the point of your post is? Also, why are you directing this to the MS gulf coast? Lastly, you keep referring to things not being so unless it was caused from surge. Well since surge is a big part of a hurricane, why is it excluded by you? Many places were left uninhabitable by surge rather more so than wind, what's the difference which one caused the area to be uninhabitable, the fact is, there was nothing for people to go back to.

[TSmith274]

At Katrina's first landfall in Buras, La., that AFD was 100% accurate... point by point. While Buras had no high-rise buildings... it did have a water tower. That got blown over. I see no problems with that AFD from the N.O. NWS office.

[HollynLA]

At Katrina's first landfall in Buras, La., that AFD was 100% accurate... point by point. While Buras had no high-rise buildings... it did have a water tower. That got blown over. I see no problems with that AFD from the N.O. NWS office.

Some good friends of mind lived in Empire which is right by Buras in Plaquemines parish. Their house was gone before the surge ever got there, verified by someone who was on a boat and road out the storm.

[Ixolib]

A couple of things, it sounds as if you're trying to downplay what happened with Katrina, otherwise, I'm not sure what the point of your post is?

Well, now that you asked, I believe that is precisely the point of my post. The verbiage in that particular AFD is almost exclusively related to wind results rather than water - at least in the way I read it (everyone's got an opinion, right). Except for homes impacted by either surge or water from Lake P., it was a relatively typical storm. For the most part, had the water not done what it did (both in MS & LA), Katrina would be barely a memory at this point. And I would be about $100K richer!!!!! On the MS Coast - if your home was out of the way of the surge, you faired pretty well. Same in N.O. Homes that didn't get impacted by the Lake's overtopping or undermining (whichever it is) did pretty well (certainly in comparison to the AFD), i.e. Uptown, Latin District, Garden District, French Quarter, areas north of the Lake, etc.

Also, why are you directing this to the MS gulf coast?

'Cause that's where I live(ed), 'cause the MS Gulf Coast was on the east side of the storm and hence got overwhelmingly the brunt of the storm, and 'cause the same AFD was issued for that region as well, not just N.O., Slidell, or Buras.

Lastly, you keep referring to things not being so unless it was caused from surge. Well since surge is a big part of a hurricane, why is it excluded by you? Many places were left uninhabitable by surge rather more so than wind, what's the difference which one caused the area to be uninhabitable, the fact is, there was nothing for people to go back to.

Well, facts are facts and surge WAS the issue – and almost the ONLY issue. And in this particular storm - surge was the unprecedented issue. I'm by no means excluding it.... If wind had been the only impact, very few people (relatively speaking) would have found themselves with nothing to come back to. I agree surge is a part of any hurricane, but this particular surge is one that had never been seen before. A "typical" hurricane does not produce that kind of surge.

With all that said, I'm just giving my firsthand viewpoint as I see it and as it relates to the AFD. I feel sure – as Brent mentioned earlier – that had the storm come in as a true CAT 5, things would have been decidedly different and my viewpoint would be equally different.

So yes, I suppose I am downplaying what happened – partially in relation to the AFD and partially in relation to the actual end results.

[BayouVenteux]

Perhaps "fear mongering" is a good thing, but it can also bring about the boy/wolf syndrome.

Yes, there was quite a bit of letdown following Katrina's less than anticipated landfall. Overhyped as she was, the NWS statement probably got a few people to take notice. Next time I'm sure they'll just shrug their shoulders and take an alarming warning statement like that with a load of sea salt.

I'm now throwing the sarcasm switch back to it's "OFF" position.

As a former Mississippi coastal resident, you're not really serious are you? They were making that statement based on the storm's condition that Sunday morning as a massive Cat 5 buzzsaw on a collision course with the coasts of SE Louisiana and Mississippi. How was the N.O. NWS office to know that it would weaken to a mere Cat 3? (Oops, sarcasm switch accidently flipped on again.)

Respectfully, I think weather malaise (no storms to track, the hot, torpor-inducing August doldrums, etc.) is causing an outbreak of contrarian behavior across the board today!

[Ixolib]

As a former Mississippi coastal resident, you're not really serious are you?

Yeah, I'm really serious. But ONLY as it relates to the actual result compared to the foreboding language given in the AFD - which is why my post is directly and solely related to that document, quote for quote. I'm not blaming anyone for anything - especially not the N.O. NWS. Agreeably, the bulletin came out at 11am, and at that time things surely looked different. My point - with no malaise or contrary purpose intended - is simply that the AFD did not pan out - and thankfully so. My post is simply "my take" on the impact based on my own experience and my own observations both during and after the storm. Nothing more, nothing less.

BTW, I'm only a temporary "former" resident of the MS Coast. My present location here in St. Pete is just a relatively short-term hiatus. Our home is still there waiting for our return one of these days.

[weatherman21]

After Hurricane Katrina, I traveled to Mobil, AL and worked as a missionary for a week, volunteering with a local church to help clean out many homes that had been flooded. The flood that occured in Mobil was from the storm surge which came in from Mobil bay. I then traveled to New Orleans for two weeks and volunteered there and helped clean out many homes that had the standing water in them for days. It was an experience which I will never forget.
I tracked the storm from the time which it became a depression and recently downloaded most of the archive GOES satellite data for the storm. I have a snapshot of the storm at the time which I believe it was the strongest below. It is GOES IR at 15:45Z on August 28.

[jes]

Ixolib,
I tend to agree with you. Obviously the surge caused the damage. That NO weather statement was terrifying. I have a hard time believing that kind of devastation will occur unless you are right on the coast going through a true Cat 5. Tell me, was that statement true for Camile? -- she was a true Cat 5. I live in Mobile and don't remember anyone talking about that kind of damage.
ps --- I'll always remember how proud you were of your shutters early that year. I thought they were very nice and envied you. Who could have aniticipated that surge!

[kevin]

The weather bulletin was wrong on almost every count. Just because it was a horrible storm does not mean the bulletin was correct in its predictions. To deny this is to deny reality.

[Category 5]

I still find it hard to say this, it could've been alot worse then it already was, if it wouldn't have weakened, that statement would've came to pass.

Thank god it didn't, I don't want to imagine what may have happened.

Despite that, Katrina was still by far the worst natural disaster in U.S history.

[Category 5]

ZCZC MIATCPAT2 ALL
TTAA00 KNHC DDHHMM
BULLETIN
TROPICAL STORM KATRINA ADVISORY NUMBER 4
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
11 AM EDT WED AUG 24 2005

...DEPRESSION STRENGTHENS INTO TROPICAL STORM KATRINA OVER THE
CENTRAL BAHAMAS...
...HURRICANE WATCH AND TROPICAL STORM WARNING ISSUED FOR FLORIDA...

AT 11 AM EDT...1500Z...A TROPICAL STORM WARNING AND A HURRICANE
WATCH HAVE BEEN ISSUED FOR THE SOUTHEAST FLORIDA COAST FROM VERO
BEACH SOUTHWARD TO FLORIDA CITY. THIS REPLACES THE TROPICAL STORM
WATCH. A HURRICANE WATCH MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE
POSSIBLE WITHIN THE WATCH AREA...GENERALLY WITHIN 36 HOURS.

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE CENTRAL AND
NORTHWEST BAHAMAS. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL
STORM CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED WITHIN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN THE
NEXT 24 HOURS.

A TROPICAL STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE MIDDLE AND UPPER
FLORIDA KEYS FROM WEST OF THE SEVEN MILE BRIDGE NORTHWARD TO SOUTH
OF FLORIDA CITY. A TROPICAL STORM WATCH MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM
CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN THE WATCH AREA...GENERALLY WITHIN 36
HOURS.

A WATCH OR WARNING MAY BE REQUIRED FOR LAKE OKEECHOBEE LATER TODAY.
A HURRICANE WARNING MAY BE REQUIRED FOR PORTIONS OF THE NORTHWEST
BAHAMAS LATER TODAY.

FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...INCLUDING POSSIBLE
INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED
BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE.

AT 11 AM EDT...1500Z...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM KATRINA WAS
LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 24.7 NORTH... LONGITUDE 76.7 WEST OR ABOUT 50
MILES... 80 KM... EAST-SOUTHEAST OF NASSAU AND ABOUT 230 MILES...
375 KM...EAST-SOUTHEAST OF SOUTHEAST COAST OF FLORIDA.

KATRINA IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHWEST NEAR 8 MPH
...13 KM/HR. A GRADUAL TURN TOWARD THE NORTHWEST AT A SLIGHTLY
SLOWER FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED TO OCCUR LATER TODAY. THIS MOTION
SHOULD BRING THE CENTER THROUGH THE CENTRAL AND NORTHWEST BAHAMAS
LATER TODAY AND TONIGHT.

EARLIER REPORTS FROM AN AIR FORCE RESERVE RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT
INDICATED MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAD INCREASED TO NEAR 40 MPH...
65 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST
DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS.

TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 70 MILES
...110 KM...MAINLY EAST OF THE CENTER.

THE ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 1006 MB...29.71 INCHES.

DUE TO ITS SLOW FORWARD SPEED...KATRINA IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE A
SIGNIFICANT HEAVY RAINFALL EVENT OVER THE CENTRAL AND NORTHWEST
BAHAMAS...AND SOUTH FLORIDA... WITH TOTAL RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF
6 TO 12 INCHES AND ISOLATED MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF 15 TO 20 INCHES
POSSIBLE.

STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 3 TO 5 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS...
ALONG WITH LARGE AND DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES... CAN BE EXPECTED
NEAR THE CENTER IN AREAS OF ONSHORE WINDS IN THE BAHAMAS.

REPEATING THE 11 AM EDT POSITION...24.7 N... 76.7 W. MOVEMENT
TOWARD...NORTH-NORTHWEST NEAR 8 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED
WINDS... 40 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...1006 MB.

AN INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL
HURRICANE CENTER AT 2 PM EDT FOLLOWED BY THE NEXT COMPLETE
ADVISORY AT 5 PM EDT.

FORECASTER STEWART


$$
NNNN

[gboudx]

My post is simply "my take" on the impact based on my own experience and my own observations both during and after the storm. Nothing more, nothing less.

Yeah, I don't see what the big deal was with your post. I read it as you relating the AFD to your own experience. I'm sure if I got my uncle who lived in Buras and completely lost his house(well, he go to keep the slab) to write about his experience to the AFD, it would be different. Even my uncle in Bay St. Louis who also lost his house might have a different take on it as well.

[Pearl River]

Brent wrote

New Orleans didn't flood until many hours later,

Actually that's not true. The first reported levee breach was in a Flash Flood warning issued around 8:15 am that Monday morning.

[Frank2]

What the forecaster didn't count on was the fact that many prayers were answered and the storm did weaken before landfall - however, the issue of New Orleans, while some might blame this on God, was strictly a man-made issue, from building a city below sea level, to ignoring the warning signs from many over the past 150 years.

This was also true of the Mississippi coastline - in reality, it should not have been rebuilt after Camille, but, Man knows better, and, decided that it wouldn't happen again...

Sadly, many still suffer, but, again, as in the bridge issue in Minneapolis ($500 Million for a Sports Stadium, but, none for the bridge repair), the money is not spent the right way, and, the recovery is probably much slower than it should be...

[sarah bellum]

What the forecaster didn't count on was the fact that many prayers were answered and the storm did weaken before landfall - however, the issue of New Orleans, while some might blame this on God, was strictly a man-made issue, from building a city below sea level, to ignoring the warning signs from many over the past 150 years.

This was also true of the Mississippi coastline - in reality, it should not have been rebuilt after Camille, but, Man knows better, and, decided that it wouldn't happen again...

Sadly, many still suffer, but, again, as in the bridge issue in Minneapolis ($500 Million for a Sports Stadium, but, none for the bridge repair), the money is not be spent the right way, and, the recovery is probably much slower than it should be...

The coast shouldn't have been rebuilt after Camille? I'm always stunned when I hear these statements.

We knew the Twin Towers were terrorist targets after they were bombed in 1993. Maybe had they been abandoned then, we wouldn't have had 9/11.

It's not a matter of "maybe" but "when" California will have it's next earthquake. And what's up with all those fires out there.

How many hurricanes have hit Florida for pete's sake? If there was ever an argument not to rebuild somewhere! Florida is like a hurricane magnet and I've never heard anyone even suggest that we abandon Florida. Why is anyone occupying the Keys after the Labor Day hurricane of 1935? Who let them? Does Galveston still exist despite it's infamous hurricane history? It does? Well, what nerve, huh.

C'mon....