Here in South Louisiana we have been begging for help. We have been pleading for years to finish I49 into New Orleans, thus giving a much needed additional evac route. The real problem is that there is only one major road in and out of NO. The other thing we have been begging for is the restoration of our wetlands, which act as a buffer.

Of course, the immense poverty and the fact that the city has the fundamental flaw of being below sea level considerably contributes to the dire predictions, but we have been proactively seeking some remedies. Unfortunately, our requests have fallen on deaf ears.

I really don't think the rest of the country understands how vital New Orleans is to our nation. Unfortunately, we are about to find out how vital the city is.