First off, Margie, what wonderful news!!! So glad to hear that your brother is OK.

Regarding the Gulf coast, I know it seems daunting now, but there are many attractive reasons to build there and an awesome storm like Katrina is a rare event. Things may not be the same, but rebuilding will surely happen. Perhaps with full recognition of nature's power and a greater interesting in living lightly on the land, but people (on average) are tenacious and optimistic so I am sure that these communities will not lie vacant and abandoned.