I think that the Washington Monument being the only remaining visible thing in the Former DC would be inspiring. We can make a fresh start as long as we have a copy of the Constitution.
The construction of the Washington Monument was stopped during the Civil War, and when it was resumed later, a slightly lighter shade of stone was used. This resulted in a noticeable line between the darker stone and the lighter stone about 100 feet up the monument. I always tell visitors that the line is the high water mark from the 1936 flood.
Seriously though, D.C. is between 300-400 feet above sea level, so I think the only city that has passed a tipping point is San Francisco from where all this nonsense emanates -- but we knew that already.