As for long-term consequences of this storm, does anyone understand if this could possibly be the type of event that causes the Mississippi to divert it's main flow into the Atchafalaya? Another source of long-term economic woes, to be sure.
See my http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1472323/posts?page=568#568
links inside refer to this event.
I understand it. The river has been trying to do that for years and the effort has been to keep it from happening... part of the reason the fears are so great for the New Orleans area in the face of this storm.