I was thinking the same thing. Get every living soul out of that city, find housing for for them in neighborhoods in other cities and towns across the US, and let them live with friends and family in relatively safe conditions until NO is cleaned up. Then let them decide whether they want to move back.
Perhaps they will decide to rebuild their lives in safer areas...
It's possible.
I bet there's meetings being held across the fruited plains over this. If they don't evacuate, which is easier said than done I know, the next weeks will be filled with pics of floating bodies, tragic stories of death by snake bite and disease, maybe even hunger.
Concentrate on getting everyone out....OUT.
Then rebuild.
It's slow going when multifple roofs have blown off....multiple screens need repairing....schools are damaged.....businesses destroyed...
..It all takes time.