I am quite sympathetic to the folks of New Orleans that have now found themselves in an awful situation like the one they face now. The "they didn't have a way to leave" statements can also be very true in the cases of amny of the elderly residents or those bound to wheelchairs etc.
Now, with respect to the rest of the thousands now displaced around the country, I've one very simple question... If someone came to your home and said to you "Sir/Ma'am, we have a situation going on in which there are two choices. You must find a way out of the city of New Orleans, or you will die, period... There is no chance of surviving, you will die..."
Maybe it's just me, I'd find a way out of the city... Those busses should have ABSOLUTELY been used as transport, but even if there were no busses, I'd have found a way...
You are absolutely correct, and let's not forget, that it was only a 5 mile walk to safety, only an 8-10 mile walk to the airport - I used to walk 5 miles to school when I was a kid, I am sure some of these people could have used their own god given legs to get to high ground.....and safety!!!