Yes. They really need to review the policy of building below sea level. It is just asking for trouble. I grew up in NO and our house was 5 feet above sea level on the west bank. There are areas where people can live that are not below sea level.
I wonder how much cheaper it would be to just buy those houses in the 9th ward & other low areas and make them some sort of federal park/flood zone/fishing area. It just seems dumb and too expensive to fight Mother Nature for that patch of land. It's not good real estate, the houses are not expensive, yet we are going to spend a fortune to protect them. It's insanity.
When Bush said "we'll re-build, but we'll build higher" I don't think this is what he meant, but I can at least dream.
If you look where I live old maps have us about at sea level MHW. However I am nice and dry even during Charley. Why? General Development dredged and filled instead of a sea wall. The ground my house sits on is about 10 feet. My canal is 20 feet deep and leads to the Harbor which leads to the Gulf. Its great. That is how to rebuild NO.
I think it is completely unfair to NOLA people to let them think they can just go back and salvage or rebuild as it was. I can see a ton of finger pointing on this. It will be a mess.