[jpsb]

"But I think you're right. It could have been far worse."

Worse? A strong cat 4, directly hitting New Orleans from the worst possible direction? What could be worse? This was "the Big One" for New Orleans.

[Smogger]

At least 20 building collapses reported thus far. -La Governor.

[Pyro7480]

Worse: A Hurricane Gilbert hitting due west of New Orleans.

[Types_with_Fist]

What could be worse?

A direct hit 50 miles west at Houma would have been worse. It would have destroyed Houma and put all the worst of the storm over New Orleans. That would have been "The Big One." Looks like the border and MS coast suffered the worst of this one.

[Diddle E. Squat]

Yes, it could have been much worse. The strength diminished enough and it went far enough east that the 20' storm surge predicted from Lake Pontchartrain against NO when the winds shifted from the north ended up being under 15', and not overtopping those levees except for a few isolated instances(so far, there is still the danger of a breach from weakness.) However there was an overtopping into the SE city levee bowl (separate from the main one that most of the city sits in) from the Miss. River. A surge just a couple of feet higher could have filled the bowl, and many of those who refused to evac would have drowned.

[plain talk]

Worse? A strong cat 4, directly hitting New Orleans from the worst possible direction? What could be worse?

Cat 5 about 20-30 miles east of where it tracked. It can always be worse.