I don't want to argue with you. You're right, okay? New Orleans was wiped out by thge big one.
I believe the point is that the phrase "dodged the bullet" usually means that one has come out unscathed from a potentially life-threatening situation, but New Orleans has hardly been unscathed. While the "bullet" didn't kill the city, it is nonetheless badly wounded. The phrase "dodged the bullet" is not an appropriate one in the case where the bullet *did* hit the victim, even if it didn't kill the victim dead.
If the hurricane had swerved and missd the city entirely, *then* it would have "dodged the bullet".
The news folks really need to find a better, more fitting phrase to describe the situation.
Oh... I agree with that of course. They were not "unscathed" at all. I just believe that this storm DID have the ability to make these dire predictions come true. Just most of its power went to the east a bit. It was VERY close to being everything forecast.