The knock on Nagin at the moment is his decision to bring people back into the city. If Rita even as much as skirts our area (nola) we are in hip deep trouble AGAIN. Our levees are weakened, it wouldn't take much surge to produce catastrophic events in this area.
" Our levees are weakened, it wouldn't take much surge to produce catastrophic events in this area."
Not to mention any degree of high winds would probably demolish already weakened structures. Maybe not in NO proper but in the surrounding flooded areas. Not good! The best thing to happen is Rita would fizzle out in the gulf. (not likely)