No, they have not learned. Nobody taught them.
The only lesson that the liberal news media "taught" after Katrina was that "George Bush hates black people". For a particularly vile example, checkout the cover article in the Newsweek edition with the face of the crying black child on the cover.
After Katrina, the liberal news media had a choice between educating millions of Americans about the dangers of Storm Surge or mindlessly blaming Bush. The liberal news media chose the latter course.
Look at the photo of Campron, LA that backhoe posted in Post 4:
That is what Storm Surge does.
Right after Rita, I wrote and posted a FreeRepublic educational vanity about Storm Surge because I was not seeing anything in the media regarding the topic.
What Is "Storm Surge" and Why It Matters. (Katrina Education Vanity)
What happened in Campron, La. is exactly what I was talking about in my Storm Surge thread.
Yet, the average American Democrat that depends on the liberal news media for his education has no idea what storm surge is and has no idea that the evacuation of New Orleans was botched by the Mayor and the Governor prior to Katrina.
If you don't believe me, have a little chat with one of your Democrat acquaintances.
I had such a chat yesterday and this otherwise very-well educated woman had no idea what storm surge was and had no idea that the Southern Louisiana Evacuation Plan called for the evacuation of people without cars on public buses and had no idea that New Orleans' poor had been left behind while hundreds of buses stayed parked in New Orleans.
Having the choice between educating those in danger of Storm Surge and seeing dead black people they can blame on Bush, the liberal news media will gleefully choose Door Number Two.
Your point about the MSM is correct. That said, I bet given the location, the people of Holly Beach and Cameron are no strangers to storm surge and don't need the government or the MSM media telling them what it is.
I think they need to call it what it is: a tsunami. Storm surge makes it sound like it's something you can run away from.
The thread you made is outstanding. Very few people know how decimating the storm surge can be.
These give you a good idea of the flooding in various areas. Each has a map of the pre-Rita and flood area for +5 +10 +15 +20.
I'd say go with the +15 maps. And I'd say those maps are accurate as they are based on elevation. Water and gravity obey no other master.
As for the wind and initial surge damage, well, let's just say that it will take the whores of the Hollywood citadel longer to get the picture, than just about anyone else.
Credit to JEFFERS for providing the originals I have posted below. TYIA.
http://photobucket.com/albums/y138/jeffers_mz/Rita/Beaumont/
http://photobucket.com/albums/y138/jeffers_mz/Rita/Lake%20Charles/
http://photobucket.com/albums/y138/jeffers_mz/Rita/Port%20Arthur/
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/jeffers_mz/Rita/BigPicture.jpg
You are absolutely on the money about storm surge. Related to storm surge as well is inland flooding for the folks inland. For example, Frances and Ivan did a number in many parts of Ohio last year.
We see the pictures of destruction and immediately see the affects of high winds, which are dangerous too. However, for people in low lying areas, along the coast and inland in the path, water is the greatest threat.