New Orleans Disaster Note.

Much has been made of the fact that New Orleans must be safe because the city is 300 years old. But, this 300 year span must be interpreted in light of an important detail:

As the day wore on, the only dry land was a narrow band from the French Quarter and parts of Uptown, the same small strip that was settled by Bienville amid the swamps.

The part of New Orleans that is 300 years old did survive unflooded. It is the less historic part of the city that is underwater now.