I am from Louisiana. I think this is a good point although I disagree heartily with the way certain people choose to express their opinions and have duly noted this to the moderators.
we live in Jefferson Parish and also own a business in St. Bernard Parish. The lower part of this parish extends into the Gulf of Mexico. I was born in 1969, so the worst hurricanes I ever heard about were Betsy and Camille. so for all of my life, hurricanes were scary but not very real for us I have to say. I have never considered the possibility of leaving this place until recent years. yes we are close to the coast. however, it didn't seem to be a problem. We have had so many "mother of all storms" coming that just didn't seem to pack a punch, so this was not a concern. However, we have evacuated no less than 7 times in the last 11 years. and I am not sure that i have the fortitude to deal with the stress of this every 6 months for 6 months out of the year.
I can't imagine what it must be like to have to be ready to go at a moment's notice. 
However, today at lunch my husband and I discussed this very issue the OP posted. Many of our customers just can't take the stress either and are putting their places up for sale. No one is really moving back into the parish which is kind of sad too.... We also discussed how much the insurance is and the deductibles are for our homes right now. I really feel like the government is trying to make us move, as the premiums and deductibles are just going to push us out of the market.
Well, while I can sympathize with your feelings, why do you think that you, who are choosing to live there, should not bear the cost for your choice, that being insurance premiums to rebuild??? Why do you think the government should bear the cost?and we did discuss that maybe it would be better to designate certain places as "unlivable". yes - probably not a real popular idea to my coast friends. however, we in LA are losing our coastline at a frightening pace...and now WE are technically the coast - all those parishes along the Gulf don't have that coastline protection we used to have. this is why the hurricanes are more devastating these days. I don't like the idea. however, it has never really been an issue until lately.
but then, ok - say you declare these areas "unlivable". where are you going to move all these people and communities? because someone is going to have to absorb the "ghetto" people that everyone has so much disdain for.
Actually, there has only been one poster on this thread who has voiced disdain for the ghetto people, and you are not the only person who reported that poster to a moderator. and us middle class folks and those rich ones too. and after Katrina here was (and obviously still is) so much hatred aimed towards those who relocated. I don't see many communities that welcomed us,
I was not aware of that. I have heard different stories regarding the relocation of people affected by Katrina. yet we are stupid for choosing to come back and be among the people and places we know. it is easy to say we shouldn't live here, but then there is no welcome for us elsewhere. I would rather be miserable here with folks who understand and welcome me than go to the communities of posters here who automatically judge us without getting to know us. and don't really care to as they are bigoted and prejudiced and bitter anyway.
Now, may I give you a perspective from someone who watched Katrina unfold? I know that there are many wonderful people in the NOLA area...I've been there several times, have friends there and so forth. Much of what the rest of the ocuntry saw and heard was about the behavior of the people in the Superdome, which was much less than admirable, and looting. I watched TV a lot during Katrina, and a lot of the coverage was of people who had just lost everything looting through stores stealing TV sets and so forth. I could have condoned looting for food, water, clothing, medicine...necessities of life during a situation that was essentially unthinkable. But a TV set???!!! A microwave???!!!!! Sorry...that's theft, pure and simple, and believe, my symapthy level for people dropped considerably whenever I saw that happening. I truly think that if I were in the situation, my thoughts would be "How do I survive this?", not "Hey, let me get to Best Buy and score a 52" plasma TV". These are the pictures the media painted for us...and you know this country is basically led around by the nose by our media. Am I prejudiced/bigoted? No more than the next person...I was just as aggravated at the white person carrying the TV out fo the store as I was the black person. Am I bitter? Well, I helped with post-Katrina charities as much as I could, knwoing full well that some of the money would go to unscrupulous people, as well as some of it going to nice people such as yourself.
and what about the jobs? many of these folks have been employed in certain occupations for generations and don't know anything else....much of it depending on the Gulf/water. so what are they going to do?
This is probably the biggest issue of all...what do people who have only known one way of life and whose livelihood depends on living in a specific area do if that area becomes unlivable??? I think things are more complicated than just saying "everyone move somewhere else."
I agree plus, many of these folks can't afford to move. many of them have already said they aren't going to even leave for the next hurricane because this one cost them so much money. this scares me even more, because a true 5 hitting us right on will devastate this city.
I think it would destroy the city and give those people who chose not to leave no choice but to leave, if they survived the storm. if it did, I think I would accept money to move elsewhere. however, because I am working middle class, I wouldn't be eligible for the generous assistance given to the poor to relocate or have the luxury the wealthy have to relocate at will.
It does seem as if the middle class always gets screwed, doesn't it??????
I have lived in Ct for 30 years. I have never heard of this. I just asked DBF (35 years in CT) to make sure my head wasn't up my poop chute- he has never heard of this either. Where is this happening?
