[JohnW]

Exactly, most damage is caused by flooding. Florida is not below sea level. Therefore, if it does flood the water can receed. New Orleans needs pumps to get rid of the water which just sits in the 'bowl' otherwise. Many of the pumps failed, probably due to lack of maintenance as the cash had been spent on a park or some damn thing. We are obviously not going to agree on this Billcat, so we may as well agree to disagree.

Personally, I would not live in New Orleans rent free. But, if people want build their houses there, who am I to try to stop them. However, I would think that insurance companies will charge an arm and a leg to cover houses built in the flood area after their mamoth losses last year. That is providing people can get insurance cover at all. This may well prove to be decisive in the building of new houses there. We shall see.