New Orleans Douglas Brinkley: Reckless Abandonment.

I think New Orleans is a loss. I cannot imagine any levee system withstanding a Category 5 storm. In my opinion, Katrina was a much needed wakeup call to anyone living below sea level in the greater New Orleans area.

New Orleans is evidently close to Mr. Brinkley's heart, as it is to many New Orleans natives and people throughout the Deep South. However, safety should be of utmost concern. I don't think any dollar figure can produce a engineering feat that would protect the citizens of New Orleans from future catastrophic hurricanes.