i love that town

New Orleans is gearing up for Ivan. If it hits like they're expecting, the city will be submerged beneath floodwaters containing raw sewage, gas and chemicals from plants in the area. I'm sad. I love that town. And the two paragraphs below, from the article linked above, illustrate why.

'In the French Quarter, businesses put up plywood and closed their shutters. A few people were still hanging out at Cafe du Monde, a favorite spot for French roast coffee and beignets, and a man playing a trombone outside had a box full of tips.

"They said get out, but I can't change my flight, so I figure I might as well enjoy myself," said George Senton, of Newark, New Jersey, who listened to the music. "At least I'll have had some good coffee and some good music before it gets me."'

A really heart-rending portion of the article tells about a woman who has no car. "How am I gonna get out?" she asks. She lives on disability and supplements her income with housecleaning and babysitting. The flooding, if the storm surge rises to expected levels, will probably reach the rooftops.