As I prepare to head back home to New Orleans for my 2nd August “Katrina Commemoration” trip, Hurricane Dean is heading toward the Gulf of Mexico. Am I a bit nervous about being in New Orleans next week? Sure am… somehow, for me, growing up in a City that’s below sea level, a Cat-4 or Cat-5 hurricane is much more scarey than an earthquake. Also, knowing that the City that Care (and the government) Forgot hasn’t come close to recovering from Katrina yet, wading in hurricane flood waters is not my idea of a perfect vacation. Laissez les bon temps roulez (let the good times roll, as we say in the Big Easy)

If you haven’t yet read the article in TIME, Aug 13, 07 issue, make time to do that before the end of this hurricane season. Take your time, and really read it. “Many of the same coastal scientists and engineers who sounded alarms about the vulnerability of New Orleans long before Katrina are warning that the Army Corps is poised to repeat its mistakes – and extend them along the entire Louisiana coast. If you liked Katrina they say, you’ll love what’s coming next.”

California, don’t get too complacent. If you think we’re not vulnerable to levee failure and water contamination, think again. – “Water is a national-security issue, but we treat it like the Wild West.” – American Water Resources Association president, Gerry Galloway