Before opting for starting over somewhere else, PG, consider this: After the extremely large load of shit that has recently hit the fan dissipates somewhat, there will be untold opportunities in the New Orleans area. Many people's former jobs and dwellings won't be around, but the area will be rebuilt and there'll be tons of work to be done. And, though it sounds a bit mercenary to say it at this point, there'll be lots of money to be earned doing it. (My son-in-law, a tilesetter, has already been offered a $30 per hour job working on repairing one of the casinos in Biloxi.) Sure, it'll require some flexibility regarding people's attitudes toward "what-I-do-for-a-living". There probably won't be much need for stockbrokers for a while but there'll be plenty of work for roofing repair estimators.