I'll never forget the first time I visited New Orleans. I walked across Jackson Square and over to the riverfront. Before me was a steep, high bank of grass. 'What's up there?' I asked.

We walked up. UP there was the river! Not a small river, but the Mighty Mississipp. I shook my head. 'I much prefer the Kansas City system, where the river's down and the town is up.'

New Orleans is an impractical, vulnerable place to live. If you want safety and peace of mind, don't live there.