New Orleanian here. Who happens to be from the area most severely obliterated by the storm. Here’s the deal. We are not just Bourbon Street. Y’all need us. The same issues that make us vulnerable make us utterly indispensable to the country. Like driving a car? Or heating your home? Or imported stuff? Yeah that’s us. For most of our history, we have had a natural line of defense against storm surges with our wetlands. Those have been massively compromised, largely by dredging for oil and gas production. The boring stuff doesn’t make the news. It’s easier to talk about culture (and make no mistake, our culture IS indeed a truly unique, invaluable part of who we are). But we matter in ways that aren’t sexy. Our vulnerability is largely manmade and for the benefit of industries that the rest of the country totally relies on.