Some thoughts from somebody who just moved from there (Baton Rouge).
Yes New Orleans sits in a low lying area, yes people were warned to get out, and yes many were stupid for staying, BUT
If we took the approach and attitude that "if there were any possiblility of a natural disaster happening they should move away", then what to do about California which "they say" will fall off into the ocean one day or has several major earthquakes a year, or all the people who live in the great planes who might get hit by a cat 5 tornado, or Hawaii which is nothing but a whole line of active volcanos, or MN which has snow storms that may turn into the BIG ONE and leave many people dead and frozen because of no power or heat, or Arizona which can hit 110 deg F in the shade, or any other place we hear about that has some type of vulnerablility to it, etc., etc.? Maybe we could all move to Cuba with Castro, might be the safest place on Earth. Hurricanes are nothing new to us, they happen along the Gulf coast every year to some varying degree. This one just really turned into a bad one.
The biggest problem is that most people are "numb" when it comes to weather reports, news reports, etc. because everything gets all out of proportion and blown up to sell commercials and air time. Cry wolf how many times before people stop listening?
Let me give you some info from experience about New Orleans. It's a proud city with plenty of heritage and self worth. But many people there do not have cars and trucks, alot of the down town districts with communities don't rely on privately owned transportation, but use the mass transit systems (buses, trolly cars, bicycles, walking to work, etc.). Same as New York city if you need a comparison. So many people had no means to get out. Most of the areas that are requiring evacuation are poverty areas that couldn't get out. If you've ever visited Nawlins, you know what I'm talking about. There are only about 3 major highways leading out of New Orleans, so it can be very hard to get out at times.
As far as looting and shooting, looting for survival is exceptable (what would anybody do in that situation?), but shooting the people who are trying to help you is crazy. But before we condem anybody, think about the situation they are currently under. Put yourself in their place for a second.
Example;
You've lost loved ones, you've lost everything you own, you've had to leave your pets behind - dead or
alive, you have no clothes,
no food, no water, no sanitary conditions,
think about the smells coming from everything around you, including death, seeing bodies getting discarded and piled up next to you because there's nothing else you can do with the dead, including your loved ones, all of the things we have everyday as a normal part of life are gone, you have no real way of knowing what's being done to help you (no electricity means no TV, no radio, no communication with the outside world, etc.), the water (and city) is now infested with poisonous snakes, alligators, some sightings of sharks that were blown in by the hurricane, gasoline rising out of under ground tanks along with many other chemicals, misquitos, and so on, etc. etc.. Now take into account that you're seeing and dealing with this for almost 5 days now. Wouldn't you loose some control too?
Evacuated or not, we all will feel some effect in one way or another. I'm thankful I was not there. Most of what we have all taken for granted about New Orleans is gone for ever.
-Mike