It is time to talk about why we rebuild flood zones

Long after the cameras are packed and the television anchors lose their nightly interest in the rebuilding of the Gulf Coast, there will be a big Katrina story. It will not be as easy to see as the crowds of people at the New Orleans convention center or the Super Dome, or as fishing boats sitting in parking many miles away from any shore. It will not be as easy to describe or as compelling in terms of human interest, but it is going to be more important. There are two parts to the story, one local, one national. The local story is going to be all about the ability of municipalities to ...