LONG before Katrina struck, the possibility of a direct hit on New Orleans had become a cliché among disaster experts. It was the scenario conjured up by anyone who wanted to speculate on the worst of all possible worst cases. Last week the reality became abundantly and tragically clear.
After hurricane Ivan veered from its original New Orleans-bound course last year, Shirley Laska of the Center for Hazards Assessment, Response and Technology at the University of New Orleans speculated on the destruction that would have occurred had it scored a direct hit. “It would undoubtedly be one of the greatest…
