Fred Gion writes from Paris:
Remember the French Quarter was built with good old techniques from the
old world and if Bourbon street is flooded, even for a long time, I’m sure
that the French Government will fly in a team of Architectes des Monuments
Historiques who specialize in rescuing precious ancient buildings. If the
French quarter needs old wooden French doors, we’ll open the storage rooms
of a few museums and find plenty of doors. Same for wooden panneling,
windows, balconies, paintings, you name it. France is a big reservoir of
spare parts for old French buildings. If something French is lost, destroyed
or broken, I’m sure France will be proud to provide the people of New
Orleans with a new one – or more to the point – with and old one. La
Nouvelle Orleans ne mourra jamais. (New Orleans will never die).