Sorry, didn' t know where you were. In the desert, a line of green usually indicates trees or shrubbery alongside a stream or dry streambed. The rest of the area is so dry and gray/brown that the green usually stands out. Where there is plant life, there may be some water.

The difference between New Orleans and Pakistan was advance notice. New Orleans got it, Pakistan didn't.

With advance notice, you can make some plans, grab some stuff and your family and pets, and maybe run, or dive for the root cellar. It gives you choices. Some people make wise choices, some people don't. In NO, many people left. Others stayed for various reasons: they trusted the local government to have shelter, supplies and security, or they may not have been able to leave, or they were just plain stubborn and figured they could singlehandedly fight off a hurricane and any looters to save what they have (too much TV, IMO). Some of them made it. Some of them survived and saw fit to complain about the quality of the food. Some of them changed their minds after the bell rang and cried for help that couldn't come. Some of them are now food for alligators. They all had some kind of choice, and some chose wisely, some did not.

Like I said, we all have to make choices, and some choose better than others. Those who leave the decision-making up to others tend to regret it if they live long enough. Many people in hurricane-prone areas, for example, have evacuated in plenty of time, with a plan, multiple times, just to have the hurricane change course and go elsewhere. Did they feel foolish? Probably not. All they had to do was return and continue with their lives. They used it as a practice run for the real thing.

Educate yourself and make your own decisions. Leaving your life and the lives of your family in the hands of some idiot who can't tell trouble from a toadstool doesn't leave many viable options.

(If you read this post before I edited it, it probably made no sense because I just discovered that there was an earthquake in Pakistan that killed thousands. Sorry -- no TV. <img src="/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />)

Sue