NO WAY! We're pretty full here, I'd actually like to send some of the transplanted Texans back to Texas! j/k Blast, you're always welcome here....to visit

To be honest, it's probably not a fair comparison between New Orleans and the California fires. The amount of destruction is probably an order of magnitude difference. While the media has been busy reporting the fires 24/7 for the last week and making it appear that all of Southern California is on fire, I think the current count is about 1100 homes destroyed. 1100 homes in Soutern California is probably equivilent to 1 housing tract. I haven't been following all of the news lately (a little burned out from the coverage, haha) but a lot of the homes affected are in wealthier areas. Since more affluent people like to live in the hills overlooking all us peons, and the wildfires normally occur in the mountains, it's probably not representative of most of California.

Money does play an important part in preparations. Short of a complete worldwide breakdown of society, you can pretty much buy your way out of any short term problem. That's probably why you dont' see the same problems that Katrina had. Even though I'd like to attribute it to Californians being smarter, or more prepared, it's probably just the fact that the fires aren't as big of a disaster as Katrina, plus many of the evacuees probably have more cash on hand than the trapped New Orleans residents. A family with a car and very generous bank account, and you won't see them in an evacuation shelter waiting for governement supplies, they're just gonna be at a hotel outside the fire area eating out everyday.