Crime is so bad in New Orleans that citizens are armed to their teeth as they walk down Canal Street and St. Charles Avenue, so why shouldn’t we carry a disaster plan in case the next Big One arrives in town?

Plus, Governor Jindal has gone around south Louisiana urging everyone to “Get A Game Plan” just to make sure we’re not left soaking when the levees break again.

But, I surely don’t recall the governor suggest that we carry the plan around our persons as we  chase after beads during Mardi Gras season or even while we scream “Who Dat, Who Dat” at our friends, families and neighbors.

So, if you don’t have your disaster plan on your body or in your purse or wallet, then perhaps you do not fall in that population of people of which former New Orleans disaster Czar Professor Edward Blakeley was referring when he spoke to Heather Ewart on radio way down under for Australia Broadcasting Corporation last week.

During that radio interview, Blakeley was described as a leading disaster recovery expert who was asked to discuss the trauma that Christchurch's residents now face.

At the end of the interview, Blakeley said, “And finally, citizens should be prepared. Citizens are now looking for their loved ones. You have to have a personal plan. Where are you going to be in a disaster? In New Orleans and in California, people carry their personal plans with them every day.

So, do you carry your personal plans with you? After all, Professor Blakeley says “don’t leave home without it”.