“Chita”wasfirstpublishedin1888.Fiveyearslater,therewasanotherdevastatinghurricane,whichreturnedthebarrierislandnexttotheonedescribedin“Chita”tothepossessionoftheGulfofMexico.Inthetwentiethcentury,thehighest-impactaquaticdisasterwastheMississippiRiverfloodof1927(thesubjectofalovely1939novella,“OldMan,”byWilliamFaulkner),butNewOrleansalsogotadirecthitfromHurricaneBetsy,in1965,andhadmanynear-misses.Thelate-summerhurricaneseasonentailsanannualalterationofconsciousnessandadistinctset ,tapingwindows,decidinghowmuchtotrustofficialadmonitions.Itfeelsalmostlikeasacramentalactivity,consecratingthevulnerabilitythatdefinestheplace.Butthere’saperilinthat,asisnowobvious,whenoneyearit’sthefarthestthingfromjustaritual.
