Saying it will never be the same is not the same as saying it will leave the global stage. I can't fathom where that leap of logic comes from. The only point I

Saying it will never be the same is not the same as saying it will leave the global stage. I can't fathom where that leap of logic comes from. The only point I was making is that cities can be permanently significantly altered by a single disaster. It has happened before. Galveston is not the only example, it just readily came to mind because it is close to Houston. If you want another example: London was permanently altered by the Great Fire of London, which is credited with helping make it one of the most modern and powerful cities on the planet. But, in most cases, disasters don't dramatically improve a city and most people find my Shirley Temple-esque tendency to look on the bright side pretty offensive when they are having a crisis. So, I try to keep that in mind.