Speaking of which...

I wonder what the people whose documents went to the Passport Agency's regional office in New Orleans are going to do. I wonder if the documents themselves are safe. Applicants have to send originals, or certified copies, of their personal documents in order to receive a US Passport. A native-born citizen can get a certified copy of their birth certificate from their state of birth, but what about the marriage and adoption papers that sometimes must accompany an application? What about the foreign birth certificates of children adopted by American parents? What about naturalization papers, of which no copies exist?

Here's hoping the documents go into a watertight safe on something like the eighth floor...

It probably seems like a small consideration compared to people who lost a family member or a home, but imagine losing documents that prove your citizenship at a time when suspicion is high and security is tight.