N.O. ARENA NOW NEEDS SAT. UPLINK SYSTEM FOR OPRAH: Hurricane season is officially upon us, and The Big Easy has a different plan in place in case disaster once again strikes.

The NEW ORLEANS TIME-PICAYUNE reports New Orleans Homeland Security Director Terry Ebbert said the still-Katrina-ravaged city will use New Orleans Arena instead of the Superdome as its “main evacuation processing center for residents with no way of leaving in advance of a major hurricane this year.”

I know Hornets fans aren’t exactly enamored with the city’s NBA team owner George Shinn, but isn’t that a little extreme?