"We're able to be competitive, with a low effective rate, " says Suzanne Spera, the firm's director of investor relations.

WSJ: U.S. Firms Move Abroad to Cut Taxes

"I'm aware that there's some resentment that pop acts are headlining, " Mr. Joel told Times-Picayune reporter Keith Spera in an interview.

WSJ: Beneath a Pop Skin, Jazz's Heart Beats | New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival | By Larry Blumenfeld

"We see the flames, but we can't get too close to it" because of the floodwaters, said police chief Michael Spera.

WSJ: Heroes Shine Amid Storm's Destruction