Hurricane!

[Ra]

Unfolding right in front of our eyes...

BTW, it IS confirmed on CNN.
- Ra

[Ace Pace]

Yep, as per mayor of NO.

[Ra]

Tornado warnings for Orleans and Jefferson Parishes, confirmations of complete structural failure in NO. Winds are at 120 mph and continuing to climb.

Locally, winds are around 20-30 mph, and debris is flying.
- Ra

[Ace Pace]

I see them...

Their reporting Superdome seriously leaking.

[Ra]

The "worst" is over, but there will still be southern winds dumping water onto Lake Ponchatraine.
- Ra

[Ra]

As for me, the worst has just passed. Wind gusts approaching 50/60 mph. I'll be OK. Considering what just hit NO and is now hitting the Mississippi coast, I was... fortunate. But that's clearly an understatement.

I can only hope for the best for everyone along the MS coast.
- Ra

[Ace Pace]

Ra, whats your houses status?

[Ra]

I'm SO sorry for waiting till 2:00 to post this, Ace. Once the worst of the storm had moved over our area, I had to rest, I was exhausted.

The winds are just dying down around here, and we have a huge amount of debris and trees down. Otherwise, no one is hurt, and we're all fine. To my shock, we still have power. However, it's not safe to go outside, or drive around.
- Ra

[Cynical Cat]

Glad you made it through okay.

[Kreshna Aryaguna Nurzaman]

To my shock, we still have power.

Better check your electricity just in case. My neighbor got a short-circuit last night and it almost burned his house.

[Ra]

Well, I had spoken too soon. I lost power about 3:30 yesterday, and just got it restored.
- Ra

[Ra]

The Navy is deploying Amphibious ships to assist in the aftermath.

Bataan Assisting in Hurricane Katrina Relief Efforts
Story Number: NNS050831-02
Release Date: 8/31/2005 10:14:00 AM

From USS Bataan Public Affairs

USS BATAAN, Gulf of Mexico (NNS) -- The multipurpose amphibious assault ship USS Bataan (LHD 5) was tasked Aug. 30 to assist with Hurricane Katrina disaster relief efforts.

Two MH-60 search and rescue helicopters from Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HC) 28, based out of Norfolk, Va., launched at 5 p.m. CST Aug. 30 to assist in the search and rescue efforts that are currently ongoing in and around the New Orleans area.

At 6:30 p.m. CST, two MH-53 helicopters from Helicopter Mine Countermeasures Squadron (HM) 15, based out of Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas, also flew off Bataan to assist with efforts in the New Orleans area.

Bataan is currently underway in the Gulf of Mexico approximately 100 miles South of New Orleans. The shipÂ’s involvement in humanitarian assistance operations is an effort by the Department of Defense in support of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

For more news from around the fleet, visit www.navy.mil.

Linkage.

In addition to the U.S.S. BATAAN, three ships are deploying from Virginia (Linkage). Considering the value Amphib vessels have proven in past humanitarian ops, like the Dec. 28th tsunami, this is a great development.
- Ra

[B4UTRUST]

Hurlburt Field and Eglin are trying to get permission for Permissive TDYs to go assist so we'll(and by that I mean I) will be heading that way in the next week or so hopefully.

I got a hold of allen yesterday. He's alive but not yet home but he believes he survived fairly, power and water not withstanding of course.

[Mayabird]

A lot of Tulane students are here at GT now. They were housed in our student center and got free meals and showers. Many of the students were able to fly back home, but some of the international students can't leave the country for fear of not being able to return so they're being housed semi-permanently in some apartments.

[Dark Silver]

Well, I'm back.

Only way for me to get my parents to get the fuck out of dodge, was to go with them, so my older brother and I ended up driving up tot he Ozark Mountains to see a aun't.....

My brother and I came home the next day, btw, I'll see if I can get the pictures taken of me trying to go down a waterfall on a kyak in Arkansas......

My brother and I took I-55 down through Mississippi, until we couldn't go anymore in Louisianna, to I-12 through Baton Rogue.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I managed to see some of New Orleans for myself...and my brother in law has been going into it for a few days with his work, trying to see what they can salvage there.

New Orleans is NML. Water is receeding in areas, but the damage done to everything is horrendous. The Causeway and the 12 Mile Bridge over the Lake is gone, parts of it sunk into Lake Ponchatraine. The French Quarter survived the storm, but didn't survive the people. Fires have broken out through gas mains, etc.

What you havent seen in the news, is what happened to the areas around New Orleans. Plaquamines Parish, just southwest of New Orleans, is gone. It's been consumed by the Gulf, and the parts of the Mississippi River which flowed through it.

I don't think New Orleans or the rest of the Guld Coast will be the same for alongtime. Scott is probably heading to Biloxi right now, but with the statre of the Cell Lines back home, I hardly got intouch with him.


My house survived, hardly any damage, oddly enough. I live in Thibodaux, La. Had the storm moved west, they were expecting my entire parish to be underwater, much like New Orleans is.

Well, that's my I'm back post.

Look on the bright side, things could be alot worse than they are....at least people got out of New Orleans, and are still getting out.

If you want to help, Donate to FEMA and the Red Cross, and when you donate, make sure it's marked for Hurricane Katrina Releif.

Night Guys and Gal's.

[Ra]

Glad you're home and safe.
- Ra