Thoughts and Prayers go out to the SL residents...

in the path of hurricane Katrina. I pray that you and your families remain safe during this horrific storm. My thoughts will be with each and everyone of you.

What Drift said!



_/_/

Stay safe! Be aware!

That thing looks nasty.

I weathered Charley in my apartment last year, in Orlando. I remember as the edges approached my area, it seemed like a wild rain ride and that was it. Then the center of the system approached and I could feel the frame of the building shifting and straining. Then the power cut out as the sky outside my windows exploded in blue, green and white light -- the colors of exploding electrical transformers.

It was terrifying.

In case you've never seen hurricanes in action, here's some stuff I shot from last year, cut in with stuff from the newscasts that night:

http://danilocampos.com/quicktime/charleyweb.mov

Having gone through a few of Nature's Nastygrams, and the aftermath, I don't envy the folks anywhere near Katrina's path. Good luck and stay safe! Drive as far inland as you can get!

I have lived through Betsy, Camille, two typhoons in the Pacific and a couple more recent hurricanes in SW Louisiana whos names I forget that were within the last decade. I gotta tell ya.. this one is the one that scares me... it's headed straight for us, I have 3 relatives who are in the meterology field and/or associated with Lake Ponchatrain water watching orgs.

They are all EXTREMELY CONCERNED due to the geography of New Orleans and the projected paths/models. I have no way to leave where I am due to various reasons, including an immobile, housebound elder who I take care of. We have no choice but to hunker down and cross our fingers.

If this is anything like Camille was when I was a kid...or Betsy ... well, I just hope that the gallons of fresh water we've stored hold out/last us for the four days minimum we can expect without power/water/etc. In Camille (I was in Bilozi), we lost power for two weeks, in Betsy, I was in Baton Rouge, we were without power for 17 days and had no fresh water for 10 days. My worst memory was that the Red Cross actually charged for coffee which made my Dad so made he punched the Red Cross worker out and nearly got arrested.

Keeping my fingers crossed......looking for my blankee...

Good luck to everyone - this storm is now a category 5, which is beyond terrifying. If you are in the path of the storm and you are still sitting here reading this instead of getting the hell out of the way, please listen to all the warnings and leave. This storm caused a lot of misery in Miami as a minimal category 1 - the intensity of a category 5 storm is almost unimagineable. Please do everything you can to stay safe.

Holy crap!

I am watching the news and this is aweful.

Please, if you live in that area, heed the Governor's order to get out of there.

They are saying the levees will fail, no ifs ands or buts.

It's not quite as intense as Camille was, but there are a lot more people living on the coast than there was in 1969.

This could very well be the worst natural catastrophe in the history of the US, and looks like it will be, if that monster doesn't weaken any. The waters it's moving across are 90 degrees plus, so it's doubtful it will.

Yes, for the love of God, get out of there. I'm seeing some news footage right now of people hanging out near the beach, enjoying the enormous waves. Those people are going to be in bad shape as that monster comes ashore.

I suspect by now most people in Katrina's path are on the road out of town, (as oppossed to home computers), but some hotel residents may still be at their laptops. Be safe everyone! You're in our thoughts.

They are saying now that this is going to be worse than any of the other 3 Category 5's that have hit the US. Also that here are 100,000 people still left in the city. The National Weather Service stated that anyone in the path, humans, pets, livestock will not survive.

I cannot even begin to express my fear for you folks.. Please be safe..

Agreed, be careful everyone in Florida. Please keep safe.

i'm sure those who can get out, are getting out.. at least i hope so.

this thing is just ..remember the movie "The Day After Tomorrow"? yeah.. think about trying to protect yourself from a juggernaut sent by the Titans themselves.

to those in the areas to be inundated by this terror, which covers several states, please remain safe. we will all be keeping you in our prayers, our well-wishes, or whatever we can do to send our wishes for your safety.


check back in with us and let us know you're ok whenever you can. we'll be waiting with bated breath.

*group hug*

Too all you guys over the pond.

You damn well stay safe.. Hugs to you all <3

She was supposed to get on a plane to leave. I'm still waiting to find out if she did.

Lita is down there right now in the path of the hurricane :/ I hope she is safe. My prayers go out to everyone who have to ride it out.

Delta, US airways, United, Midway and Ted have already cancelled all flights out. Two Southwest flights are scheduled to leave... All scheduled arrivals have been cancelled/rerouted.

Effectively.. flymsy.com has Louis Armstrong Airport (formerly Moisant) shut down.

Local news has pics of people camping out in the seats as could be expected. A few, very few, of those pax with medical issues have been taken to the Superdome. Most are not headed there... simply staying in the airport it seems.

FWIW, for those familiar with the New Orleans area, Airline Highway was shut down to all but offical/police/emergency traffic. Contraflo on the I-10 system within the state of Louisiana has ended...

Keep your fingers crossed for us.

She was supposed to get on the plane this morning and no word since then. Do you know WHEN the airport shut down?

Sorry. I don't. I know it is shut down now.

You can check flymsy.com to see the status of various flights.

k thanks

The word has gone out, plans have been made and help is on the way. May those who could not leave the area find a safe refuge to ride out this storm. Our thoughts and prayers are with you tonight as you wait for the brunt of this to arrive at daybreak.

When this is over there will be a huge mess and, potentially, over a million lives turned upside down. Let's all do what we can to help ease the suffering about to befall our brothers and sisters down south.

Valdora and Adam Grayson

www.redcross.org

My thoughts are with you all!! My family that was down there evacuated and are safe in Texas, but I know a lot of people were not able to make it out. Stay safe!!

Be well and take good care to you all that live in Louisiana I read that environmental disaster of biblical proportions, could leave more than 1 million people homeless. Very sad, my heart goes out to you all...hugs

I would like to add my heartfelt prayers as well.. along with everyone else

This morning as we hear the news, we still are in fear for our fellow man in the SE coastal area (LA especially) I have many friends and a small group of family there.

As we wait to hear of the devesatation, and from those we know to respond or get word,
is definately a tense and heart wrenching situation.

Love to all.. Evon

Thanks to all who care about those of us in harm's way. We're on temporary generator power to check email, etc.

We're South of Mobile, Alabama at the edge of the bay. Far from New Orleans, but the impact was intense. Some waterfront buildings completely disappeared. Everything now covered with a gooey, slimy layer of brown silt that behaves like contact cement.

I'm a Camille survivor, and can state that Camille is now the second worst hurricane I've been through.

As we witness the suffering in New Orleans, we feel blessed that we are not there, although some of our family is there.

Mother Nature is the ultimate power, no matter who "owns" the land.