I can't begin to express how impressed I have been with the leadership and the preparation for this storm. All of my hurricane experience has been here in Louisiana so I don't know how it is done in other states. I was here when Andrew hit and, of course, Katrina and both combined neither came close to the effort made for this storm. Grand Isle, our inhabited barrier island, has been completely evacuated. Prisoners/inmates from New Orleans and coastal areas have been moved to Angola Prison. Mothers with hospitalized babies at risk have been evacuated to Women's Hospital in Baton Rouge.
Contraflow was activated in the wee hours and went very smoothly. Along the evacuation routes they've posted those large DOTD signs on trailers advising which exits have registration information for sheltering humans and for pets. Evacuees are supposed to make reservations for the nearest shelter with enough beds to accomodate the number of people in their car. They can also reserve a place for their pets at a nearby shelter. Totally elimnating the need to stop at filled to capacity shelters looking for a bed or for abandoning a pet.
Insurance companies have waived restrictions on early refills so people forced to leave their homes are able to take additional medications with them. Buses and trains were used to transport tens of thousands of people who were without personal transportation out of New Orleans, they simply had to dial a special number to reserve a seat. New Orleans is under a mandatory evacuation but if anyone decides to ignore that order it has been made clear to them that they do so at their own risk and that no services will be available to them. New Orleans is now under a dusk to dawn curfew. The scope of the planning, the services and arrangements that have been put in place is truly amazing as is the efficiency and attention to detail.
Right now we're just waiting.... checking our personal lists in case we've overlooked something important. Most of the major chain supermarkets such as Albertson, Winnn-Dixie, Super Walmart, etc closed by noon today so their employees could get home to make whatever preparation they needed to do. Smaller independant grocers closed about 8pm, most pharmacys were open til 10pm tonight. Every gas station I passed today had cars at every pump but no long lines trying to get into their parking lots.
The college student son of a neighbor works part time for Pep Boys and says on Friday they sold $75,000 worth of generators! I had no idea that Pep Boys even carried generators. Of course, all the hardware/home improvement stores like Home Depot and Lowes have been selling generators right out of the tractor trailor trucks in the parking lots for the last couple of days.
It has been raining a little tonight, tornados in the area but things have been calm and orderly today. For the most part, people seem to have heeded the numerous, frequent warnings and actually done what they were supposed to do. It was pretty hot today, about 92 and a heat index of 100, that will change for a day or two when we start getting the predicted winds Gustav is packing. Then the power lines will be down for days and the temperatures will rise again, literally and figuratively. Aircraft of all kinds have been buzzing around for the past 24 hours. A mixed blessing because we know they're taking care of business for our safety but we also know the ceaseless rumbling of planes, helicopters, generators, sirens, chainsaws, honking car horns, etc will soon be a part of our daily lives for weeks to come.
I'll post again tomorrow if I have power. See ya :)
Keeping you in my thoughts.
Industrial Canal and others starting to be over topped.
No breaches yet. Army Corps of Engineers thinks they’ll hold.
Thanks for the report. I watched your Governor yesterday on TV and he was most impressive. I am so glad that the good people of Louisiana had the wisdom to elect him. Stay safe.
We hope you are well. Give us a report soon.