[Petronski]

BK, what's your source on this? It's great news, but I have to wonder where you heard it, since it says the formal announcement is coming only later.

[BurbankKarl]

I monitored a comm on shortwave between the Sidell EOC and the Hurricane Center in Miami yesterday. Since the message had to be relayed through New Mexico, then to Miami due to atmospheric conditions, I heard everything pretty clearly.....this is what I posted to the thread yesterday:

Hurricane Center asking if ham radio is the only communications available to Slidell....asking if officials have notified their family....

States no other ham radio operators on Slidell are on the air. Operators niece stuck on second floor of building, unable to get to her due to flood waters

Roads are flooded, streets are blocked,

Lake Ponchatrain now extends to OLD SPANISH TRAIL Cell towers down, repeaters are down, no cell service, no phone lines, no broadband, the La. State Trunked system was down, the local city radio system was down...

Police chief's house was destroyed, the ham operators house was destroyed.