Former Navy man? Yep, efficient and independent. Likely unable to call you, because even from here, it's DIFFICULT to make and receive calls. Takes several attempts, on both landlines and cells.
Yes. The circuits were overloaded yesterday. But today I've talked to several people in Houma. That's been my source for info eastward. I understand they are also working furiously there and westward to get power back up. The gap in info really is between Slidell and Biloxi.