NEW ORLEANS PEOPLE...What are you doing at this moment?!

[louise_l]

I'm sitting in my living room in Metairie, watching Bob Breck talk about the storm.

I prepared my house for the storm, brought in everything from the yard that could become a projectile, and so on. I packed everything that I plan to take with me if I go, and it's in the car and ready to go. Barring any radical changes in predicted trajectory in the next nine hours, we will probably leave about 3 AM (when there will be less traffic).

louise

[betsysurvivor]

Plan to leave in the AM. Believe I may not have a home to return to. Leaving stubborn loved ones behind. What would you be thinking?

[TinCan57]

Packed the photos/mementos and put them in a 5th floor parking garage earlier... have all the essentials/irreplacables packed and ready to head out 3-4am for Memphis...

Similarly not expecting anything to come home to but a slab.. videotaped the house an hour ago which was a very sobering experience... cleared the yard as best I could... everything else is insured and replacable, lives are not, so we are ready to go.

Tonight I'm gonna go chill with my lifelong best friend, as he refuses to leave and I dunno, he may not be here next week.. light one final cigar in defiance of mother nature, pull back a few beers, and then flee tomorrow. Pray and hope for the best, all we can do at this point

[Blown]

Packed the photos/mementos and put them in a 5th floor parking garage earlier... have all the essentials/irreplacables packed and ready to head out 3-4am for Memphis...

Similarly not expecting anything to come home to but a slab.. videotaped the house an hour ago which was a very sobering experience... cleared the yard as best I could... everything else is insured and replacable, lives are not, so we are ready to go.

Tonight I'm gonna go chill with my lifelong best friend, as he refuses to leave and I dunno, he may not be here next week.. light one final cigar in defiance of mother nature, pull back a few beers, and then flee tomorrow. Pray and hope for the best, all we can do at this point

Sounds like a scene out of a movie.

[sweetpea]

I am sitting here reading these posts and I am so sad for all of you. I actually keep getting tears in my eyes. Tin I am sorry that your friend will not leave. Thank god most of you are leaving. Houses can be rebuilt but your lives are irreplaceable. Everyone please be safe. Lot of prayers coming from Palm Coast, FL.
Debbie

[superfly]

I'm staying.

[Sean in New Orleans]

We've already packed and so has everyone in my family; all of our photos and significant documents. And we've taken pictures of all of our belongings just to be on the safe side. I'm worried about this tree just outside crashing through the house, but, other than that I don't really have major concerns.

[jaxfladude]

I am sitting here reading these posts and I am so sad for all of you. I actually keep getting tears in my eyes. Tin I am sorry that your friend will not leave. Thank god most of you are leaving. Houses can be rebuilt but your lives are irreplaceable. Everyone please be safe. Lot of prayers coming from Palm Coast, FL.
Debbie

Yep, this will be

[bfez1]

An emotional wreck right now. We will be leaving at 5 am in the morning if the track doesn't change in our favor. Hoping against hope that it will. So afraid I will come back home to nothing. Really wish I wasn't leaving, hate leaving my home and not knowing what is going on down here.

[Travelgirl]

We are pack and leaving at 3:00am in the morning. I'm in a low lying area. In 1997 rain storm we had 3 feet of water in my house. The electricity was off and the water rose. All of the sudden while my husband was in the flooded water, the electricity came back on. Needless to say the sockets were under water and started to pop. He jump to upstairs and was fine. Lesson learn. If your home floods above to your electicial outlets, please turn off the power. Everyone please be safe.

[soonertwister]

Not bashing, but curious. What happens if (not likely I know, but if) the worst case scenario occurs and the city is flooded for weeks? What do you do then?

I'm listening to what my Mayor and local officials are telling me now...to have ample food and water for four days and be prepared to have no power for, at least, a week?

Four days? Are you kidding me? Who's in charge there, I want to kick their ass. I have news for you pal. If NOLA is inundated, the city will be without basic necessities for weeks, during which your chance of survival might be 50-50. And that by no means is any sort of guarantee.

[Scorpion]

Models have shifted. Most are now right on top of New Orleans.

[artist]

so true - what people fail to realize is all the perishables in a grocery store are ruined after a storm and have to be thrown out therefore every thing that is left on the shelves after the storm does not go far or is not something you can eat! It takes a good week for supplies to start coming back in and they go off the shelves as quick as they can stock them. Took a good 2-3 weeks for the normal flow of a stocked store to return. We saw people fighting over loaves of bread, etc.

[Lindaloo]

An emotional wreck right now. We will be leaving at 5 am in the morning if the track doesn't change in our favor. Hoping against hope that it will. So afraid I will come back home to nothing. Really wish I wasn't leaving, hate leaving my home and not knowing what is going on down here.

(((HUGS))) Bonnie, I am sure everything is going to be okay.

[sunnyday]

Katrina came through our area this week as a Cat 1, and it made a big mess. I have chills thinking of a Cat 4 or 5 hitting anywhere, especially an area full of people in a low-lying area. Please, everyone who can, leave asap. Camille was a lesson in what may happen to those who stay. It's not brave or valiant to hang around! My prayers will be will you all. My best friend is in NO on vacation, due back home tomorrow. I'm afraid she may be stuck there. Please take care, and get out. There's no material possession worth staying for. Believe me, I know how you feel leaving everything. We left right before Andrew hit, and it was a sick feeling to go, but thank goodness we did. Common sense is key at this point.

[inotherwords]

so true - what people fail to realize is all the perishables in a grocery store are ruined after a storm and have to be thrown out therefore every thing that is left on the shelves after the storm does not go far or is not soemthing you can eat! It takes a good week for suppliese to start coming back in and they go off the shelves as quick as they can stock them. Tokk a good 2-3 weeks for the normal flow of a sotcked store to return. We saw people fighting over loaves of bread, etc.

Yeah, but don't forget, the rest of the country will pitch in to help. We would not let these people go without food and drinking water. It's easier to ship in food and water than it is gas or something like that. The country will rally to help.

[Shoshana]

Just heard from sister in law that the nephew left NO and is on his way home. Both his mom and I were on his case about getting out and he finally decided to go after the school he works at announced that thry'd be closed till Wed...

That a relief.

[artist]

that is true - but do you remember how long it took to get help in after Andrew?

[yzerfan]

I think the four days of supplies guidelines are for the longest they'd expect it to take until it's safe to get emergency supplies into an area. For Ivan, I want to say that the National Guard was up and running in the area and handing out water, ice, and MREs within 2-3 days.

Right now, there is massive planning going on in order to get emergency food and water supplies into the areas affected by Katrina. Warehouses and stockpiles checked, search and rescue workers going on high alert, etc. There are also probably hundred utility workers and their trucks making their way to hotels in Memphis and Birmingham in preparation for 18 hour days rebuilding the power grid wherever this thing hits.

The country has gotten a lot better at this since Andrew.

[Brent]

PLEASE be careful everyone...

I believe, don't quote me, if the worst case did happen, the survivors would be rescued within a few days... we are the U.S. afterall, the most powerful nation on earth...