Gustav Check-In

[CajunMama]

AnnularCane - safe
Bayoubebe - safe
BayouVenteux - safe
Bevgo - safe
BreinLA - safe
CajunGal - evaced from Houma area
CajunMama - safe
Houmala - safe
Innotech - safe
Jagno - safe
JessRomero - safe
LaBreeze - safe
LaPlaceFF - safe
LAwxgal - safe
LSU2001 - safe - was in BR and will be going back to Cut Off to assess damage to home)
PTrackerLA - safe
Sunny - safe
Tenspeed - safe w/damage

[bvigal]

THANKS for the report, CM!! Glad to hear from so many they are OK. How is it now in Lafayette??

[CajunMama]

Lafayette is fine. We were blessed and were spared any major damage. Power is almost 100% on. There was one fatality when a tree fell on a house.

[Jagno]

Just got back home this evening. 1976 miles of travel for evacuation, break-downs, recovering kids, ending up driving right into the Gustav's tropical storms in Arkansas and finally back to my home sweet home. No damage that couldn't be resolved quickly. We were exceptionally blessed that this hurricane veered north just as it approached our area. I'm glad to see everyone checking in. Thanks CM.

One young sherrifs deputy and his father were killed from carbon monoxide poisoning. They'd started a generator outside the door of their shelter but ran the cord through the door leaving approx. a 1/2"-3/4" crack. They had a box fan inside. The box fan sucked in the fumes and killed them both overnight.

[sunny]

sunny is back - I went to Baton Rouge to my sister's house. We caught the Eastern side of the eye wall but faired okay.

[HoumaLa]

Hi everyone i just got to Houma and it looks like a bomb went off in most areas i'm at my moms she has lights so we came in from stonewall ms i hope everyone is ok all is ok in my family velma

[LaBreeze]

Got power back yesterday (Thursday). All is well in Vermilion Parish as far as I know.

[LSU2001]

Hi Guys,
Back in Cut Off, Got power today Friday 9/5/2008 at about 7:00 pm and internet shortly before.
Minor damage to home (shingles, siding ) but overall in good shape. It has been rough down the bayou supplies have not really gotten in (thank God I prep excessively) The MRE, Ice and Tarp distribution has been hit or miss in South Lafourche. As far as I know only a couple of truck loads of Ice and Tarps have made it down but since power has been restored at least as far south as Cut Off things should improve quickly.

As a side note about preps. I did not need to buy a gallon of gas even running a generator for 3 days. I had stored enough to last at least a week and it was a good thing cause gas lines were running 3-4 hours waiting time. I had enough food to last several weeks to a month and could probably have rationed that to last much longer. What killed my heart was to see so many people suffering with no water, no ice, no food etc. I helped where I could but the need was really overwhelming. I can't understand why folks living down in hurricane country don't prep more. Anyway me and mine are doing fine and will continue to try and help where and when I can.

With all that said, My eyes are firmly planted on Ike now and I can tell you South La. cannot withstand even an afternoon thunderstorm at this time and many, many people would be unable to evac (money, supplies etc) if Ike threatens this region. Many people I have spoken too don't even realize that another storm may be in the gulf by early next week.

Please keep us in your prayers and thoughts,
Tim

[Innotech]

there appears to be a major concern at our company over gasoline supply problems. we can create all the loads we want into the system, but the issue is the refineries. It seems as though they were shut down for the hurricane as usual, but the demand has gone up so high that the reserves at the fuel loading racks are all that remains of supply, and that is going very very fast. soon there will be major shortages as refineries ramp up again and if Ike comes into Louisiana at any point, there may not be enough fuel available in hard hit areas to evacuate again. Even without Ike, gustav has hiked up demand so high we absolutely cannot keep up with the increased sales.

[LaPlaceFF]

LaPlaceFF-safe but doing a lot of cleanup. Will post story later

[LAwxrgal]

Hello all, I'm safe, back home after a week in Texas. We just got power back on Monday. My fence is down but I think I got lucky here again. My sister's house got more damage than mine did. Trees down, etc. Got another long story to tell, there are shortages of food, etc. It's not QUITE as wild as after Katrina, but it's still wild.