Sick feeling this is gonna be REALLY BAD

[soonertwister]

I'm honestly nervous as a cat. There are large numbers of people living in denial out there that think when Dennis hits it wil be a large blow.

I really really hope that is true. But I'm not so ignorant not to understand the consequences of that attitude.

I've reached (sort of) the state of denial, a state of acceptance that those who steadfastly believe that they are safe are not going to listen to a single word I say.

I'd love to save them. But I cannot change their minds. It's up to them to figure this thing out for themselves.

From this point on, as far as I am concerned, they are on their own. They've been warned, now they either do or don't suffer the consequences of their actions. It's too hard and painful to think that you can make that kind of difference.

[Sean in New Orleans]

I agree...I'm praying. If this hits a largely populated area, I'm afraid we could be dealing with numbers that will be hard to stomach. Please leave and keep driving North until you find a hotel if you are in an area from Pascagoula to Pensacola...even if it is all the way to Tennessee. At least you will have the confidence that you and your loved ones will be alright. Life is to sweet to gamble with it and a force such as this..

[Innotech]

I agree...I'm praying. If this hits a largely populated area, I'm afraid we could be dealing with numbers that will be hard to stomach. Please leave and keep driving North until you find a hotel if you are in an area from Pascagoula to Pensacola...even if it is all the way to Tennessee. At least you will have the confidence that you and your loved ones will be alright. Life is to sweet to gamble with it and a force such as this..

If I was in that situaiton i would be well north of Kentucky by now.

[jaysonx]

I agree...I'm praying. If this hits a largely populated area, I'm afraid we could be dealing with numbers that will be hard to stomach. Please leave and keep driving North until you find a hotel if you are in an area from Pascagoula to Pensacola...even if it is all the way to Tennessee. At least you will have the confidence that you and your loved ones will be alright. Life is to sweet to gamble with it and a force such as this..

Sean, is New Orleans doing anything to prepare for this storm? Newest models (yeah I know it's a little late for them) keep pushing the landfall further west to the Gulfport MS area. Id imagine that is getting a little too close for comfort with you guys.

[Brent]

I agree...I'm praying. If this hits a largely populated area, I'm afraid we could be dealing with numbers that will be hard to stomach. Please leave and keep driving North until you find a hotel if you are in an area from Pascagoula to Pensacola...even if it is all the way to Tennessee. At least you will have the confidence that you and your loved ones will be alright. Life is to sweet to gamble with it and a force such as this..

90% of the hotel rooms from Mobile to Birmingham here are booked... so a lot of people have. Saw a lot of Florida tags today.

[Lowpressure]

I agree...I'm praying. If this hits a largely populated area, I'm afraid we could be dealing with numbers that will be hard to stomach. Please leave and keep driving North until you find a hotel if you are in an area from Pascagoula to Pensacola...even if it is all the way to Tennessee. At least you will have the confidence that you and your loved ones will be alright. Life is to sweet to gamble with it and a force such as this..

Sean, is New Orleans doing anything to prepare for this storm? Newest models (yeah I know it's a little late for them) keep pushing the landfall further west to the Gulfport MS area. Id imagine that is getting a little too close for comfort with you guys.

It will not pass west of Mobile, it looks like a Florida (Pensacola) hit. Look at IR trend.

[Sean in New Orleans]

I agree...I'm praying. If this hits a largely populated area, I'm afraid we could be dealing with numbers that will be hard to stomach. Please leave and keep driving North until you find a hotel if you are in an area from Pascagoula to Pensacola...even if it is all the way to Tennessee. At least you will have the confidence that you and your loved ones will be alright. Life is to sweet to gamble with it and a force such as this..

Sean, is New Orleans doing anything to prepare for this storm? Newest models (yeah I know it's a little late for them) keep pushing the landfall further west to the Gulfport MS area. Id imagine that is getting a little too close for comfort with you guys.

We have pretty much sighed with relief here. Life is normal..about 350,000 to 400,000 left as a precaution, but, a vast majority of people are still here living a normal day, yet, watching the storm extremely closely.

[jaysonx]

I agree...I'm praying. If this hits a largely populated area, I'm afraid we could be dealing with numbers that will be hard to stomach. Please leave and keep driving North until you find a hotel if you are in an area from Pascagoula to Pensacola...even if it is all the way to Tennessee. At least you will have the confidence that you and your loved ones will be alright. Life is to sweet to gamble with it and a force such as this..

Sean, is New Orleans doing anything to prepare for this storm? Newest models (yeah I know it's a little late for them) keep pushing the landfall further west to the Gulfport MS area. Id imagine that is getting a little too close for comfort with you guys.

It will not pass west of Mobile, it looks like a Florida (Pensacola) hit. Look at IR trend.

And people said Charley was going to go in at Tampa or just north of Tampa right up to the point that it made a hard right and went in at Ft. Myers last year.

Not trying to spread paranoia, but storms this intense have a history of pulling tricks at the last minute. It is interesting that people in New Orleans are breathing a sigh of relief when people 100 miles down the coast are in a total state of panic.

[knotimpaired]

Earlier using a mariners instinct I choose landfall at Dauphine Island, Al. then I saw it take a jog to the north instead of the NW. I began to doubt my instincts.

Now I am seeing the jog back to the NW. Hubby and I seriously considered Dauphine Island before we choose retirement on Vieques and the reason we did not was that every house was elevated on stilts about 30' and we felt we were a tad bit to old to deal with the situation of yearly hurricanes.

My heart goes out to those in that area.

[WaryEye]

Have to agree with jasonx.... looking at some past hurricanes and the unexpected paths they have taken at the last minute, you'd almost have to be some kind of a nut to be in New Orleans with such a monster inching closer and breathe anything close to a sigh of relief. I'm worried Dennis may have a few tricks up his sleeve and is going to catch someone with their pants down, so to speak.

[sprink52]

This is very serious. I hope no one has stayed behind to watch this "snake" bite!! Move away and let it come. Come back Monday and start clean up and recovery. Thankfully help is on the way. We are a strong people and we will recover.

[knotimpaired]

WaryEye,

I agree, while everyone is screaming Fla. the NW turn is not good for the Miss/New Orleans area. Although I did not predict that the more that you look at the overall US map, I do not see anything that could push it away from New Orleans.

Of course there will always be those that say "bull". I think that considering the New Orleans sea level we could see Bourbon Street under 12 feet of water.

Remember, it is not over till the fat lady sings, and I have not sung yet.

I will stick to Dauphine Island as landfall as for now but if I had to lean towards an east or a west for the storm I would say landfall to the west of it.

[jaysonx]

At least NO is on the west side of the storm, so the wind will be blowing the water offshore.

There will have to be quite a shift in the track of the storm for NO to get the full force, but again, at this point in time it is just too earily to tell.

I would hope that many people in that area would realize this on their own and seek shelter out of town... as they say, better safe that sorry.

[knotimpaired]

I wonder what I would choose first. Being stuck in winter at May's Landing waiting for the ferry to break free of ice or Dennis??

Cape May any day

[DESTRUCTION5]

I have nothing to say but I feel for everyone in this storms path..IMO this will be the worst thing since Andrew Nothing impeding Strengthening...I say Landfall at 145MPH..Reguardless Everyone needs to SH!t or get off the pot. Trust me I went thru Andrew with a mattress over my head in my hall way While the wall crumbled arond me...Don be me...Get out!!! And If you feel your house is strong enough GOOD LUCK THIS WON'T BE PLEASENT....

DESTRUCTION5

[Guest]

I have nothing to say but I feel for everyone in this storms path..IMO this will be the worst thing since Andrew Nothing impeding Strengthening...I say Landfall at 145MPH..Reguardless Everyone needs to SH!t or get off the pot. Trust me I went thru Andrew with a mattress over my head in my hall way While the wall crumbled arond me...Don be me...Get out!!! And If you feel your house is strong enough GOOD LUCK THIS WON'T BE PLEASENT....

DESTRUCTION5

The officials in Alabama and Florida showed some anger in their speeches the press conferences this evening towards those planning (ATTEMPTING) to ride it out. :eeK: This storm is SERIOUS!

[BigO]

I just don't see it, folks...I'm one of the worst weather-wussies out there but it is headed dead-on to the NHC forecast track and would take practically an act of G-d to come here given its current position and track.

If I saw any chance of us getting more that TS-force winds here you wouldn't see anything of me but a** and elbows of me on my way north.

I mean there's risk, and there's really foolish risk. I wouldn't be typing here now if I wasn't convinced we were pretty much safe.

Even if we got a W jog at this point we might have hurricane force winds. We got those earlier in the week from Cindy and recovered from it pretty well. I was powerless for 12 hours, there were 6K people without power today but Entergy cited the lack of access to back yards and the damage that hadn't been cleared as the major obstacle from restoring those customers.

I offer up prayers for the folks east of here in the path...I have close friends riding it out in Mobile and Saraland. They need it much more than us in NOLA. JMNSHO.

[dhweather]

I agree...I'm praying. If this hits a largely populated area, I'm afraid we could be dealing with numbers that will be hard to stomach. Please leave and keep driving North until you find a hotel if you are in an area from Pascagoula to Pensacola...even if it is all the way to Tennessee. At least you will have the confidence that you and your loved ones will be alright. Life is to sweet to gamble with it and a force such as this..

Sean, is New Orleans doing anything to prepare for this storm? Newest models (yeah I know it's a little late for them) keep pushing the landfall further west to the Gulfport MS area. Id imagine that is getting a little too close for comfort with you guys.

It will not pass west of Mobile, it looks like a Florida (Pensacola) hit. Look at IR trend.

And people said Charley was going to go in at Tampa or just north of Tampa right up to the point that it made a hard right and went in at Ft. Myers last year.

Not trying to spread paranoia, but storms this intense have a history of pulling tricks at the last minute. It is interesting that people in New Orleans are breathing a sigh of relief when people 100 miles down the coast are in a total state of panic.

And that is a huge concern for me.

[knotimpaired]

Considering how tight the eye is I agree with you all that this will be a major storm, 4 at least or maybe a 5.

I hope that when people that are listening to the Weather Channel understand that while the eye may only be 20-30 (or whatever it is now) wide they do not miss the most important issue.

The storm effects will cover many, many miles.

For those of you that think just because you are 100 miles away from Dennis' eye and stay at home must be newbies.

Having a hurricane party is blase'. It's now cool to get the hell out and admit you value your and your families lives more.

[ccsuzy]

I offer up prayers for the folks east of here in the path...I have close friends riding it out in Mobile and Saraland.

I have a cousin riding it out in Saraland, alone with her cats. She was there for Ivan also, but wasn't alone...I am worried for her. At least this time she has a generator. I'll be praying for her and others down there.