To those in Katrina's path...GET OUT! (Cat. 5 HURRICANE!!!!)

[gldstwmn]

Originally Posted by eclipse

To all my other pals on the Ledge, take it from a gal whose family lost our entire home on the ocean in the Hurricane of 1938. I wasn't around then (obviously) but my Dad said it was a nightmareof unbelivable proportions.

My parents lived through '38. My mother talked about the strom her whole life as the most terrifying storm she had ever lived through.

[GypsySorcerer]

Originally Posted by GateandGarden

And stupid Governor Blanco is on CNN talking about how we need to pray. They even quoted her. Leave it to our politicians to make us all look like hicks, too. My eyes were rolling around so much when she said that. "Pray strongly," she said. The only thing that CNN didn't do was include the "strongly" part when they quoted her. Not only are we screwed, the whole country gets to be reminded how backwards we are.

Yeah. Because everyone who prays is a backwards hick.

[WELSH WITCH]

I've just seen something about the storm on CNN, it looks really scary.
Take care everyone and be safe.

[DeeGeMe]

Hurricane Hugo survivor here. Hugo was "only" a 4, with winds of about 140 miles per hour at landfall, near Charleston, SC. It then proceeded to march up through the center of the state, and left virtually no area of the state untouched. We didn't have power for days afterwards, and we were some of the luckier ones. The entire power grid had to be more or less rebuilt and some were without power or running water for weeks.

Katrina is both a very intense storm (worse than Andrew), it's also a HUGE storm in terms of the real estate it's covering--more like Hugo in that regard. And let me remind you what that means exactly-with Hugo, 12 hours after it made its initial landfall, it hit Charlotte, NC with 100 mile per hour winds, and Charlotte is 175 miles away from Charleston.

If I could say one thing to the people in the path of this monster-it would be this: GET OUT NOW.

I lived 70 miles inland, and about 70 miles up from the initial landfall of Hugo and there were trees downed everywhere afterwards. Tornadoes struck everywhere, all over the state. It was estimated later than 60-80% of the trees in the state suffered some type of damage. Economically, it was catastropic. Psychologically? It was the scariest night of my life and I do NOT scare easily.

[gldstwmn]

I only had to live through one hurricane and that was hurricane Belle in 1976, a category 1. We got more wind than anything else. I think the winds reached about 75 mph. It hit us in the middle of the night. I remember I slept in the bed with my mom that night and waking up to the sound of things flying past the window. I don't think she was sleeping at all though.

[GateandGarden]

Originally Posted by GypsySorcerer

Yeah. Because everyone who prays is a backwards hick.

I thought you would know that that isn't what I mean. I think she's representing us as a state and by taking it into a public forum she's doing something inappropriate, much like praying in public schools and so on.

[GateandGarden]

Originally Posted by gldstwmn

At this point, I don't think it could hurt.

Agreed. But that wasn't my point. I just think it's inappropriate for her to say that.

[Nixxxed]

Okay - long, rambling post alert...

I've been awake all night, sick to my stomach about this. I was watching The Weather Channel about 1:30 AM, when the advisory came in that the storm had jumped from 110 mph to 145 - the weather guy looked like he was going to faint.

About New Orleans - most of the downtown section of the city is about 10 feet below sea level, so with a 25-foot storm surge, it could actually be under 35 feet of water. That's basically 4 stories. They're not sure the levees that separate the city from the Miss River and Lake Ponchartrain will hold at all. And that's just the storm surge - if they get 15 inches of rain on top of that like this same storm dumped on certain sections of Florida...

But Hillary, I totally agree about the history and culture that will be lost. I LOVE New Orleans - the French Quarter, Garden District, St. Charles Streetcar, Jackson Square, the new Warehouse District that has been built. I was just there in May, and I couldn't believe all the improvements they had done to Canal Street.

I went through Hurricane Alicia in 1983, and she was barely a Cat 2 storm. Just like others have said, it was 18 hours of pure terror. And that's after the 12-hour leadup of random rain bands and wind.

And the aftermath: the lack of power, water, sewage, city services are one thing. We were without power after Alicia for 2-1/2 weeks, and without phone service for almost a month. But we're also talking about the South in summer. Think swarms of mosquitoes, displaced fire ants, poisonous snakes, rats and mice, cockroaches, and biting flies feasting on all the trash and sewage backup.

And of course, not to belittle the impact this will have on Biloxi, MS, or Mobile, AL, or any of the many towns between. And the fact that a huge gasoline refining facility had to be closed yesterday (and may be destroyed).

And finally, not to shift the thread, but they just aired a taped audio statement from the President about the situation, in which he talked about ...
the Iraqi Constitution and its importance and impacts on our country for 5 minutes. And then at the end quickly said Katrina was a very bad situation.

[eclipse]

When my Dad told this story, his eyes always filled with tears-Back then, they had no radar-no warning. He was in school and walking home from classes and saw the church steeple fly away...He rushed to get to the beach. He met my Grandmother coming up the dirt road. "This isn't a "nor'easter, like we first thoght...the baraometer is too low and the tide is coming in too fast." (Something is seriously wrong! Our house was about 1 mile down a dirt road, right on the ocean --maybe 40 feet from the high tide mark). "We have to leave" she told him. And they did...
Anyway, my Dad says, in those years , you could not find a rock on the beach-it was all sand-powderey, sugar sand--, in fact, my Gradmother used to go into town to get rocks to outline her garden.
Lots of sand dunes and just very serene. etc. Beach roses- beautiful !!

They left the ocean and I think went as far north as Worcester? After 2 days they went "home"-
All the sand dunes were gone- All the houses were gone- the beach was completely covered with rocks- small and medium sized rocks, which remained there until I would guess maybe about 10 years ago- Now the sand is winnning again and coming back!

What remained?, Our house, which consisted of about 6 bricks from the fireplace, nothing else- all blown away- as was every other house on that stretch of ocean. My Dad says the only thing he really remembers from after the storm are rocks and seaweed- We never had rocks on the shore or beach and there wasn't any seaweed- For years there were tons of varieties of seaweed and rocks...As a child I remember putting on flip-flaps to get to the water because the rocks hurt my feet. It was a devestating dtorm and back then they didn't even name them as Hurricane's - It is known as just the storm of '38. Many (I think around 3000 or 4500 people died) luckily no one in our family or close friend were in those numbers.

The good news is...we still have a small cottage there- There is no electricity- no water (we have a pump) and we use an outhouse for the obvious reason. (I know Dissention will be mortified-but hey , it's reality )
We have kerosene laterns, gas stove, and bring in water to drink (Remember this is 50 years + later)
We can't purchase insurance on the property or cottage (The insurance companies get a big laugh out of that request...)
So it remains, a house/cottage built by my Dad, My uncle and my brothers. So far it has lasted through each storm that has assulted it in the last maybe 40 years. Each summer we go and see the damage the winter has brought. Sometimnes it is nothing- sometimes it is substantial, but it is still standing

It is my favorite place on earth...
My husband and I make love there-
My Dad's ashes are dispersed there-
My dog loves to play in the surf there-
It is truly for me, a magical and special place, but I still look at the barometer on the wall as soon as I walk in- and listen to the wind -and watch the water because.....you never know when it will happen again.............

The moral of my story is: BE SMART IN LA and MI !! AGAIN-Please don't stay for the show, you may not be around to give a review....GET OUT- STAY SAFE
My thoughts and blessings are with everyone dealing with this nightmare-just keep in mind, in a few days...you can go back and see what is left, but plan on nothing being the same- because it will not be the same.
And you will deal with it at that time. For now- GO!!!!!
~~eclipse~~

[gldstwmn]

Originally Posted by GateandGarden

Agreed. But that wasn't my point. I just think it's inappropriate for her to say that.

In this situation I don't think it is. People of all denominations pray. If you're an atheist, then you don't.

[gldstwmn]

Originally Posted by Nixxxed

And finally, not to shift the thread, but they just aired a taped audio statement from the President about the situation, in which he talked about ...
the Iraqi Constitution and its importance and impacts on our country for 5 minutes. And then at the end quickly said Katrina was a very bad situation.

Jesus H. Christ. I wanted to catch his speech but was on the phone. At least he's already declared a state of emergency. This whole situation is absolutely heartbreaking.

[Janet]

Oh my God. I looked at the satellite yesterday and it looked unorganized but now it's like this perfect looking storm.

It's the 4th strongest atlantic storm and the pressure is one of the lowest recorded.

Please, everyone be careful!!!!!!!

[GypsySorcerer]

Originally Posted by GateandGarden

I thought you would know that that isn't what I mean. I think she's representing us as a state and by taking it into a public forum she's doing something inappropriate, much like praying in public schools and so on.

I don't think in this context referring to prayer necessarily violates separation of church and state. Prayer means different things to different people. For some, it's just holding a good thought. Much like utterances of "Thank God" and "I'll keep you in my thoughts and prayers," I think what she said seems more like a common expression.

[gldstwmn]

http://www.startribune.com/stories/484/5583239.html

New Orleans evacuated as Hurricane Katrina bears down

NEW ORLEANS — Monstrous Hurricane Katrina barreled toward the Big Easy today with 175-mph wind and a threat of a 28-foot storm surge, forcing a mandatory evacuation, a last-ditch Superdome shelter and prayers for those left to face the doomsday scenario this below-sea-level city has long dreaded.

"Have God on your side, definitely have God on your side,'' Nancy Noble said as she sat with her puppy and three friends in six lanes of one-way traffic on gridlocked Interstate 10. "It's very frightening.''

Katrina intensified into a Category 5 giant over the warm water of the Gulf of Mexico on a path to come ashore early Monday in the heart of New Orleans. That would make it the city's first direct hit in 40 years and the most powerful storm ever to slam the city.

The Superdome was named a place of refuge.Cheryl GerberAssociated Press"I'm really scared,'' resident Linda Young said as she fill her gas tank. "I've been through hurricanes, but this one scares me. I think everybody needs to get out.''

Rain began falling on southeastern Louisiana by midday today, the first hints of a storm with a potential surge of 18 to 28 feet, topped with even higher waves, tornadoes and as much as 15 inches of rain.

"We are facing a storm that most of us have long feared,'' Mayor Ray Nagin said in ordering the mandatory evacuation for his city of 485,000 people, surrounded by suburbs of a million more. "The storm surge will most likely topple our levee system.''

Preparing sandbagsDavid J. PhillipAssociated PressConceding that as many as 100,000 inner-city residents didn't have the means to leave and an untold number of tourists were stranded by the closing of the airport, the city arranged buses to take people to 10 last-resort shelters, including the Superdome

snip

Despite the dire predictions, a group of residents in a poor neighborhood of central New Orleans sat on a porch with no car, no way out and, surprisingly, no fear.

"We're not evacuating,'' said 57-year-old Julie Paul. "None of us have any place to go. We're counting on the Superdome. That's our lifesaver.''

The Superdome, the 70,000-seat home of football's Saints and the New Year's Sugar Bowl, opened at daybreak today, giving first priority to frail, elderly people on walkers, some with oxygen tanks. They were told to bring enough food, water and medicine to last up to five days.

Click the link for the full article.

[dissention]

Originally Posted by GypsySorcerer

I don't think in this context referring to prayer necessarily violates separation of church and state. Prayer means different things to different people. For some, it's just holding a good thought. Much like utterances of "Thank God" and "I'll keep you in my thoughts and prayers," I think what she said seems more like a common expression.

I agree. Praying doesn't necessarily involve God, especially in the context she probably said it in. This isn't the same thing as the government putting the Ten Commandments in a courthouse or making my kid pray in homeroom.