# Katrina



## marmalady (Aug 28, 2005)

Is now a CAT 5 and heading for the Gulf shores, and possibly New Orleans and vicinity. I hope any of you who live within 200-300 miles of that area are getting the heck out of Dodge and not reading this!  Please !!! remember that even though you may be a good distance from where they say the 'eye wall' is going to come in, this storm is so huge that there's going to be major damage for miles and miles around. 

I remember in Hugo, which came in at Charleston, SC, also devastated Charlotte, NC - a good 175 miles away - as it ripped through the state. 

God bless and keep you, everyone!


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## kleenex (Aug 28, 2005)

The whole USA has to worry about this storm.  She sure does look pretty.


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## marmalady (Aug 28, 2005)

Pretty is NOT a word I'd use to describe this lady!


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## texasgirl (Aug 28, 2005)

Another thing that is bad, New Orleans is below sea level!! It is going to devistate Louisiana!!
I hope that everyone will take the warning seriously and get out NOW!!
Pray for them all. My prayers and thoughts are with them now.



http://www.weather.com/weather/map/USLA0338?name=southeastusvisiblesatellite_large_animated&day=1


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## DampCharcoal (Aug 28, 2005)

Pray that the storm surge will not top the levee around New Orleans. Hopefully the eye will veer east and spare the city. Not trying to sound overly dramatic but this is New Orleans' worst nightmare that might come true. Sustained winds of 160 mph and the pressure at the center is 908 millibars putting it in the top 5 strongest hurricanes in recorded history. Many people are predicting pressure to drop below 900 mb. For perspective, Hurricane Gilbert had the lowest recorded pressure ever at 888 mb. Pray, folks!


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## callie (Aug 28, 2005)

Kat looks to be a bad one.  DH's family is in the Baton Rouge area...prayers will be most appreciated!


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## mudbug (Aug 28, 2005)

My parents finally came to their senses this morning and have left.  Hopefully they will find a place to stay sometime much later tonight, now that they will be stuck in traffic with all the other stubborn people.


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## DampCharcoal (Aug 28, 2005)

Mud!!! Long time no talk! I'm glad your parents are leaving, this one ain't no joke.


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## mudbug (Aug 28, 2005)

Hiya, Charc!  I've missed you, too!  

Yeah, I agree about this one.  The folks have offers of places to stay in Houston and Memphis, but I seriously doubt they will get that far today.  I hope they will call one of us later to let us know where they are sleeping, and that it's not in their car.


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## DampCharcoal (Aug 28, 2005)

Where are your folks, Mud?


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## Barbara L (Aug 28, 2005)

My prayers are with anyone in that area, and who has family there.  Katrina is supposed to affect pretty far inland, with sustained winds of 39-73 mph up to Tennessee, then sustained winds less than 39 mph through Ohio and on up into eastern Canada.  And of course the rain that goes with the wind.  It was originally thought that it would come over and bother crewsk and us, but now it is supposed to stay west of us.

 Barbara


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## Claire (Aug 28, 2005)

The storm managed to miss my family (last year my parents and all three of my sisters got hit in some degree).  For this I am grateful.  Two family members haven't or are just barely recovering from last year (there was so much work to be done, state-wide, in Florida that to find someone reputable to repair your roof was not easy).  I feel for the New Orleans contingent and hope all goes well there.


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## DampCharcoal (Aug 28, 2005)

If y'all know anyone who has decided to ride out the storm, call them and tell them to get the h*ll out. Now.

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE 
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW ORLEANS LA 
1011 AM CDT SUN AUG 28 2005 

...DEVASTATING DAMAGE EXPECTED... 

.HURRICANE KATRINA...A MOST POWERFUL HURRICANE WITH UNPRECEDENTED 
STRENGTH...RIVALING THE INTENSITY OF HURRICANE CAMILLE OF 1969. 

MOST OF THE AREA WILL BE UNINHABITABLE FOR WEEKS...PERHAPS LONGER. AT 
LEAST ONE HALF OF WELL CONSTRUCTED HOMES WILL HAVE ROOF AND WALL 
FAILURE. ALL GABLED ROOFS WILL FAIL...LEAVING THOSE HOMES SEVERELY 
DAMAGED OR DESTROYED. 

THE MAJORITY OF INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS WILL BECOME NON FUNCTIONAL. 
PARTIAL TO COMPLETE WALL AND ROOF FAILURE IS EXPECTED. ALL WOOD 
FRAMED LOW RISING APARTMENT BUILDINGS WILL BE DESTROYED. CONCRETE 
BLOCK LOW RISE APARTMENTS WILL SUSTAIN MAJOR DAMAGE...INCLUDING SOME 
WALL AND ROOF FAILURE. 

HIGH RISE OFFICE AND APARTMENT BUILDINGS WILL SWAY DANGEROUSLY...A 
FEW TO THE POINT OF TOTAL COLLAPSE. ALL WINDOWS WILL BLOW OUT. 

AIRBORNE DEBRIS WILL BE WIDESPREAD...AND MAY INCLUDE HEAVY ITEMS SUCH 
AS HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCES AND EVEN LIGHT VEHICLES. SPORT UTILITY 
VEHICLES AND LIGHT TRUCKS WILL BE MOVED. THE BLOWN DEBRIS WILL CREATE 
ADDITIONAL DESTRUCTION. PERSONS...PETS...AND LIVESTOCK EXPOSED TO THE 
WINDS WILL FACE CERTAIN DEATH IF STRUCK. 

POWER OUTAGES WILL LAST FOR WEEKS...AS MOST POWER POLES WILL BE DOWN 
AND TRANSFORMERS DESTROYED. WATER SHORTAGES WILL MAKE HUMAN SUFFERING 
INCREDIBLE BY MODERN STANDARDS. 

THE VAST MAJORITY OF NATIVE TREES WILL BE SNAPPED OR UPROOTED. ONLY 
THE HEARTIEST WILL REMAIN STANDING...BUT BE TOTALLY DEFOLIATED. FEW 
CROPS WILL REMAIN. LIVESTOCK LEFT EXPOSED TO THE WINDS WILL BE 
KILLED. 

AN INLAND HURRICANE WIND WARNING IS ISSUED WHEN SUSTAINED WINDS NEAR 
HURRICANE FORCE...OR FREQUENT GUSTS AT OR ABOVE HURRICANE FORCE...ARE 
CERTAIN WITHIN THE NEXT 12 TO 24 HOURS. 

ONCE TROPICAL STORM AND HURRICANE FORCE WINDS ONSET...DO NOT VENTURE 
OUTSIDE!


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## KAYLINDA (Aug 28, 2005)

Just heard on the news that there are many people who think this is just "media-hyped" again...they are not leaving!!!!  I have a bad feeling on this one....I think it will be something we don't want to see again in our lifetimes.  God bless everyone even remotely involved....and especially all those who give help to those in need during times like this.


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## texasgirl (Aug 28, 2005)

My sister and bil went on a harley ride to N. Carolina last Saturday, just getting back into town today. Thy went through Florida Thursday as Katrina was making land fall and kept going to stay in Georgia. They stopped in Shreveport last night on their last leg of the trip and while there, the hotel that they were staying in, had the phone lines lit up continueously for the 30 minutes they were trying to get their key to their rooms. The man at the desk told them that it had been like that since yesterday morning and that the hotels in Shreveport were booked solid and they were giving the people numbers for hotels and such in Arkansas. Knowing this, I feel better that a LOT of the people down there are taking this seriously. Seeing G.W. on the tv urgin people to leave, made me realize that this storm is growing to to be a devasting storm.
"Dear lord, watch over our friends, families and neighbors in the path of Hurricane Katrina. Keep them safe and well and help them to get through what looks like to be a devastating time in their lives"
Everyone on here, please, I'm not religious, I don't go to church, but I do believe in the lord with all my heart. I urge everyone to say as many prayers that all those people will be safe!


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## wasabi (Aug 28, 2005)

Hawaii is watching and praying for our southern friends. Heaven help us if a storm like this one hits the islands. We have nowhere to run.


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## DampCharcoal (Aug 28, 2005)

Hey, Wasabi, been missing you!  Please, everyone pray for all the folks on the Gulf Coast, this is extremely bad, I fear the worst. Our friends in the South need to check in when they can!


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## Raven (Aug 28, 2005)

My MIL just headed out for Baton Rouge.  I don't know if she even knows this thing is coming or not (and she doesn't have a cell phone).  Fortunantly, we're far enough north that a lot of people are fleeing Louisiana coming here (so there isn't a hotel room to be had in the state) but if that thing hits just right it'll come straight up here, so we're getting our batteries and lamp oil stored.

With all the warm/moist air we have in place the main thing I'm worried about here is Tornadoes 

We will keep everyone in her path in our prayers tonight.

~ Raven ~


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## mudbug (Aug 28, 2005)

I turned The Weather Channel and Fox on as soon as our neighbors left this evening.  Sure looks like we are for some nasty sh*t. Apparently my folks have made it as far north as Hattiesburg, but I have not heard from them myself and don't know if they intending to keep driving or try to stay where they are.  

Even TN and northern AL are not going to escape the effects of this storm.

Best wishes to all who have loved ones in the path of this historic storm.


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## wannabake (Aug 29, 2005)

*God Bless all in it's path.........*

 I pray that everyone took the warning seriously and took themselves, family and pets out of danger. It's sad thing's like this happen at all.  I've said a many prayer for those effected and hope everyones safe!!!
God Bless


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## Barbara L (Aug 29, 2005)

mudbug said:
			
		

> Apparently my folks have made it as far north as Hattiesburg,


mudbug, I backed into Hattiesburg once.    Seriously!  There was a bridge out in Mobile, and my Amtrak train had to back up to Hattiesburg.

Anyway, I hope your family is ok.  It is hard not knowing where someone is, even though you are sure they are ok.

Barbara


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## GB (Aug 29, 2005)

From what I have heard, this was not as horrible as they were predicting. It was still very bad, but at least the worst case scenarios were not played out. I sure hope everyone made it out safely and that their families, friends, homes and businesses are OK!


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## mudbug (Aug 29, 2005)

Hi guys.  My folks are OK and resting in Memphis at MIL's after driving pretty much all night, with a few hours' sleep in a rest area.

I've been glued to the tube all day watching the weather stuff.  Looks like the beleaguered folks in Mississippi and Alabama coastal areas are actually going to get the worst of it.

I don't like this ill-tempered daughter of Mother Nature.  Hope those of you with loved ones in the problem areas have spoken to them and that they are as safe as possible.


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## -DEADLY SUSHI- (Aug 29, 2005)

I have been tracking this sucker since mid Sunday with Streaming webcams and radar. Plus any other data I could get my hands on. Thank God that it didnt hit New Orleans directly!  Still this was a HORRBILE occurance! Wish I could do SOMETHING.


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## middie (Aug 29, 2005)

sush you can. donate something, ANYTHING to your local red cross. the girl i work with volunteers for the red cross and they're taking donations of food, water, etc... to send down there.


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## callie (Aug 29, 2005)

My family got out of harm's way - they travelled west a bit.  Now I just hope they find their houses unharmed when they can get back home.


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## middie (Aug 29, 2005)

callie i'll be praying for them


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## callie (Aug 29, 2005)

thanks, middie!  my in-laws have LOTS of huge trees around their house and my sis-in-law has pecan trees behind her house.  one of her pecan trees fell on their house a couple of years ago during a wind storm.  they were inside!  they escaped inury, but had to rebuild.  i appreciate the prayers.


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## mudbug (Aug 30, 2005)

middie said:
			
		

> sush you can. donate something, ANYTHING to your local red cross. the girl i work with volunteers for the red cross and they're taking donations of food, water, etc... to send down there.



Actually middie, the best thing to send right now is CASH.  Here's some phone numbers:

Red Cross  800-435-7669

Catholic Charities 800-919-9338

Salvation Army 800-725-2769


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## marmalady (Aug 30, 2005)

Hate to badmouth the Red Cross, but after Hugo we had horrid experiences with them here. I'll never give another cent to them! I'd go w/Salvation Army any day.


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## htc (Aug 30, 2005)

I have heard same thing as Marm about the Red Cross (sorry to say).  Adopted American Grandma has never supported them after her sons went to fight in Vietnam and RC came in and charge troops for stuff like coffee and donuts. Salvation Army came in and gave everhything free nice people to talk to, refreshements, etc. (Her story was something along that line).


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## callie (Aug 30, 2005)

Just an update on the in-laws.  Everyone got back to their homes this morning - no major damage.  Lots of limbs to clean up.  No electricity but I think they are prepared to deal with that.  

The news from Katrina's path is devastating.   My prayers and thoughts are with all involved.


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## mudbug (Aug 30, 2005)

I'm glad to hear that, callie.  There is no water, electricity, etc. in New Orleans and no Red Cross or anyone else in the city yet (although they are apparently waiting to get in).

If anyone knows about hotel availability in the Baton Rouge area or thereabouts let me know.  I have an elderly cousin who made it to BR but is getting kicked out of his hotel tomorrow to make room for emergency workers.

No one who left New Orleans is being allowed back in.  Those of you with loved ones who evacuated might consider wire transfers of cash to the local bank accounts of those they are staying with or to Western Union, and you might suggest they think about arranging temporary changes of address as well.  They will likely have to phone the entities they do business with via the US Postal Service to notify them of a different address rather than depending on change of address cards, because mail already being sent thru New Orleans is likely to just sit there with no one to deliver it and no place to deliver it.

Hope this helps.


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## PA Baker (Aug 30, 2005)

This is such scary stuff!  I can't imagine being safe but away from home, wondering what, if anything, if left standing back home.  Mud, I hope your folks are doing OK.  I heard that at least one of the lake's levees broke and I thought of them.

Just checked the headlines and the mayor of New Orleans is issuing a manditory evacuation of the entire city!


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## mudbug (Aug 30, 2005)

PA, this is truly unprecedented.  My folks are in health, under a dry roof, have transportation and credit cards, and are still overwhelmed.  

Because the media are focusing on stupid areas like Bourbon Street, they have no idea if their home still has a roof, is underwater, or whatever.

More than one levee has been breached, which is why the aerial shots you see on TV show so much water everywhere.  They are moving critically ill patients to the Superdome, which already has overflowing, fetid toilets, no air conditioning, and is already crowded with people,  But the water is rising in at least 3 hospitals and the patients cannot be taken care of there anymore.

It's even worse over in Mississippi in Gulfport, Biloxi, and the little towns that surround them, altho I hear at least aid stations are available over there.

Plaquemines Parish, southeast of the New Orleans area, has suffered terribly as well, and they can't even get helicopters in to film the damage.  At least 25% of that parish (i.e., county) is just GONE.


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## callie (Aug 30, 2005)

I thought about getting a care package together to mail to my in laws...but I wonder IF and WHEN they might get it.  They are in the Baton Rouge area.


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## mudbug (Aug 30, 2005)

callie, I would call UPS or FedEx or someone like that and see if that's possible.  Good idea.  I think Baton Rouge is probably in better shape than the towns farther south.


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## callie (Aug 30, 2005)

Thanks, mudbug - great idea!  I was just thinking of USPS.  I will look into it.  I'm sure I can find some useful things for them and maybe some fun stuff, too.  

I hope your cousin finds a safe and comfortable place to stay.


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## Dove (Aug 30, 2005)

went to fight in Vietnam and RC came in and charge troops for stuff like coffee and donuts. 

You are so right!! Same thing took place in Korea.


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## KAYLINDA (Aug 30, 2005)

Please....do not judge them by these incidents that have happened.  The organizations are all made up of kind, loving, people who give up their time and energy to help others.  They are like every other organization...a few bad apples in the bunch....and that can't be helped...but I am amazed the way I have seen them come through so many emergencies...and help so many people.  I lost everything in a fire about 15 years ago.  Home...clothes....pictures...everything.  Both organizations helped me to get back on my feet.  Even though I am sure there are a lot of "bad" stories....I think the good ones far outweigh them.  I hope I am not wrong.


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## htc (Aug 30, 2005)

Kaylinda, I agree that the good does outweigh the bad. In times of crisis like this, I always wonder what types of polices the different organizations have...don't mean to get off track with chat on Katrina though...


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