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Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 387
Serious Contributor
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OP
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Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 387 |
Hi, Everyone, Well, here we sit on the Louisiana Gulf Coast...watching Gustav. Most of the projections are saying that Louisiana is its most likely target once it leaves Cuba and dances around in the Gulf for a while. Though it doesn't look like much dancing; if the projection is accurate, it will be a straight shot to Louisiana and will make landfall TOO DANGED CLOSE to my home to be comfortable. So, feel free to watch with me. Check the update every 3 hours ( www.nhc.noaa.gov - it is a permanent link on my homepage!) Close the shutters, board up the windows, and take a last look at what would have been a beautiful sugar cane crop this year. Move all musical instruments and computers to a high shelf (or second floor) in case of storm surge if you can't get them out of the house with you. Pack your stuff in case you leave, make sure there is enough gas for car, boat, and generator (in case you don't). Tomorrow we'll finish securing the house, secure our family's business, moving route cars, moving all "fly-ables" out of the yard, etc. Packing up if we do have to head inland. I'll finish cooking for whatever lies ahead and wash all dishes and clothes. Enjoy the air conditioning and electricity! Even when we evacuate, we come back as soon as we possibly can to check on things, start cleanup and repairs - and of course, it can be a few days before we get power again. I'm glad that, for perhaps the first time EVER, Louisiana seems to be on the ball. Gov. Jindal has been proactive in planning, getting emergency personnel and supplies lined up and in place early, and planning for mass evacuations. The contraflow starts tomorrow (Sunday) at 6 AM - although if we leave, we will probably do what we usually do and take routes other than major highways. That is actually faster! So, that's the news from the Louisiana coast. This parish, and neighboring parishes, are about shut down already. Wal-Mart closed at NOON today - yikes! It's really strange - things that have traditionally happened the day before a storm are happening 2 or 3 days before. Hoping that this one will lose strength before landfall here - that can happen with strong storms, but you can't count on it. Lili in 2002 went from a Category 4 to a Category 2. It destroyed some rigs in the Gulf, but came in as a fairly tame storm. So, we'll see. Hopefully Jim Cantore will NOT be showing up in my backyard tomorrow! I'll keep ya'll posted, long as I can -- Brenda
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 336
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 336 |
Good luck Brenda.I'll keep you and yours in my thoughts and prayers. Tony
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Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 6,114
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Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 6,114 |
Brenda, I'm with you on this. I sat through "Charlie" 4 years ago, CAT 4, 145 MPH winds, but it was a short storm. Only lasted 4 hours. If you don't have a generator, at least have a Coleman stove, plenty of ice, batteries and lanterns. MRI's if you can get them. Cans of Chef Boyardee Ravioli, Tuna and chips and bottled water. I only went 4 days without power but that was bad enough. I had to find a laundromat with power to do my laundry, and wait in line to do it. Good luck to you guys and I hope that it peters out. I know how you feel, believe me. Ben
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Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 6,114
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Top 40 Poster
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 6,114 |
I'm getting feeder bands right now. Nothing major, just spurts of rain and wind about every hour.
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Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 387
Serious Contributor
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OP
Serious Contributor
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 387 |
Thanks, ya'll. Ben, it's good to know I'm not the only one who tries to stay put in a hurricane (if possible). It's 7 PM here, the worst has passed - Gustav is losing power (hurrah!), heading north. All is well. Tricia, I'm very glad to see you are in Wyoming; you'd be getting a lot of wind and rain if you were home! Sounds like Baton Rouge has been getting a bad kick from Gustav.
On generator power at my mom's (next door to chez moi). My brother made a gumbo (yum!) -- tomorrow we rev up the tractor and crank up the chainsaws. Looks like a family Labor Day weekend after all...just not exactly as planned!
Seriously - we are VERY grateful that things weren't any worse. There are folks with some real damage, but looks like people are safe. Amen!
Brenda
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Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 8,318
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Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 8,318 |
Ahhhhhh, good to hear you are well. Yep, we're out of the way of Gustav, but it's pouring down rain here.
"Grits is one of those country-boy words that is both singular and plural-like deer, elk and sheep. I think the singular is appropriate when there's a modifier that makes it clear one is talking about something specific. Like, 'Grits are good for you, but these here grits is tasty.'"~~Joe Wrabek
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Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 7,386
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Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 7,386 |
Hey Brenda etc. Thanks for the updates...we were worrying about you folks down there. Between fires/earthquakes out West, Hurricanes down South, the prospect of a blizzard or two this Winder doesn't seem so bad after all ! Take care, and be careful during your clean-up too. Glad Gustav decided to simmer down some before reaching yall. I had a sneaky feeling it wouldn't be TOO horrific...."Hurricane Gustav" just doesn't roll off the tongue very well.... Good luck! Beth
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Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 6,403
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Joined: Nov 2003
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Beth, it's all that [expletive deleted] political correctness. Back when hurricanes had to have women's names that were two syllables and ended in a vowel, they *all* sounded dangerous. Now, offshore, wee have Hurricane Ike. Come *on* now...
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Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 6,114
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Top 40 Poster
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 6,114 |
Joe, even before they had female names they used the phonetic alphebet. Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta etc.
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Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 7,997
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Very happy to hear things are alright there for the most part. Thanks for letting us know Brenda
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Joined: May 2003
Posts: 2,814
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Joined: May 2003
Posts: 2,814 |
Whew Brenda, glad you guys dodged the bullet ! ! Now it's time for some Blue Merlot ! !
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Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 7,831
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Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 7,831 |
Brenda:
We are so grateful that Gustav was not as bad as Katrina. If prayers are answered (and they are) this is one! Here's hoping that the Corps of Engineers will re-double their efforts to get the levees and water removal systems strengthened before the next one comes your way.
Best,
Dave
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Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 19,579 Likes: 13
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Top 10 Poster
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 19,579 Likes: 13 |
It looks like there's 3 more storms coming.. let's hope our luck holds out!
Brian
Brian Austin Whitney Founder Just Plain Folks jpfolkspro@gmail.com Skype: Brian Austin Whitney Facebook: www.facebook.com/justplainfolks"Don't sit around and wait for success to come to you... it doesn't know the way." -Brian Austin Whitney "It's easier to be the bigger man when you actually are..." -Brian Austin Whitney "Sometimes all you have to do to inspire humans to greatness is to give them a reason and opportunity to do something great." -Brian Austin Whitney
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Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 387
Serious Contributor
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OP
Serious Contributor
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 387 |
Just thought I'd post another update. Very little (well, compared to other storms) major damage around here, tho I've heard Baton Rouge took a beating - they got the northeast quadrant of the storm, and that is the bad side. Some folks here had trees wind up in their houses, but thank heaven, not many - mostly yard mess.
The big pain is (as usual) being without electricity for several days. Then, the phones went out (along with them the internet) - making just basic business operations very complicated! Water pressure dropped drastically, and we thought we'd lose water for a while as well, but it was OK.
This storm was odd in that it kept raining AFTER the storm! Usually, when the storm is done, the sun comes out and things are clear. Not this time - and the rain moved UP where Tricia got some, and kept on going!
And that, darn it, meant that we missed one of the rare beautiful things about a hurricane. Afterwards, the air is (usually) clear, and there is no electricity, so no lights at ALL other than the stars and moon.
I remember this especially after hurricane Andrew -- I was 8 months pregnant, our roof was gone, and we couldn't even get back into our driveway because of the fallen trees. But on the nights following the storm, I would go outside in the pitch black and see the Milky Way like never before. There was a rich scattering of stars against a background of more stars - so many, it looked like dustings of powdered sugar across the sky. After Rita, too. I did miss seeing that this time.
Not so much, though, that I want Ike to come this way!! No no!
But electricity is back on for most areas, phone lines and internet working again. I went to the blues jam last night, as the gig I had scheduled got canceled - and there were about 16 musicians there, all of us in the same situation! So we had a lot of fun, and made some good music.
So, to paraphrase the Nat'l Hurricane Center: I've "issued my final advisory on this system," and yes, Herbie, time for a whole bottle of Blue Merlot! Many, many thanks to all of you for your thoughts and prayers; I remember feeling so isolated and disconnected after Rita - it is really good to know that there are other people out there who care! Please say some prayers that we have weather conditions that will make Ike weaken and fall apart in the Gulf, before reaching any land!
Brenda
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"If one man can do it, any man can do it. It is true. But the real question is, if one man did it, are you willing to do what it takes to do it as well?" –Brian Austin Whitney
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