I’m in Baton Rouge… we just had a break-in emergency message telling us we’re under tropical storm warning.
I’m in SE Louisiana. I’ve got a hotel room in Jackson, MS where I can meet a friend who is evacuating from the MS Gulf Coast. There’s another friend who lives here with her parents, and they’re going to the same hotel. The animals and I are pretty much ready to go, but I won’t make a decision until tomorrow.
I’m having flashbacks to my first week of law school. I’d been in New Orleans for all of 10 days before everyone was ordered to GTFO of the city. Fun times.
noisy night I suspect
It was a very noisy night. Over night, and all day today…was worse than yesterday. The back and of the storm seems like it was stronger.
I have a fence on my property - it normally ends about 6 inches before my lake. Right now, the lake extends four FEET into the fence area. The entrance to my development is partially flooded, and there is no where for the water to go, because the canals are over topping their walls. A friend of mine has a foot of water in the street, and waves coming up to her garage.
It would take another foot of rain before my house is threatened. And that’s not in the forecast. But I could get stuck in the development with just a few more inches.
People in the path…this is a very large, very slow moving storm. I’ve been through my share of tropical systems, and this is the wettest I’ve ever experienced. And keep in mind that the center of the storm didn’t even come close to me. Take this seriously, and prepare.
-D/a
Looks like Isaac might still be a weak hurricane when it passes over Baton Rouge. As Digital is the new Analog pointed out, I’m more concerned about the rainfall and flooding.
I’ve got a few friends and relatives in the target zone (sorta). They are acting like a Cat 5 storm 300 miles wide is bearing down. Come on guys, if you place didn’t blow away or flood during the summer of Katrina with all those big assed canes or the next summer’s bumper crop of big assed canes, you’ll probably be okay with a Cat 1.
Yeah, being prepped is fine and all and I get that. But good grief.
My parents have evacuated. Dad’s a heart patient, and being without power for several days would be very difficult for him. They’ve got rooms through Thursday night, and may need to stay with me and The Druidess for a few days after that, depending on what happens down there.
That seems appropriate, Oakminster. Isaac, as it hit me at least, is real, but isn’t Katrina. And it isn’t Wilma. When Wilma hit me, we lost power in 98% of the county. Widespread damage.
With Isaac, there are scattered power outages. I ran into someone at the bar tonight who hasn’t had power for a day. But…and this is a huge difference…the bar across the street from his house, where we were, has power. The gas station down the street has power.
You probably don’t need 5 days of generator fuel for this storm, unless it intensifies quite a bit. But you do need to understand how much damage you can deal with, and act appropriately. If you could die due to lack of power, you should evacuate. If you might be stranded in your house, you should have food and water for several days.
And it’s far better to over-prepare than under-prepare. But try to keep perspective and understand what’s coming.
-D/a
I hate that it’s headed toward New Orleans. They don’t need that. Is it wrong to think Texas would be a better target? They still need rainfall, don’t they?
We made it thru Ivan by the skin of our teeth. (I could write a blog about that.) Hurricanes are not to be taken lightly. Hope for the best but prepare for the worst.
Southeast Texas is good on rain. If we could somehow teleport this thing into west Texas…or northern California.
Gusty winds, darkish clouds higher in the sky than normal and moving briskly, no rain… probably the very outer bands of the system are moving over Baton Rouge. I was out at the dog park with many others getting our dogs exercised before we’re stuck indoors for a while. Came back to find youngish neighbors (college students?) packing up their car and heading out. I moved my car to a less-likely-to-flood area of the parking lot, and am doing my laundry and dishes.
It’s a hurricane now; bring out the hurricane lamps! And the hurricane drinks. And the hurry-canes. Whatever those might be.
Sorry for you all up in the north end of the Gulf. Down here in SW FLA, it was a big dud. Not even that much rain on the gulf coast. It was the east coast that got most of the water. We got rain here in Lee County, sure, but if you hadn’t told me it was a near miss from a hurricane, it would have been mistaken for just a large, long storm.
We should point out…every storm is different, every region is different, and every land fall is different. Listen to your local media for relevant information on how to handle the situation.
Good luck to everyone on the Gulf Coast now. It’s going to be a bit of a wet ride.
-D/a
Yep, it’s a dud. I’ve been hit harder by a dog pissing on my leg. But I still hate that it’s in New Orleans; those people prbly have PTSD. Here the beach roads are flooded and closed but that’s a barrier island for you.
My friend Bam’s wife rode out Katrina sitting in the attic when the flood stage hit 7 feet and was filling up their downstairs. She is a bit panicy today. Don’t blame her.
Though Why in the name of Ghu if you have access to a vehicle, you don’t evacuate to higher ground inland while you have the damned chance? What is so all fired important that you stay in your house as it floods and you end up on the fucking roof?
Not a dud for SE Louisiana. Storm has stalled, with the eye a little south of Houma, LA, essentially parking the worst part of the storm on top of my family’s home. At least on levee has been overtopped in Plaguemine Parish.
In much of South Louisiana, there are limited evacuation routes. All of which are guaranteed to be bumper to bumper, and you could get caught on the open road during the storm.
Utility company currently has my power restore date as 9/2. OMG, I hope it doesn’t take that long. Of course, it would help if Isaac would move on.
I hate that it rained on NO again but COME ON PEOPLE. I was listening to the reports a day before it hit the upper Gulf Coast and they said it was going to hit land and sit there dumping rain until Hell floods over. How many times does your neighbor’s house have to float by before you evacuate?
I was watching a video on the news showing a rescue boat being turned down by someone from their 2nd story window. Auggghhh.