To our members in the South

Yikes, 5 hours from landfall and it look like the Big Easy will soon be the Big Gone.

http://www.wash ingtonpost.com/ … 5082801050.html

Scary.

Sunny (and others) Thanks for your concern, I think we’ll be ok.

I live about 45 mi. north of New Orleans-almost to Baton Rouge and probably on the highest piece of ground for about 50 miles. (Hey how about 12 feet above sea level if I stand on a ladder..lol)

My power has been on/off most of the night-damn tree knocked out power yesterday before all the wind started!

Luvdadus lives to the west of us and should escape much of the damage.

I’ll keep you all informed.

Thanks again.

Here in Sweden “Katrina” is measured in terms of “Gudrun”, the storm that came over southern Sweden the day after Christmas last year. 35 m/s wind - about half of what is expected from “Katrina” - took it’s tolls on the forests. In one night over a years worth of logging (nationally!) was felled in the areas affected - in the region Småland over 10 years worth of logging went down - in one night! Phone and power lines went down - it was so bad that it was only in spring the final repairs were done, and it has caused a major re-evaluation of the power utilities companies attitudes and responsibilities. The forests are still filled with lumberjacks from the Baltic states, Poland etc and they expect to have taken care of the last trees sometime early next year… And you guys are going to be hit a lot worse - we mainly had wind to worry about.

Make sure your family photo albums are stashed away somewhere safe and above all - take care of yourselves and your loved ones. The rest of us will be praying for you.

Thanks to all for the concern. We live directly in the projected path. My wife and kids have evacuated.

It was a weird Saturday. I left New Orleans for Atlanta, and while in the airport in Atlanta I heard someone mention that they were evacuating New Orleans. I had just left there two hours before and had heard nothing, the last I had heard they were expecting Katrina to come in on the Florida panhandle, maybe Alabama.

I called the wife, she and the kids were packing to leave already. There was nothing I could do, so I flew on to Russia.

Now I am sitting here in Russia, with the full expectation that everything I own will be destroyed in the next few hours. We had just moved the family back from Russia, and 90% of our posissions are in storage somewhere in New Orleans, I don’t even know where since it was a corporate relocation deal. The few things we had taken to Russia with us had just been delivered to our rental house on Thursday, and are all still in the boxes.

At least the family is safe.

HalfRusski,

Sorry to hear about the possible loss of your things but they can be replaced. Just glad your wife and kids are safe. Take care and our thoughts and prayers are with you.

Now that your family is safe hopefully most of your possessions will be spared. Keep us posted Russki.

The Big Easy dodges the bullet yet again. My condolences to those that have lost loved ones in the storm, but so far at least N.O. truly has come through like Bugs Bunny.

Be well. Be safe.

I hope that everybody in the affected areas was able to safely :surf: right through this one!

I don’t think you can say New Orleans dodged this one. One of the levees broke last night and the mayor says 80% of the city is flooded, in places up to 20 feet. The governor is telling people to stay away for a week. This looks like a major disaster, luckily mostly to property so far.

One of the great things about living in the USA. If this storm had hit Mexico or one of the other central American countries, there would be 5000-10000 dead, easily.

80 deaths so far. :( Prayers go out to their families and loved ones.

we’re ok…..lost some stuff in the storm, but that can be replaced.

New Orleans did not dodge a bullet, it has been hit hard…..so has the Mississippi coast-pray for everyone.

Went through the cane in good standing her in Baton Rouge. Minor damage to my house. Wife and me and the great dane ok. If you believe in a higher power just say a prayer to him for all the people that really need it.

Say a prayer no matter what you believe. It can’t hurt.