Mandatory evacuation of New Orleans has been ordered, effective today. All major highways around the city are one-way: out. Mayor Nagin says half the population has already left.
Mandatory evacuation from your city. Can you imagine? The closest thing in my experience is the curfew we were under in L.A. during the 1992 riots. Not nearly the same thing, of course.
"Say a prayer for us," says Nagin to the rest of America.
You got it.
I am praying the Gustav is gentle to the entire Gulf Coast. They don't need this stuff.
ReplyDeleteHurricane evacuations are something I'll be learned about, moving to Charleston (next week!). Our new house in a subdivision just off a hurricane evacuation route. Goody.
The upper midwest where I am now really has it easy, overall. Sure, we have snow and ice in the winter, but we aren't terribly prone to tornados, the Great Lakes don't give us hurricanes, and we don't have earthquakes. Total devastation of one's home isn't likely to be caused by Mother Nature.
My partner grew up in Louisiana and still has lots of relatives there. We both are keeping an eye on Gustav. Bing thinks that maybe we should just give New Orleans back to the ocean...
ReplyDelete"In our lifetime, there will be the end of New Orleans," she said.
That made me want to weep.
We have big "EVACUATION ROUTE" signs here on Cape Cod, but it's kind of a joke because ultimately, there are still only the two bridges off this sandbar.
ReplyDeleteSadly, I think Bing's right about NOLA.