As Hurricane Gustav takes aim at the Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas coastline nearly three years to the date after Katrina, folks are heading out of those areas under mandatory evacuation orders. Among them: conference attendees at Heather Graham’s Writers for New Orleans Conference, scheduled for this weekend. The conference began in 2006 as a way to bring business and tourism back to New Orleans.
Here’s hoping everyone, residents and tourists alike, in that area is safe, the damage is minimal, and that next year, the conference can return to a healthy, happy city of New Orleans. I’ll be there with beads on. Travel safe, everyone. And fuck off, Gustav.
Hear, hear.
I came so close to going this year but didn’t have the money squared away until all the slots were full. I was also planning a trip to NOLA this fall for research. I hope Gustav dies an ungainly death out there in the Gulf. If Heather has the conference next year, I’m all over it like red beans on rice. It’s on the calendar for next year!
To all you Gulf state folks? My thoughts and prayers go out to you. Stay safe!
And thank the gods they got smart and are providing for evacuation of the critter folks down there!
Canyagimmehalelujiasister! Men—and hurricanes—named ‘Gustav’ just can’t be trusted.
I am so glad to see them doing this the right way this time. I hope everyone is smart enough to go- or make plans. My prayers and thoughts are with them.
Evacing the critters was a hard lesson they learned from Katrina- among many. People refused to leave their animals, but shelters were not equipped for them.
Here in NY- all evacuation plans (including power plant ones) include plans for pets. My husband is the one who writes those plans and he made sure long ago they were in there. Gotta love a soft hearted guy.
I’m in deep south Alabama. If Gustav continues to weaken like it has been, and continues moving the way it is, me and mine’ll ride out the storm—at the most, we’re expecting 40+ hour winds, which isn’t as strong a windforce as it sounds, and certainly not enough to cause much of a problem here in our spot—several miles inland, on higher ground than the surrounding area, no overhanging trees, brick house, and after some distance, there’s woods which help to break the wind some.
I will say I appreciate seeing positive comments about the storm and the Gulf Coast, Nawlins in particular. There’s been a lot of idiotic hate and vitriol, with various nuts claiming that we must be sinful because we get hurricanes aimed at us.
We’ll see if the Internet stays on…
I’ve got family in Louisiana. Too bad the mayor went “oh, no, we don’t need help” when Katrina hit. Really made me angry. Especially when they complained about it after the fact saying how no one helped them when their own mayor said they didn’t need the help.
What people don’t understand is that if the President had ordered the military in, without being invited, or asked first by the governor for help, is that it would have to have been under martial law. And that is something that they avoid at all costs. Although the way things went it might have been for the best.
For Federal Disaster aid- the mayor/ local leader goes to the Gov. who then goes to the President for help. State like FL know this and have the requests already in before the storms hit even. If they don’t need it, it’s not like they get a slap on the wrist.
We have a number of authors and editors and undoubtedly readers who suffered through Katrina and are now facing Gustav, so our company feels like we have a personal stake in the outcome here. Here’s wishing that Gustav be far less dangerous than predicted. Stay safe, everyone.
My parents are in NO right now because they’re considered emergency personnel and can’t leave. My mom said the power and phone lines are out at her hospital already (she’s an ER nurse) and Gustav has barely hit the coastline. Keep the prayers coming, people…
After Katrina I spent 9 months doing relief work in Southern Louisiana – mainly in the areas where Gustav made landfall. It just makes me ill to think of all the lovely people I made friends with and I know quite a few of them didn’t evacuate. The true Cajuns rarely ever leave So. LA and they just hunker down.
The land is so delicate down there and I know the water is high.
17 1/2 hours in a car with 3 dogs (one a puppy). Thank god for seat covers! We had to travel further to find a hotel that was pet friendly that had open rooms, but they were not staying behind. Originally, I was to go to a hotel chosen by my company, but they did not accept pets. I threw the whole corporate hurricane plan into chaos when I pointed that out!
As a child, I lived in Biloxi, MS, for a year and the Gulf coast is still very close to my heart. Seeing New Orleans and Biloxi trashed by Katrina almost broke my heart and I hope that the area will be spared this time.
Today, I happened to talk to a guy who works for the German government’s disaster relief organisation and he told me that they already have crews and pumps on standby to fly to New Orleans, should assistance be requested. They already helped with the post-Katrina clean-up. Let’s hope they won’t be needed this time.