OH. GOD. PLEASE. NO.

I blame the Republicans.

Yeah, this is all over the news here. Stay safe, ColdChef and others. let us know you're OK when you can.

He's posting in the thread on MeFi. You're a good man, ColdChef.

Stay safe and take care, all of the LA bunnies.

Oy. Hold tight, Gulf Coasters.

has everyone been evacuated?

Hee. Sorry kellydamnit, I cant' read that without thinking of The Wire S5. I hope for their sake that their buildings and not they are being evacuated.

Someone I know took command of the Naval Air Station-Joint Reserve Base in Belle Chasse on Thursday. Friday, he ordered its evacuation.

A very thoughtful report from a friend of a friend who was stuck at the airport yesterday on his way out.

has everyone been evacuated?

I've been reading bits and pieces. There is mandatory evacuation. They will do everything to get you out of there. They will bus you out. FEMA is there. They're doing everything they can. They are not opening the SuperDome as a shelter (the last I heard anyway). If you stay, you stay at your own peril. Personally, I would never stay for anything over a category 3. Good luck to the people of New Orleans and westward. This isn't going to be good.

Yeah, the Superdome will be locked. There are multiple neighborhood shelters, now. Nobody wants a repeat of that.

In any case, the weather dudes seem to be saying this is more similar to a repeat of Rita, not of Katrina. Unless it veers to the east, it won't be creating the same storm surge effect in Lake Pontchartrain that overwhelmed the levee and canal system. That's not to say there won't be localized flooding and damage.

In any case, the weather dudes seem to be saying this is more similar to a repeat of Rita, not of Katrina.

Thank goodness for that.

I heard it's only a Category 3 (not that 3 isn't something to sneeze at) at the moment. I thought I heard it could potentially reach to a Category 4, but not 5 and it's heading more west. I haven't been watching TV much but I thought since a hurricane blows counterclockwise, the most powerful side is on the east and the largest storm surge is on the east side. The weather people know what they're talking about of course, I might have it all wrong.

They should have estimates on the water surge soon. All storms are different and there is no way to tell what's going to happen. I'm optimistic that they'll come out OK.

Wherever it goes it seems there is a much higher level of preparation and evacuation.

I just read that storm surge is projected to be 15 feet. I think (guessing) Katrina was around 25.

My house is one mile inland from the ocean. If we got a 15 foot storm surge there would definitely be water in my house.

What's really good is that it's moving fast at 18 mph. Hopefully it zooms right on by.

The negative is that it's going to test the Westward levees that were not so much tested during Katrina. Loose power storm!

Gustav closes all but one strip club on Bourbon St. Laissez les bon temps roulez!

Yeah, the storm surge looks significant, but it's mostly going to impact the Houma area. Good luck everyone regardless of where they are.