Announcement, if anyone's curious: Preparing to evac, if necessary...

[PeterB]

... just in case. I don't like the looks of this one ( http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/refresh/graphics...y#contents ) ... better safe than sorry. Plan is to meet up with friends in Met, then go from there to Mississippi, far enough away to be safe. Even if this is only a Cat 3, chances are good levees might not hold. Rebuilt levees = big question mark. If it's only a Cat 1 or 2, I might be tempted to stay, because I have tons of stuff to tide me over, BUT... the problem would be if the power goes out, no AC (I don't have a backup generator). That'd be pretty awful... but still better than some alternatives...

[Stephanie]

take good care of the hamsters and stay safe!

[pRICE cUBE]

Goodluck and godspeed.

[PeterB]

Steph, yeah, that's a problem ... no way can I take them all with me. I will end up having to leave most of them with a ton of food and water-- they will be OK so long as it doesn't become excessively hot in here (if the power goes out; the thermostat is set such that it will come on if it gets too hot). My apartment is on relatively high ground that didn't flood during Katrina (only wind and rain damage), so that's less of a concern than is the potential lack of AC.

P.S. ... if anyone's curious -- at least half of the DTV stations here (OTA) have now lost signal. This is even with nothing much having happened yet. So much for the "digital transition" ! Maybe we ought to have stayed in the analog stone age.

[mikebw]

[quote PeterB] So much for the "digital transition" ! Maybe we ought to have stayed in the analog stone age.
Did you ever see the movie "Independence Day"? After the aliens took over the satellite signals (digital) earthlings went back to communicating via morse code which of course is analog.

Anyway, glad you are preparing, and I hope that nothing major comes of it.

[SteveO]

Good luck and Godspeed -- do take as many as you possibly can of your pets with you. I'd say take them ALL no matter how inconvenient it is. Believe me, I did animal rescue in NOLA last time. It was horrid. Leave your windows open. The power WILL go out.

[Stephanie]

Years ago, when we had to evacuate Los Alamos, my mother managed to pack up all the snakes - I think at that time, there was about 10 of them? Not an easy feat when you have lotsa big snake tanks. She ended up putting most in smaller "carrying" containers.

Definitely try to take them with you if you can, like SteveO suggested.

[PeterB]

I will try to take as many as I can, but the problem is ... they all have to be kept in separate containers. I just don't have that kind of space in my car.

Oh, and my apartment -- the windows do not open. Sealed shut, and have bars on the outsides.

[Stephanie]

How many do you have, Peter?

[PeterB]

Steph, you do NOT want to know!!!

... the plan was to (later next month) give some to another breeder up in Alabama. (He wanted some of them anyway.) Ironically, I might use this an opportunity to still do that; it's just a question that this threw a wrench in the plan. If I could get some of them to him before the evac, that might help, but I don't think there'll be time.