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

[AlphaDog]

Good luck PeterB!!

[macphanatic]

If a Cat 3 hits NOLA, the levees won't hold. The winds that NOLA experienced from Katrina were actually Cat 1 level (the weak side of the storm). IIRC, all but one of the levees that failed did so due to undermining.

I'm hoping that Gustav misses the area entirely.

[jepinto]

thoughts and blessings speeding your way. Being another Gulf Coaster, I know you know your limits. If you feel your limit, go with the feeling, and leave.

Have been through too many, my level of comfort is Cat 2. Been through a 5, even 50 miles from landfall is not far enough.

Deep breaths, good planning, and what about shoe boxes?

[MacArtist]

Peter,

I will be thinking about you and Rain. Take care.

[karsen]

Stay safe.

[cbelt3]

Good luck. I understand the hamster issues. At this point you have to think of them as 'livestock' and not necessarily as pets. It's hard, because you obviously care about the litty furry guys and gals. Take what preparations you can, leave instructions and signage clearly on the door if you're restricted from coming back for a time. And take a vacation away from it all for a time.

[rankandfile]

If Gustav makes landfall west of NO, that could be the worst position. The "right hook" would be a knockout punch. Many in SC learned that the hard way when Hugo came through.

[Rain]

Thats right - I've been on the eastern side of several hurricanes.. its the bad side

[mjgkramer]

Best of luck. I lived and worked there from summer 1971 through fall 1973. We were there for Fern and Edith in 1971 but never evacuated. Having just arrived from Los Angeles, we stayed because we didn't know not to.

Two fellow Shell employees were there for Camille in 1969. They decided to send their wives and young children to Biloxi to be safe. Camille turned and went through Biloxi destroying the place. I don't need to tell you to pick your destination carefully.

Reminds me of a joke one of the Shell production foremen at West Lake Verret told me. One of the local cajuns finally got tired of the hurricanes. He said that the next time a hurricane threatened, he was going to tie his pirogue (not to be confused with "pirogi,") on the top of his car and drove north. He planned to stop as soon as anyone asked him what that funny thing on top of his car was. If they didn't know what a pirogue was, he knew he was far enough away from the Gulf Coast.

[PeterB]

Thanks everyone. The plan is to go to either BR or Meridian, depending on which way Gustav goes. The hamsters, yeah, they are kind of like livestock, I may have to make the painful decision as to which to take with and which to leave... on the plus side, I have enough of them that it's unlikely I'd lose ALL my animals, and so long as I have some fertile females, the Hamster Army of Doom™ will continue!