Disaster Free Birthday

I was one of those teenagers who clung to her little girl things, and when I was a freshman in highschool, I had a pet snake made of blue clay. I named him Ike, and Ike was about an inch long and very skinny. I had to keep him on the back of one of those buttons people wear for school spirit. People were always telling me, "He's too little." I've actually been thinking that if I were to have a son, I would name him Ike. Last night, a beautiful brown moth flew through the window and hovered on the wall over my computer desk. I called Josh in to see it, and as he started to shoo it out of the room, I stopped him. I named him Ike and prayed for him to leave. It looks like I might break the curse this year and actually have a good 9-11 birthday. I think I had a blast two years ago in Mimi's, but I remember very little of the occasion. So I'm going to Vaughn's Thursday night. All ya'll working folks out there, I understand if you can't make it. I am going to have a housewarming/birthday party for me and Josh (9-11 is his birthday too) in about two weeks, when we hopefully have power.

 

Serenity

So I went and met with some people tonight and we talked about how we felt about our reactions to the storm. A lot of people expressed distress that they'd evacuated because other people had begged and badgered them to. There was an overall consensus that those of us who stayed were choosing to have confidence in ourselves and be true to that and risked making our loved ones very angry, and now felt guilty and ashamed. I'm just going to go ahead and say it. I feel like shit b/c I feel like everyone who urged me to evacuate is disappointed in me, or didn't think I could cope with staying here, or thinks I'm a selfish idiot. I'll never know what I could have coped with if things had been worse. I am going to say that I did stay on ground that did not flood during Katrina, so if the same areas that flooded had flooded this time, my generator would have functioned differently than the generators owned by people staying in areas that flooded. Maybe I was crazy for thinking that if an area didn't flood during Katrina, it wouldn't flood during Gustav. That's the logic most of the people who stayed who I've been interviewing followed. I'm glad that those of you who evacuated are having a great time out there enjoying whatever vacation spot you've landed in, and I really mean that. Maybe the fact that I was on vacation for the past 2 months made me hesitant to see this evacuation as a vacation. I stand by the fact that I couldn't have handled evacuating. My car wouldn't start on Sunday. I could not have carried 3 animals in Andrea's truck. Those are coincidences; I'd already decided to stay. One thing I can take away from this experience is that I need to go to therapy about evacuations I experienced in a certain toxic 5 year relationship. If you want to know why I'm afraid to evacuate, ask him if he's sober enough to answer you. The main point that everyone I met with tonight at 8 p.m. and everyone who I interviewed agreed upon is that it is not fair to yell at someone for staying, to ream someone out for staying, to accuse someone who is staying of causing you stress that you don't need. That is something for a person to discuss with a therapist. It is not my fault that certain people had nothing better to do than blame me for contributing to their stress. I am not talking about Joe or Sarah or Matt here, whose comments were brief and came from love and concern and not anger. I am speaking for everyone who chose to stay here who didn't need to hear it from everyone who was watching CNN news or suffering from whatever affliction prevents them from staying out of other people's lives. It does not help to browbeat a person into evacuating. Some of my friends who evacuated because they were yelled at and blamed for others' anxiety are a mess now. They're either not back yet or here, crying and breaking down that they are more anxious than ever. They may be ingesting certain beverages that are deadly for them. People make their own choices, and I am not blaming anyone who evacuated. I am not sitting here thinking I was smarter than anyone else. I was just lucky that it wasn't Nagin's "Mother of all storms" and that I had my wits together to prepare for the storm. The fact that my parents supported me speaks volumes b/c they actually listened to my plan instead of telling me I was putting the life of a rescue worker at risk. So for all of you out there who reamed out those of us who stayed, who yelled at us and belittled us and made us cry from anxiety, please try to keep the focus on yourself next time. It did not help. Whatever calm reaction/behavior the people who stayed held onto was in spite of the blame and anxiety of other people. I hate this blog and I hate the way I've been writing it because I'm so afraid of f*&king offending anyone who yelled at me about staying that I have barely put any of myself into it. That's my issue, and I can only correct it by getting some distance. An actual article is to follow this. Welcome home.

WORD OF THE DAY

Lootering: loitering around with the intention of looting? ABC news reports that it's a good thing that Mayor Nagin lifted the midnight return rule because according to Nagin, homeowners need to protect their own properties from looters who are organizing in groups. Also, groups of contractors are waiting outside the city to come back in and steal copper and appliances from homes they recently renovated. Yes, the NOPD and National Guard are still ready to protect all properties from looters, but if you see anyone "lootering" or looking suspicious, call 9-11 immediately. Can he even tell if he's taking his foot out of his mouth or shoving it further in?

COME ON HOME!

ACCORDING TO NOLA.COM, ALL CHECKPOINTS HAVE BEEN LIFTED DUE TO THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE WAITING TO COME IN, SO I GUESS IT'S JUST THE TRAFFIC YA'LL HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT.

Local Update

My friend Laura came back early this morning after driving in traffic all night. She got in through Jefferson Parrish by coming over the Causeway and then taking the back roads to Riverbend. She lives a few blocks past The Maple Leaf, and she has power. I heard on the radio yesterday that The Maple Leaf did not have power (when they were inviting people to drink warm Budweiser and were powered by generators), and I'm going to drive around and see which neighborhoods have power and which do not. She said people entering Orleans Parrish directly are being turned away. In Markey Park on Piety, we heard rumor that there were MRE's and vodka at Spain and Rampart, but a nice National Guard officer who called Josh "Sir," went and checked and said that no help/comfort stations have been established yet because no one is allowed back in the city. I met a total asshole at the park too. He grabbed my press pass and said I didn't need it and should have made it dirty and that I should have been interviewing him as he surveyed "The Bank." I told the rule was that if you stay, you can't be al asshole. I'm going to drive around soon and see what's going on as far as power goes.

Man Falls Down Leaving Country Club

Apparently, the cops aren't only getting their information from the news; I saw them huddled around the corner store on Dauphine right before Vaughn's (not open) as I drove back to Poland Ave. I saw no signs of flooding on Kentucky or Japonica or under the St. Claude or Claiborne Bridge. I took some pictures that I'll upload soon. I took Poland all the way to Tonti and didn't see any signs of flooding, and it started raining pretty hard while I was driving. On the way back down Poland, I saw a convoy of NOPD/National Guard vehicles crossing the Robertson Bridge into Holy Cross, so apparently it's okay to drive over there. I obviously have no idea what they were doing and didn't want to find out. Driving back to C's house on Royal, I stopped behind a pick-up truck at Louisa and Royal. An older man had walked from the direction of The Country Club (which according to local weird C.I.A. Mike is open) and fell down on the curb. He didn't fall in a way that looked dangerous. It was more the kind of stumble a very drunk person makes. The truck in front of me drove away, and I rolled down my window and asked the guy if he was okay. "I can get up now," he slurred, and sat there in the pouring rain. I did not give this man a breathalizer test, so I am not going to say he was drunk, but he appeared to be very drunk. Now that I don't drink, it's not that I think people shouldn't be drinking, but drunk people do careless things all the time. I've noticed that the Phoenix and Smitty's are opening, and these people are eventually going to stumble home. I hope somebody's watching over them, because I'd hate to be drunk here now. I can't imagine being drunk or even drinking when things are this serious. So maybe that was the little voice that urged me to stay - my sobriety? I can also see how an officer of the law would be really annoyed to have to stop to help a person b/c he was so drunk he fell down. So people in New Orleans who are drunk: you might want to stay at home. The cops aren't exactly being nice, but they're not in the mood to help anybody.

Hi Jenny Jams

I'm glad you actually motivated me to drive back there (I was a little scared to). You can rest, I saw no signs of flooding at all on Kentucky or Japonica or Poland. I drove all the way to Tonti before I saw some power lines down and turned around. Definitely no flooding there. When I figure out how to put pictures on here, I'll upload some.

Interview with bywater resident

"Nagin's hyperbole "The mother of all storms" is going to hurt New Orleans the most. He shot is wad too soon." - Bywater resident (more to come)

the cops don't need you and they expect the same

I was just sitting outside of Cafe Flora interviewing people about why they stayed (more on that later), and two NOPD breathed hello before going inside and getting some coffee. Their greeting was again friendly as they passed us on the way out. One of the men I was interviewing (and older, well-groomed male wearing a clean blue T-shirt) asked them when curfew was. The male officer stopped. "24 hours," he replied. "We though it was dusk til dawn," guy in blue T-shirt said. "We saw on the news that it's 24 hours. That's where we get our information from. The news," said one of New Orleans' finest. It seems like as long as you don't talk to a cop or do anything remotely suspicious you'll be left alone, but they don't want to deal with any of us. Some officers have been surprisingly nice and suggested different routes to take to get around the city. A friend of mine just got back in with no credentials. He and his wife came in over The Bonabel Spillway and were waved along by state police. From http://www.nola.com/ Checkpoints at numerous Orleans-Jeff locations by Sarah Carr Tuesday September 02, 2008, 3:31 PM There are law enforcement checkpoints at numerous locations along the Orleans-Jefferson line. Motorists should expect to have to show the proper placard - a JP1 placard - to enter Jefferson Parish, or a city of New Orleans homeland security sticker to enter the city. Law enforcement also is allowing members of the media with credential to enter the parishes. The Orleans-Jefferson checkpoints on the east bank include: River Road, Metairie Road, Earhart Expressway, Claiborne Avenue/Jefferson Highway and Airline Drive/Tulane Avenue.Continue reading "Checkpoints at numerous

Lucky and Alive in New Orleans

1:40 p.m. I just drove around Mid-City, Gentilly, Bywater, French Quarter, and Marigny neighborhoods. Tattered flags hung in shreds. All National Guard and NOPD ignored me or waved back when I waved for them to go through intersections. All NOPD cars have their lights on. The overhand blew off the Shell gas station on Paris and St. Bernard. There is definitely no water at all river side of St. Claude, and while I didn't cross Saint Claude, I didn't see any flooding over there. Places that I saw that were open:

• Cafe Flora
• Mardi Gras Zone (called "Money Grab Zone" by local girl)
• The Abbey
• Molly's at the Market
• The Lambda Center (2:00 was spray painted on the plywood)

I heard on the radio that The Maple Leaf is open w/ a generator and tons of Budweiser.

Disturbing local madman Michael Gladfelter (a.k.a. CIA Mike) was sighted stumbling down Royal Street in a disheveled condition. He said he had just woken up at The Country Club and that I'd better watch myself. He kicked a tarp. This man is dangerous and paranoid and should be avoided at all costs. That was the only suspicious activity I saw.

Some NOPD have taken my press pass seriously, and some haven't. I've been carrying a camcorder to look legitimate, but for the most part, nobody cares that I'm here. I am going to ask around (guard, NOPD if they seem approachable) about coming in with Press Passes.

A handful of people are wandering around the Marigny/Bywater/Quarter.

I've seen a few trees down in Gentilly, but luckily, they all fell into the road instead of on houses.

Anyone with questions about specific properties/addresses/streets should post them here, but really, it looks like things are very okay, except for the tattered flags hanging in shreds in the F.Q.

I saw a lot of city vehicles out and the SPCA was driving around in Gentilly.

Good Morning Tuesday

Hi everybody who's reading this. I finally slept for a long time; I was having some kind of nightmare I already can't remember. This is not first hand experience, but Josh was changing my tire outside and he told me he saw people lined up outside of Mardi Gras Zone b/c it is about to open. It's not hot outside, but it's humid and overcast.

Drive By

After hearing on Channel 6 News that Mazant Street and Poland Ave were flooded, I went out onto Royal Street and looked towards the Industrial Canal. Per usual, no one I heard on the news could distinguish between the 9th ward and the lower 9th ward. J and I drove around, and there was NO, absolutely NO flooding at 4 p.m. anywhere in the Bywater (river side of Saint Claude). Branches had fallen in the street, but no trees were down. Some phone and cable lines had come loose, but I didn't see any electric lines down. I still have power in Bywater, but it's flickering. Cafe Flora was open, and a few people lingered outside. The NOPD officer didn't even want to see my press pass. As far as the news is concerned, the curfew is dusk til dawn, and he confirmed that. He told us we'd have no problem driving to Gentilly, so we went up Elysian Fields. No flooding, no puddles, some branches down on Elysian Fields and Franklin, but no trees. I checked on A.'s house and everything was fine. The Capital One bank lost its metal awning. I didn't drive to the Industrial Canal as NOPD and National Guard were everywhere, but I did meet some residents who I got on video. They were covered in mud and had been over at the canal but said there wasn't too much flooding. Right now, nothing looks bad, but I heard parts of Mid-City took a beating. I was about to go back out, but as I parked in front of C's house, NOPD stopped me and told us the curfew was 24 hours. They didn't give a shit about my press pass. The point is, that officer was either uninformed or lying. I'm calling into the radio about it.

Canal

According to Fox News, it seems that Industrial Canal has water flowing over it but has not breached. Poland ave is too flooded to drive, and Galvez and Mazant has water. This flooding did not take place riverside of St. Claude, but ABC news (where is Claiborne AVe???) did not know the difference between lower and upper 9. Right after I posted this on 8/1 I did not see any flooding riverside, or as far as I could see across St. Claude (20/20 vision).

Damage on 3100 Block Royal

The power just went out for 30 seconds. It's not raining right now, but there is wind. I went out to Royal Street, and I garbage can had blown over. Leaves, not branches had fallen onto the street. There was no water on the street, no looters, no national guard, no police, no animals. I'm going to take a nap. My cell phone still works; I'm picking up WiFi signal. My mom called to encourage me to take some pictures, but they look like pictures of parked cars. Tornado Warning central St. Tammany for 1/2 hour. TJ

Other news

I just looked at yahoo news, which has none of this information. 16 minutes ago. NEW ORLEANS - Hurricane Gustav steamed toward the Louisiana coast early Monday on track to hit west of New Orleans as the few remaining in the city watched nervously and hoped levees only partly reinforced in the three years since Katrina would hold. Those who heeded days of warnings to get out watched from shelters and hotel rooms hundreds of miles away, praying the powerful Category 3 storm and its 115-mph winds would pass without the same deadly toll. "We're nervous, but we just have to keep trusting in God that we don't get the water again," said Lyndon Guidry, who hit the road for Florida just a few months after he was able to return to his home in New Orleans. "We just have to put our faith in God." Water gushed off buildings and flags hung in tatters, ripped to shreds in the high winds. But there were no reports of serious flooding, and only scattered clusters of power outages. The painful memories of Katrina, which flooded 80 percent of New Orleans and killed more than 1,600 along the Gulf Coast, led officials to aggressively insist that everyone in Gustav's path flee from shore. As the storm grew near, the streets of the city were empty — save for National Guardsmen and just about every officer on the city's police force standing watch for looters www.yahoo.com I can't stand this shit. I believe in trusting in God, but what about Bob Breck? "Flags ripped to shreds." Is that their best attempt at sensentionaliztion? We just got to see one palm tree lying on the ground outside the Fox 8 building. Now I'm watching Channel 6 and the ticker tape is going by: WDSU's coverage: 87.7 f.m. Water is now being pumped to maintain safe elevation. Power Outages. Entergy reports more than 93,000 customers without power. 32,268 in New Orleans. 639 in St, Bernard. I don't know if it's helpful to anyone (myself included) for me to type what I'm seeing on television onto a blog. WDSU says Gustav is still holding category 3 strenght and we're expecting 115 mph winds. Hurricane Force winds will spread across the area (gulf coast) over Monday and Tuesday. There is also risk for tornadoes on the right side of the storm. All of this is true, but it's not specific enough. Water is being pumped, but they're not mentioning that the pumps are working or that the heavy rainfall is only coming in spurts so the pumps can keep up. I can hear the wind whipping around out there again. The power hasn't flickered in a while here. WDSU has now called Gustav a Category 2. I'm going back to FOX. Oh, I hear Chief Warren Riley's voice superimposed over the shot of that fallen palm tree. His goal is that everyone will come home to a house that has not been looted. Nancy Parker isn't sure if they're counting households or people suffering from power outages. Bob's 8 a.m. update: Good news. "Gustav has not had the chance to get organized." New Orleans has been more organized than Gustav. And he's moving really west as opposed to NW.

Outside

Just went outside with J to check on what's happening to the cars on the street, and there is maybe an inch of water on Royal Street, and it's draining as it falls. All the cars are fine. My umbrella did not get torn inside out by the wind. I really didn't get blown around at all, and i weight in around 110. I didn't see any trees down or damage on Royal Street. Bob Breck says we might see sunshine this afternoon. He's really into the three dimensional graphics he's got there. He also says the bands are far enough apart that the pumps will have time to keep up. Where is C.Ray Nagin? He hasn't been on FOX news yet.

Bob's Update

He has dark circles under his eyes and we're looking at an image of Xavier and the interstate. Only interstate has power. He just got a tornado warning in for Northshore until 7:30 a.m. He looks so tired. Winds are going away. Poor Gulfport is getting 48 mph winds. The Northshore is getting storng gusts (about 50 mph) but not sustained winds. It's not raining outside in Bywater at the moment. So, far, C's stucco house is holding up fine. We're all dressed. Josh just told me he didn't sleep at all. My dad just called me; phone working fine. He says he can see on Connecticut news that it's not as bad as originally anticipated. He told me he has been planning to buy a generator. Bob thinks Houma is going to be okay when the surge comes. I can hear the wind. Maybe the power will go out. We see all these news crew members standing outside. Rob Ennis in Metarie: power not out but expects it to be soon. He has a spotlight that we will see if it does. New Orleans is as bad as it gets. Sabrina Wilson is downtown in a raincoat. She says conditions are starting to deteriorate by the Casino (which is shuttered). Decadence Tourists are gone. She describes it as virtually a ghost town except for the media. It's not a place for people to be out, she says as she stands outside. We are reminded that she is very small, so that's why she's blowing around so much. A very frail old woman was found wandering aimlessly at the foot of Causeway. She is older and sitting on the curb with a cane and was walking down the street. Her car hit a curb and the wheel rim was bent as she evcuated, and she went to her house and passed out. She lives in Metairie and was trying to evacuate but hit that curb and just woke up and wandered outside. She thought she had a bad heart, but she doesn't think she does anymore. Wow.

Bob Breck feeling very encouraged b/c storm is moving 16 mph and it's going fast. We're in one of the squalls. He's coming back at 7. St. Bernard Parrish President Craig Taffaro: we're feeling less cautious and more optomistic. Chalmette image on television they're getting sustained winds of 40- 50 mph with light rain bands. Fortunate on all fronts. Doesn't want to jinx it. Bob said it will clear by afternoon. They'll make an announcement tonight about when people can return. Craig Taffaro is very concerned about Mississippi I-10 closures and doesn't know why they broke an agreement with L.A. and didn't let people go East. I can't believe they don't know why. Taffaro is not opening borders during the night tonight unless there is no damage or trees down. He's calling it a small level hurricane and will ask everyone to sit tight. If we can start bringing people back on Tuesday. For those who did remain in the parrish, stay put. We are still under curfew and should not roam about while storm passes. The French Quarter, what looks likeDecatur and Conti has no rain and electricity. He said it looks like the area by the French Market, but since he does not have the image of The Abbey burned into his mind, he's wrong. www.fox8tv.net I never thought anyone would be able to get me to rely on FOX news. Bob.

Labor Day Morning

The alarm, not the storm woke us up at 6, and the storm is coming in. Pounding rain outside. Lupe knows something's wrong; she's in her little carrier hiding. I can't believe i'm watching FOX news b/c Bob Breck. The power has flickered a few times. Right now, Nancy Parker has Aaron Broussard on the phone. He says the pumps are working and will keep working. Our curfew is dusk til dawn still. He's expecting a 6-9 foot storm surge. He's talking on the phone to Bob Breck. Bob says giving this hurricane a category of 3 is flattering. He says the surge is not going to be bad, not nearly as bad as predicted. The storm is moving fast. There has been one announced hurricane on the East Bank. It's going to go a little west before it hits land, towards Morgan City. A band is passing through the city right now. After 1 o'clock we will have less and less rain. Tornado watch is extended for areas further northward. He says what we have now is as bad as it's going to get. Broussard waiting to hear from Bob when worst of surge has hit westbank. Eye is west of Grand Isle. If we can get through 10 a.m. without water spilling all over the place, we'll be in good shape. I'm picking this up with rabbit ears. Bob thinks JP will be back on its feet in a day or so. They just had a long talk about contraflow and why I-10 was closed. Mississippi closed it, and L.A. officials don't know why. Bob Breck's opinion is that Mississippi didn't want people from L.A. clogging up their Labor Day Shopping, but he and Broussard agree that Mississippi should have told us. Many people turned around or ran out of gas. Bob's concerned that many people will say "I'm never evacuating again" after sitting in traffic for 15 hours b/c Mississippi won't cooporate. Howling wind will scare us, says Bob. He says the worst is here now, and these bands will keep coming over us. The t.v. went out, and now it's back. I had a nice talk with C last night and we're the windowless bedroom. They are talking about Contraflow still and an 85 year old woman who had to pee on the side of the highway and lost her dignity. I'm going to post this one in case I lose the T-Mobile signal