Indeed. Good luck, all. Hope ya make it through.

Posted by: Barry at August 28, 2005 08:29 PM

We're thinking of you guys down here in New Zealand

Posted by: pr0fess0r at August 28, 2005 08:55 PM

I echo that sentiment. This is going to be bad....really bad. Deaths in the hundreds, maybe thousands. Property damage in the billions. Maybe an entire city submerged for weeks.

And dear god, if the Superdome can't take the forces, I hate to think of the humanity that could be lost there. 35k people at last count.

Posted by: David Knighton at August 28, 2005 08:56 PM

While catching the news coverage, I had a surprisingly selfish reaction.

I may have entirely missed my chance to visit New Orleans.

Everybody's been saying for years: "You know, if they take a direct hit from a major hurricane..." It's hard to imagine it being any more major or direct than this.

(Note to no one: I'm writing this before anything's happened. And I seriously, seriously hope it's not as bad it sounds like it will be.)

Posted by: UglyRedHonda at August 28, 2005 09:12 PM

Thanks. My family is in the direct path of the hurricane. I'm abit stressed out right now.

Posted by: Jimw at August 28, 2005 09:20 PM

Indeed! The more I think about this, the scarier it is. My thoughts are with everyone down there.

Posted by: Samurai Avon Lady at August 28, 2005 09:21 PM

Agreed. I'm thinking of you all. Good luck, because you'll probably need it.

Posted by: Laynne at August 28, 2005 09:26 PM

I'm packing right now, the Red Cross had notified all volunteers that this will be one of the biggest mobilizations in quite some time.

Hang in there guys!

Posted by: Fubar at August 28, 2005 09:30 PM

Two quick things, both from Fark.

First, there's currently a thread going where people are offering to let others stay for a while. I can't vouch for anyone offering or looking for a room, but desperate times call for desperate measures. (www.fark.com, it's about 11 postings from the top right now)

Second, someone has already set up a donations page where they're claiming 100% of the money will go toward relief efforts--again, I can't vouch for him/her/it (maybe someone else knows the individual better than I do?), but it's there if you're comfortable with the set-up. (writerscafe.net/donations.html)

Posted by: JSc at August 28, 2005 10:17 PM

This is a category 5 hurricane. I will hope and pray that everyone in the Lousiana-Mississippi-Alabama region will be safe and able to ride out the stornm ok.

Take care of yourselves!

Posted by: Scott T at August 28, 2005 10:56 PM

Howdy Everyone,

I'm in Mobile, AL about two hours east of New Orleans. In Huricane language, East is the Beast, West is best...so we are expecting some potential damage...I'm blogging every few hours or so, until we lose power...it's inevitable.

I appreciate any positive thoughts even though you don't know me.

Dave,
from On The Road With Dave Dot Com

Posted by: David Robison at August 28, 2005 11:23 PM

Well... I'm at work and have been for the last 15 hours. We've been on the air non-stop here in Lafayette since 5pm CT. This storm is going to be bad. Real bad. I'm just glad so many people heeded the word to evacuate.

One quick story...
A hotel in Lafayette with 300 rooms has 10,000 reservations thanks to a computer problem with an online reservation site. Apparently Katrina knocked out a server in Florida and it's allowed this hotel to get waaaaay overbooked. People have been showing up for days to find out their evacuation plans are shot.

Posted by: CJ at August 28, 2005 11:56 PM

Stay safe. Take care. Promise to come back to tell us stories.

Posted by: Crissie at August 29, 2005 12:42 AM

Yeah, my heart goes out to the people in the hurricane's path. All I remember from Hugo is that I never want to go throug that again... and that was mostly a cat 3. Of course for us inland, it wasn't so much the hurricane but tornado after tornado that it spawned for 8 hours. But uhhh yeah, it's not going to be good. I don't know if they're at the "If you haven't left, then stay where you are" stage, but if you can get out, do so.

Posted by: Aria at August 29, 2005 02:09 AM

Does anyone else see something odd about the phrase "Safely in Los Angeles??"

I do wish the best for those who are facing this. Take care, guys!

Posted by: Nemmeran at August 29, 2005 02:32 AM

Having used to live there, The city gets standing water in a good hard rain, because the pumps fail. They work at a max load just to keep the city dry on a sunny day. We are going to be seeing hundreds of billions worth of damage, and millions displaced for months possibly forever. Most houses will be gone either distroyed outright or unlivable. and there will be many dead mainly due to drowning and disease. Sewage will spill into fresh water because the sewage plants will fail.

Reality is this is the one that has been feared for years would come.

I have friends down there that I don't know if they got out or not. I pray they did.

Posted by: Kat at August 29, 2005 03:30 AM

Almost ALL of my family is in the path of Katrina. The parish they're in is getting smacked the hardest after New Orleans. I spent most of this weekend freaking out (especially after it made Cat 5). I'm a teacher, and today is the first day of school, so not only do I have a "things will go TERRIBLY wrong on the first day of school" anxiety, I'm also worried about family and friends scattered through the area. Ack.

Thanks for the thoughts, Wil.

Posted by: MiladyGreenEyes at August 29, 2005 03:33 AM

Best wishes to my 'Sanskrit' colleagues in New Orleans. I trust all is well.
teshAm kRte mama SubhASayAn nivedayatu

Miles

Posted by: eWraith at August 29, 2005 06:48 AM

I'm up the coast a bit, in North Carolina. Hurricane devestation is horrific. I am praying for all those who have to endure this. I know that our NC relief forces and emergency personnel have started to get ready to go there and help out to restore power and help the public. Take care, stay safe.

Sandra

Posted by: swl-mom2Bryn at August 29, 2005 07:15 AM

A reporter at The New Orleans Times-Picaune newspaper is blogging information, about once an hour -- they're running on emergency generators:

http://www.nola.com/weblogs/nola/

He's reporting what their building is experiencing as well as what he's heard from scanner reports.

Pat G.

Posted by: Pat G at August 29, 2005 08:39 AM

Yep! Scarry stuff :-(

We're thinking about you from The Netherlands...

Posted by: edegroot at August 29, 2005 09:02 AM

I have a nephew in Baton Rouge and my wife has a close friend who is holed up in his house in Biloxi. I'm sending as many positive vibrations as I can down there.

Hey Wil, here's an idea. How about if you approach PokerStars about donating the proceeds of the WWDN tournament to hurricane relief?

Posted by: Lytspeed at August 29, 2005 09:22 AM

Working in the insurance industry we hear about hurricane's constantly. It is heartbreaking when I speak to people who have lost EVERYTHING and have to start their lives over again.
Although I don't know anyone personally in the area, I know that I have spoken to many people who live down their and have also insured their homes. My prayers and thoughts are with them. The hardest thing after the storm passes is the waiting for help and if you have pets it is much worse as no one will let you bring them into the shelters.
From basic food and water to waiting for the claims representative to come and give them money to live on and assess the damage.
God Bless every person, home, and animal in the path of Katrina.

Rachel

Posted by: Rachel at August 29, 2005 09:24 AM

I remember Hugo in '89 and even though I was a child and living far inland we still felt it's impact. Charleston, SC, took years to recover. I can only imagine how much damage Katrina will do.

My thoughts and prayers are with everyone in New Orleans and to those who have family members there. May your homes and lives be spared.

Posted by: Jade at August 29, 2005 09:28 AM

I would so be up for a WWDN Katrina-relief poker tournament. Oh, and if forces were combined with the rest of the poker blogging community, it could become a monster (in a good way).

Posted by: sparky1234 at August 29, 2005 10:08 AM

from those of us in south FL who have an idea of what you're all going through, hold tight and stay strong. our thoughts are with you.

Posted by: freyja79 at August 29, 2005 10:47 AM

Like I've said in Teh Soapbox, if anyone needs a place to stay, I'm in Houston. If you can get here, email me and I'll get you set up.

Please, you all stay safe, and I pray that everything turns out alright.

Posted by: Devyn at August 29, 2005 10:51 AM

What I don't understand is why they put everyone in the dome? That thing is not too terribly new. And sure enough, two chunks ripped off. I just don't see the sense in that.

I pray that everyone stays safe there. I have friends who live very close by. And on top of that DragonCon is going on this weekend. I hope that it somehow mysteriously doesn't make its way to Atlanta.

Posted by: JessicaDwyer at August 29, 2005 10:53 AM

I lived in Houston for 8 years, and experiencing both hurricanes Alicia and Gilbert, I pray for the safey for those in Louisiana. Alicia was only a category 3, and I remember how terrifying it was. May those in Katrina's path know that they are in our prayers and thoughts.

Posted by: J.M. Lankenau at August 29, 2005 11:04 AM

Thanks, Wil! We live about 150 miles from New Orleans. Before it started turning more to the right in the wee hours this morning, we thought we would get worse weather. We brought in as many of the cats last night as we could. One of the ones we brought in was Wil, your namesake. He is quite happy to be inside right now! We wanted to bring Wesley Crusher inside too, but he refused. Silly boy. I am in the process of posting some pictures on my moblogs if you are interested.

Posted by: Sue R at August 29, 2005 11:36 AM

More

Posted by: Jabbertrack at August 29, 2005 12:21 PM

J.M. I was six months old when Alicia hit Houston, so I don't remember what that was like. Also, when Allison hit, I was away at school in San Antonio, so I can't even begin to imagine what LA is going through. I hope, though, that it's not as bad as everyone was thinking it would be.

Posted by: Devyn at August 29, 2005 12:38 PM

Jabbertrack, if your More was directed at me, if you want to see more pictures and video, I am also posting some on my regular moblog (click my name for the link). Thanks!

Posted by: Sue R at August 29, 2005 12:40 PM

Devyn...you just made me feel really old :) I was almost 10 when Alicia hit. :)
I lived in San Antonio for 6 years; not too many hurricanes there.
My parents live on the Missippi/Tennessee border, so I'm a bit worried about them at the moment; hopefully Katrina will dissipate more, since they're rather prone to tornadoes.
I graduated from UTSA, and my husband from St. Mary's. Where are you going to school?

Posted by: J.M. Lankenau at August 29, 2005 01:18 PM

Thank you for the wishes, Wil. I'm not personally in Louisiana right now (as then I wouldn't be commenting), but my dad, stepmother, and two younger brothers live there. I'm sure they have evacuated, but I've tried to call them on their cell phones only to receive a busy signal. So yeah, I heard about the roof coming off of the Louisiana Superdome and that has made me pretty worried right now...

But again, thanks for wishes.

Posted by: Sangri at August 29, 2005 06:23 PM

I just wanted to thank Wil for calling his readers' attention to Hurricane Katrina and thanks to all of his other regular readers who stopped by my blog to catch updates on the storm and our plight in Mobile, AL.

I appreciate the visits and the well wishes and kind thoughts.

Sincerely,

Dave Robison

Posted by: David Robison at August 29, 2005 07:36 PM

iv been watchin sky news since b4 katrina hit, hope everyone is safe! cant blieve some people didnt evacuate but its der choice.. thinkin of u all from Ireland

saffiebabes

Posted by: saffiebabes at August 30, 2005 09:11 AM

Wil,

Thanks for the note you sent me today. Even though we barely had time to speak at BARGE I appreciated the comments.

Rick "ADB DaVoice" Charles

Posted by: Rick Charles at August 30, 2005 10:51 PM

best of luck to everyone at the south end. and for gaed's sake, get the heck out of nola. it's just not a good place.

Posted by: drow at August 31, 2005 12:26 AM

anyone from the ocean springs area of Ms. ?
my daughter and Ex-wife decided not to leave.

But I get conflicting news and speculation
from the media. Its a case of reporting without
confirmation.

today(wednesday 8/31/05) my job reopened without minimum amount of damage. our long distance is down so we cannot recieve orders, but we are processing. at least I have a job to go back to.
some people have nothing.

if anyone know the whereabouts of Michele Nall and Madeline Nall please email me at troyleenall@lycos.com.

they live between the Missippi Sound and Graveline Bay in ocean springs. their street name is Debra.

thanks again

Posted by: troyleenall at August 31, 2005 02:19 PM

Does anyone know if Picaune MS was hit hard? We are looking for my sis-in-laws family, Belinda & Jimmy.

Posted by: acha at September 1, 2005 06:04 PM

still no word on my ex-wife or child.

my thanks go out to http://www.digitalglobe.com
they have allowed public access to their aerial photography of the ocean springs area.

needless to say most of the houses(49 of 50) were
completely wiped clean. it seems any structure below highway 90/railroads tracks where leveled.

i viewed the street where my ex-wifes house was. nothing is there.

they were 1/8 of a mile from the shoreline.

i am hoping to reach the police, sheriff, or constables sometimes this weekend.

i have tried twice to go into that area, but local/federal troops are turning everyone away.

i just can't keep driving back and fourth.
gas prices are crazy high. 3-5 dollars and the lines are stupid long. 2 hour wait.
i contribute this to people with three to four (55 gallon) barrells on the back of their pick up trucks. its a very common site here.

gossip and rumors are out of control. a lady was waiting in line in a small store next to my bussiness. she said that there was a shooting in this very store yesterday(9-1-05). But there was none. Also, a local radio station aired a rumor that a local credit union was issuing 200.00 cash vouchers. Needless to say, they(the credit union) became swamped and had to lock the doors. They were only allowing members to gain entry. It was scary.

Our main problem here now, is for valid information. the media needs to be less sensational and more responsible.

troyleenall

Posted by: troyleenall at September 2, 2005 07:50 AM

my ex-wife and little girl were found !!!!
70 miles from their home.
while there home is destroyed, they are safe.

thank you all for your emails.

people are still trying to be civil but sometimes the heat gets to people and things escalate.

our parish has double in size 250,000 to 500,000.

all of the new people have no jobs or cars or houses. its a mess. but we will get through it.

thanks again for all you emails.

troy lee nall

Posted by: troyleenall at September 3, 2005 07:41 AM