In more detail

[infrogmation]

Saturday night we did the Krewe of OAK midsummer Mardi Gras street party & parade. One last bit of partying New Orleans style while there still is a New Orleans. Much smaller turn out than usual, as many had already left or were leaving; some folks exausted from boarding up their houses but showed up any way. Some of the stops weren't made; some bars and businesses along the routes were closed, though Maple Leaf, Carrollton Station, and Snake & Jakes were going strong. The golf-cart floats weren't there (someone said they saw the giant heads earlier in the day, but perhaps the giant disembodied heads of James Booker and Everet Maddox et al decided to evacuate or go into hiding on their own). Good party. Hollie was a bit tired for it. Beverly was seriously getting in to it, and Girgl clearly enjoyed it.

I had advised Bev and Girgl to head out as early as possible in the morning, and they left for Arkansas before dawn. Hollie and I head out about 40 minutes later, heading east on I-10 while most people were evacuating north and west. We'd been advised to avoid Pensacola Bay, and took inland routes from I-65 going north from Mobile, various smaller highways before connectinng with 90 and back on I-10 at Crestview Florida. No major delays once we got past Slidell, Louisiana.

Two other groups of people from New Orleans at the motel breakfast this morning here in Jacksonville.

If New Orleans joins Atlantis in the role call of legendary lost cities, we exiles will no doubt have Krewes and jazz bands going in time for Mardi Gras.

Comments

"human suffering incredible by modern standards"

[infrogmation.livejournal.com]

Comment approaching the 3rd anniversary: I recall the very distinctive wording of the last warning of the New Orleans Branch of the National Weather service being read repeatedly over the radio as H & I were driving east on the 28th. It seems to have been removed from the official National Weather Service website, but has been preserved on various mirrors. Here's a copy of it. So, this was in our minds as we were bugging out.

----

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
NEW ORLEANS LA
1011 AM CDT SUN AUG 28 2005

...DEVASTATING DAMAGE EXPECTED...

.HURRICANE KATRINA...A MOST POWERFUL HURRICANE WITH UNPRECEDENTED STRENGTH...RIVALING THE INTENSITY OF HURRICANE CAMILLE OF 1969.

MOST OF THE AREA WILL BE UNINHABITABLE FOR WEEKS...PERHAPS LONGER. AT LEAST ONE HALF OF WELL CONSTRUCTED HOMES WILL HAVE ROOF AND WALL FAILURE. ALL GABLED ROOFS WILL FAIL...LEAVING THOSE HOMES SEVERELY DAMAGED OR DESTROYED.

THE MAJORITY OF INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS WILL BECOME NON FUNCTIONAL. PARTIAL TO COMPLETE WALL AND ROOF FAILURE IS EXPECTED. ALL WOOD FRAMED LOW RISING APARTMENT BUILDINGS WILL BE DESTROYED. CONCRETE BLOCK LOW RISE APARTMENTS WILL SUSTAIN MAJOR DAMAGE...INCLUDING SOME WALL AND ROOF FAILURE.

HIGH RISE OFFICE AND APARTMENT BUILDINGS WILL SWAY DANGEROUSLY...A FEW TO THE POINT OF TOTAL COLLAPSE. ALL WINDOWS WILL BLOW OUT.

AIRBORNE DEBRIS WILL BE WIDESPREAD...AND MAY INCLUDE HEAVY ITEMS SUCH AS HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCES AND EVEN LIGHT VEHICLES. SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES AND LIGHT TRUCKS WILL BE MOVED. THE BLOWN DEBRIS WILL CREATE ADDITIONAL DESTRUCTION. PERSONS...PETS...AND LIVESTOCK EXPOSED TO THE WINDS WILL FACE CERTAIN DEATH IF STRUCK.

POWER OUTAGES WILL LAST FOR WEEKS...AS MOST POWER POLES WILL BE DOWN AND TRANSFORMERS DESTROYED. WATER SHORTAGES WILL MAKE HUMAN SUFFERING INCREDIBLE BY MODERN STANDARDS.

THE VAST MAJORITY OF NATIVE TREES WILL BE SNAPPED OR UPROOTED. ONLY THE HEARTIEST WILL REMAIN STANDING...BUT BE TOTALLY DEFOLIATED. FEW CROPS WILL REMAIN. LIVESTOCK LEFT EXPOSED TO THE WINDS WILL BE KILLED.

AN INLAND HURRICANE WIND WARNING IS ISSUED WHEN SUSTAINED WINDS NEAR HURRICANE FORCE...OR FREQUENT GUSTS AT OR ABOVE HURRICANE FORCE...ARE CERTAIN WITHIN THE NEXT 12 TO 24 HOURS.

ONCE TROPICAL STORM AND HURRICANE FORCE WINDS ONSET...DO NOT VENTURE OUTSIDE!