tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161349932024-03-07T18:52:14.959-06:00Prairieville ConnectionThis started being a site about the aftermath of hurricane's Katrina and Rita. **Updated for TS Lee**Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18062798544774881984noreply@blogger.comBlogger71125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16134993.post-16605905253053561432011-09-04T09:45:00.002-05:002011-09-05T19:27:18.951-05:00Saturday Night repeat of FridaySaturday night pretty much mirrored Friday night. Rain and wind started back up heavier around 7:30pm and kept going until Sunday morning. Looks like Lee has moved West and is giving Lafayette and other areas a good soaking. The rain never was particularly heavy but it was constant. The mix of wind made it sound much worse than it was.<div><br /></div><div>Still no flooding in this area. Reports are that parts of Greater Baton Rouge have some. A few small limbs down but nothing significant.</div>Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18062798544774881984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16134993.post-66136012574464938822011-09-03T18:30:00.002-05:002011-09-05T19:23:47.783-05:00Not much to do on Sat<div>Saturday proved to be a strange day for Baton Rouge. The rain stopped in parts of Baton Rouge at about noon and stayed away for about 6 hours. Reports range from 2.5 inches to 8.5 inches. No flooding other than normal street flooding when a bunch of rain is dumped in our area. Apparantly some areas in Baton Rouge have seen flooding.</div>Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18062798544774881984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16134993.post-43385632839078397422011-09-03T04:59:00.005-05:002011-09-03T05:31:56.163-05:00Hey Lee! Enough with the bread already!This certainly came out of nowhere. Most big storms start off the west coast of Africa, come across the Atlantic and move into the gulf. This one started off as a depression and moved into a full tropical storm. From the beginning it looked like a huge rain event, but now its packing some wind with it. Nothing too bad but its like the marathon runner versus the sprinter. It hasn't stopped for 12 hours and slowly (very slowly) is getting stronger.
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<br />Because this came out of no where, we didn't have the usual panic of buying food and gas. I think a lot of people stay somewhat prepared although I did speak with several who were planning on getting gas etc. Friday night. On the drive home the grocery stores and usual suspects didn't seem to have a significantly larger amount of people in them. We decided, rather than wait until Saturday or Sunday for the weekly food run, we should do it before the heavy rain really set it.
<br />
<br />No panic in the food aisles or miles of empty shelves like a few days before a hurricane. One thing that was funny was the bread aisle. There was exactly one loaf of bread, now in our pantry. Are sandwiches the new survival food? I don't understand, you have to keep meet and cheese cold, there are better quick things to eat and I can only eat so much peanut butter especially when milk is in short supply. Why the run on bread? Am I missing something?
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<br />We'll keep an eye on this bad boy. So far nothing significant. A small loss of power at 4am but other than that, just another rain storm that won't end.Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18062798544774881984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16134993.post-77767851884148433522008-09-06T05:21:00.002-05:002008-09-06T05:32:07.547-05:00FEMA's Here, Now I'm RelaxedThere is an article in the Baton Rouge paper, The Advocate, that discusses how <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">FEMA</span> has setup a blue roof program <a href="http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/27940449.html">http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/27940449.html</a> . This is where <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">FEMA</span> comes out and puts blue tarps on your roof to keep the rain out. They are still in the process of setting up. News flash, the storm was Monday, it rained Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. If you didn't tart your roof, your house is already ruined. I'm glad to see it's Saturday, 5 days after the storm and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">FEMA</span> is "setting up". In emergencies, if you don't take your own problems and tackle them <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">yourselves</span>, you are going to be <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">disappointed</span> in the results. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">FEMA</span> does some wonderful things after the storm and offers money for different projects but waiting 5 days after the event is not acceptable. Remember, go get the tarps before you need them.<br /><br />US Mail, UPS and FedEx are up and running. Most people were getting service by Wednesday. The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Advoacte</span> printing press has no power and the paper is being printed in Mobile, AL and shipped in. For you detectives out there, think about this. The State paper, the paper in the capital city, the 2<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">nd</span> largest paper in the state before Katrina - largest now, can't get power to the printing press. You don't think those people are connected? There can be only one answer - you can't get power to the press because the power outage is so severe there isn't a way to do it.Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18062798544774881984noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16134993.post-5914555641641154322008-09-05T23:21:00.003-05:002008-09-05T23:40:23.403-05:00Stop Eating My Food and Taking My GasBefore I get started on the real rant, I need to get side-tracked. I talked yesterday about the lack of media coverage about Gustav. Today I was made painfully aware of how clueless the media is. Someone I know who works on Wall Street and follows the energy sector had no clue as to why we weren't answering our phone. I was told by several friends out of state how little coverage this event had but I had no clue until I started calling around. Folks, we are in dire straights. No power, few stores are open. Forget about Hanna, Gustav hit square on.<br /><br />Now, back to the real rant. Baton Rouge was a great haven for many people from New Orleans after Katrina. Many people evacuated New Orleans and came to Baton Rouge for Gustav. Had I lived in the New Orleans area, I would have left as well. Gustav spared New Orleans. New Orleans has power, water and sewage. It is time to leave. Stop consuming my limited supplies and go back home. My neighborhood, though without power, is packed with out of town people. If you are from <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Terrebonne</span> or <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Lafourch</span>, please stay, otherwise go back where you came from. We have limited resources.<br /><br />I'm happy to say that there were more stores open today. My two <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">favorite</span> stores - Hebert Guns and Mary Lee Donuts came back online today. Unfortunately, there were no chocolate donuts but there were hot glazed. I'll put Mary Lee up against <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Krispy</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Creame</span> any day. There were no gas lines, but people that haven't been paying attention are still freaking out.<br /><br />School is not starting Monday because someone finally came to terms with the fact that you can't have school when there is no power. Flats - I've gotten two flats this week. I think the debris will cause the tire stores to do a booming business this month.<br /><br />The curfew has been lifted in Ascension Parish and does not start until 10:00pm now. I'm glad <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Ascension</span> is like the real united states and lets us drive and walk around without papers.<br /><br />I saw people buying generators today. Who doesn't have a generator by now that needs one? No gas cans are available without waiting in long lines. I finally saw some of the so called "<span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">transmission</span> lines" that were down. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Entergy</span> needs to get on the ball and actually fix some of these things.Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18062798544774881984noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16134993.post-74748138622540356512008-09-05T10:02:00.002-05:002008-09-05T10:10:16.330-05:00Concerning GeneratorsLast night seemed to be the breaking point for generators. Several people I knew had generators stop working. Many of the larger generators that you purchase at Home Depot or <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Lowes</span> have a low oil sensor and will shutdown if the oil dips below a certain amount. Make sure you have oil ahead of time so you can add some to get out of the emergency.<br /><br />As fate would have it, our generator started acting up right before bedtime. I was able to get it working by leaving the choke 1/2 open. Once it was light I ended up doing a full maintenance on it. Most generators have maintenance at 20, 50 and 100 hours. This one has been running about 80 hours since Monday. I'm sure other people are well over the 100 hour mark. After changing the oil, cleaning the spark <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">arrestor, cleaning the spark plug </span>and doing a full <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">carburetor</span> cleaning, it was back in good shape.<br /><br />Note to anyone who might need to rely on one: Get oil, spark plug, fuel filter (if <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">equipped</span>), and some <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">carburetor</span> cleaner. It may be the difference between having power or not. I didn't consider running on generator past the maintenance cycle. If you do not know how to get to your <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">carburetor</span>, have someone show you. I'm not a mechanic but could <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">easily</span> open a small engine repair shop after this event.Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18062798544774881984noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16134993.post-54252342018230115022008-09-04T22:47:00.002-05:002008-09-04T23:12:14.481-05:00Where is the Media?The media is still bitter about not having anyone in New Orleans for Katrina. They have pretty much packed up and gone home. The latest statistic I heard on the radio today was that there was more power outages from Gustav than from Katrina. I don't think the media likes the fact that New Orleans was spared and has refused to cover Baton Rouge adequately. I've talked to many people outside the state who are unaware that 90% of Baton Rouge does not have power. Today I learned that <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Rapides</span> Parish - Alexandria is flooding and many areas do not have power. I guess we'll have to go back to being unprepared to get the proper attention. They are still focusing on New Orleans as if nothing else matters. Don't get me wrong, Katrina forever changed the crescent city but Baton Rouge, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Terrebonne</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Lafourche</span>, etc. deserve their coverage. I'm going to pay a few people to dig a moat around their house and get on the roofs. A picture sent in to CNN should get Anderson Cooper out here.<br /><br />The power situation is dismal. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Demco</span> and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Entergy</span> have up to the minute coverage of their customers without power. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Demco</span> has a nice map at <a href="http://demco.maps.sienatech.com/">http://demco.maps.sienatech.com/</a> and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Entergy</span> has more of the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">corporate</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">bs</span> site at <a href="http://www.entergy.com/">http://www.entergy.com/</a> . Around town earlier today I was shocked at the lack of progress. Still not a light in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Prairieville</span>. I went into Gonzales and found the corner of Airline and Burnside lit up but nowhere else. There is still nothing on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Seigen</span> Lane that has power except the traffic light at Airline Highway. I know they have a plan, but it isn't obvious to the casual observer. College Drive seems to have power close to the Interstate. That will make the Ruth's and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Ninfa's</span> crowds happy (both are now open). The estimates are 7-14 days for many areas.<br /><br />Traffic is a beast. All of the lights out causes a 20 minute drive to be an hour. It is <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">unbelievable</span> how long it takes to use the city streets. The gas lines seemed much shorter today and there were a few more stations carrying fuel. Still not much opened. Other than a handful of hardware stores, the majority of places are closed. I'm sure it is the lack of power but it is causing the hording mentality. I think many of the people shopping for food are shopping because there are so few places open.<br /><br />Curfews. I mentioned this briefly but are we living in Russia? There is a strict 8:00pm to 6:00am curfew in Baton Rouge. It's 10:00pm to 6:00am in Ascension Parish. I understand they don't want people driving around at night because it isn't safe but if you are going to get gas, I think it is a valid excuse. Not according to the Baton Rouge Mayor and others. Work or medical emergency are about the only excuses they will accept. I haven't been able to find anyone who has been pulled over but I have talked to several people who have seen people pulled over.Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18062798544774881984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16134993.post-7326273377338211822008-09-03T23:23:00.001-05:002008-09-04T04:33:47.918-05:00Am I the Only Person Who Took Drivers Ed?When all traffic lights are out, the intersection becomes a 4-way stop, regardless of how "you" think it should work. I'm seeing at least 2 wrecks <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">every time</span> I leave the house. It is always at an intersection. People do not understand the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">concept</span> of a 4-way stop. I stopped at a light last night and actually had someone honk at me to keep going. The large intersections with multiple turn lanes are the most dangerous. I can't tell if it is <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">incompetence</span> or a lack of caring. How to handle an intesection with no power to the traffic lights was one of the first things we learned in drivers education when I was 15. Another concern is the dreaded flashing yellow light in one direction and flashing red in another. People tend to want to stop at the yellow light which is also incorrect. If you must go out, pick the smaller intersections if possible when planning your route<br /><br />School is cancelled in all the surrounding areas of Baton Rouge until Monday. In some <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Parishes</span> (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Terrebonne</span> and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Lafourche</span>) it is cancelled <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">indefinitely</span>. Power continues to be a problem. I found a total of 4 traffic lights working on Airline Highway in Baton Rouge. Few businesses had power although the Mall of LA was up and running by mid-morning. I could find no signs of electricity anywhere in Ascension Parish - Gonzales and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Prairieville</span> included. The explanations vary but it has something to do with the transmission lines from the power plants to the substations. This is something that was <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">identified</span> as a problem by the energy companies after Katrina but no funding at the Federal or State level has been provides so nothing was done. I'm concerned because, I don't see power on at many of the sub-stations. Major intersections in Baton Rouge have no sighs of power at the businesses or the traffic lights.<br /><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Denham</span> Springs is getting its power back and may be one of the better off cities in the areas. I found 6 gas stations opened in Baton Rouge. Lines are <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">ridiculously</span> long and are adding to the traffic issues. People seem reasonably patient. Late in the afternoon I found 3 opened in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Prairieville</span>. All are running off of generators. We finally broke down and got some gas as well as re-filled one of the 5 gallon containers. Gas is in good supply but until power is restored it is going to be a little like Soviet era Russia.<br /><br />There are some groceries open. Like the gas stations, most are running off of generator power. The smaller ones let people in but the larger ones limit the number of people who can go inside at one time. I saw long lines at <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Alberston's</span> and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Wallmart</span>. I also saw a long line at the Whole Foods store. I don't really consider Whole Foods a "basic <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">necessity</span>" type store and chuckled at the people waiting to buy their $40 <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">cheese</span> and caviar to restock their <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">hurricane</span> pantry.<br /><br />I'm becoming an expert at cleaning generator <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">carburetors</span> out. People need to realize that they need to drain them or at least store them with fuel stabilizer. I have found that the barter system is alive and well. People pay you back with bread, gas, chainsaw use etc. It has restored some of my faith in my fellow man.<br /><br />Generator sales continue to be the hot ticket. Lots of people didn't by them during/after Katrina and they are paying the price. Both <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">Lowes</span> and Home Depot get shipments daily. They must be boxing them up so quickly that they don't have time to print the boxes and they all come in a generic cardboard box. Estimates are the power could be off for as much as 4 weeks for 1/2 Baton Rouge. As of yesterday morning there were still 4 hospitals running off of generator power. By the end of the day it had dropped to 3.<br /><br />We ventured out last night to get fuel. Driving at night is dangerous as people aren't stopping at the traffic lights. I guess people assume the driving laws are suspended at night. There is a reasonable amount of law <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">enforcement</span> out but they tend to be at the stores and gas stations to keep the peace. I was able to use debit or credit cards. It appears that the banking issues that Katrina caused are not nearly as severe for Gustav. At least one industry took the crisis seriously.Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18062798544774881984noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16134993.post-38375375711940785612008-09-02T22:44:00.005-05:002008-09-02T23:31:04.029-05:00My Nieghbors Are VampiresFolks, sorry for the lack of posts today but it was a busy day. I started out with a warm feeling in the middle of the night. Actually, it was late in the early morning. No stars last night. You would think with the lack of light that you could see the stars but there were nothing but clouds. Still, without the sounds of the neighborhood, you would think it would be peaceful. Instead you heard the sound of generators all night and day. Look, I'm not trying to endorse a product, but you need to understand a few things about generators. Price and watts are what most people shop for. Granted, these are important features, but quality of power, noise and gas consumption are equally important. I use a Honda EU2000i. I don't need more power than 2000 watts. It runs a window unit AC at night and keeps the refrigerators nice and cool during the day. I can't hear my own generator in my bedroom, but I can hear my neighbors. It's also light <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">enough</span> (52 lbs) that my wife can set it up. More importantly, it runs most of the day on a gallon of gas. It can run the AC unit for about 6 hours. Hence the reason it was warm when I woke up. The AC had kicked off. I filled the tank and managed to sleep for another hour. 2 gallons of gas per day. My neighbors filled up their tank 4 times. My brother in-law used 4 gallons, every 8 hours. Yes, the Honda's cost more, but when there is no gas and you actually want to sleep, the money is worth every p<span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">enny</span>, err dollar.<br /><br />I started early to get a chainsaw from a friend. I don't have trees on my property, which is why I don't own a chainsaw. Unfortunately, my back neighbor's tree decided to pay a visit. Since we were expecting 6 inches of rain, I decided it would be best to remove it from the drainage ditch. It took me a while to get over to my friends house. The back way out of the neighborhood was blocked. It wasn't until I made it out on one of the main highways that I realized how bad other had it. There were 5 houses in a row that each had a tree crash through the roof. One was so bad, I was concerned someone had been hurt. Fortunately everyone was OK.<br /><br />Next I noticed not one <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">traffic</span> light had power. My true test of how bad the storm was is to see if <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Walmart</span> or <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">McDonald's</span> are open. Neither were. People were reasonably polite and all seemed to <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">understand</span> the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">concept</span> of a 4-way stop. It's strange, but this was one of the first things I learned in drivers ed, but most people can't manage a stop light that is out. They can't manage giving you change either. Order something at a fast food restaurant for $5.23 and give them $10.28. See what happens.<br /><br />On the way over, I couldn't believe the amount of trees and signs that were down. On the way back, I stopped at my brother-in-laws house. Since he has <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Nextel</span>, the phones didn't work. He was fine but had some serious roof issues. I told him I had plenty of tarps and that I would be back after cutting some trees. By the time I was back a nice <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">neighbor</span> had come with a chainsaw and cleared most of the Oak tree blocking the street out of the way. There were stories of neighbors coming out of their houses to help clear the debris. I was excited as I took my borrowed chainsaw and began cutting the tree out of the ditch. Not one neighbor. Not even the ones whose backyard it was <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">actually</span> in. They watched as me and my wife and kids hauled everything out. It was at this point that my wife <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">mentioned</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">that</span> she had finally identified the strangeness she couldn't put her finger on. They were vampires. Remember, the picking up of garbage cans and other <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">items</span> in the middle of the night in a previous post. I told her I would take it under consideration but felt she was onto something.<br /><br />It was at this point, I realized that in a crisis there were two types of people. I have a friend who likes to point out that everyone only has two types of people in there examples. While I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">usually</span> consider other points of view, in this case, there really are only two types of people. There are those who realize we are in a crisis and fix there own issues and help other people and those who can't cope and stay in their own world. Sometime they interact with you to get some <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">additional</span> information or help from you, but for the most part they are useless in a crisis.<br /><br />I left to help my brother-in-law and put tarps up over his roof. I'm adding tarps to my emergency prepared list. Probably not something if you live in earthquake country, but if you live <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">anywhere</span> that wind, rain or ice can occur, get some. Also have some wood - 2x4s work but 1x4 are perfectly acceptable. Have some nails that will go through the wood and your roof. I camp a lot and have many different sizes. They sure came in handy today. Since there were no stores open, I realized these were valuable <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">commodities</span>. They are cheap and you can use them for many other purposes. Go out and get some today.<br /><br />When I dropped off the chainsaw I noticed that there were no lights on and that people were getting ruder. I found 2 gas stations open (must have generators) and long lines (200+ cars). I didn't bother stopping, as I didn't need the gas and figured if someone was willing to wait that long, they must really need it. There were no stores open.<br /><br />One thing I noticed and discussed with several people was the fact that hurricanes ignore the bell curve and other patterns of grouping as far as damage goes. It is not a matter of "that neighborhood was damaged". You can have 100 houses with damage and 1 that has nothing or you can have the converse. We were lucky, many people in our neighborhood were not. One house I saw had a chimney impailed in a patio cover.<br /><br />I'm going to get some scoop on Baton Rouge recovery and power tomorrow. Lafourche Parish opened this afternoon, but Terrebonne remains closed. We never got the 6 inches of rain, 1/2 maybe.<br /><br />We grilled a nice dinner outside. A cool wind was blowing. After the sun had set stars started to come out. As dusk was becoming dark, I saw two bats darting around. My wife stated "see, I rest my case".Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18062798544774881984noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16134993.post-89685262899339402542008-09-02T01:03:00.002-05:002008-09-02T01:19:34.354-05:00And Now For the Real StoryStill looks like the max winds in Baton Rouge area were 91 mph. There are unconfirmed reports of 100+ mph. Every report is that this is the most damage that Baton Rouge has seen ever.<br /><br />I managed to get a report from St. Mary Parish. 100% has no power. This includes Morgan City, Baldwin, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Berwick</span>, Franklin and Patterson. Many residents stayed. <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Fortunately</span>, they did not get the 120 mph winds for the 12 hour period that was predicted. No word on the extent of the damage but it could have been much worse.<br /><br />Major <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">damage</span> in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Lafourche</span> and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Terrebonne</span> Parishes. This included <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Thibodaux</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">and Houma</span>. "There isn't a house that doesn't have damage" is how it was put to me. I'm sure this may not turn out to be literal, but it illustrates the massive amount of damage. Those Parishes had minimal damage after Katrina. I asked about flooding and could not get a straight answer. There was <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">definitely</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">significant</span> water, but not sure about flooding. I know that <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Terrebonne</span> is completely closed off. These two Parishes plus <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Plaquemines</span> will be the ones to watch.Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18062798544774881984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16134993.post-54716275853892792892008-09-01T16:54:00.003-05:002008-09-01T17:06:27.439-05:00Impressive!The early reports are in. 75 mph with 91 mph gusts. That beats every hurricane to affect Baton Rouge except Betsy from the 60's. My neighborhood has one less oak tree now. Although damaged by wind, it looks like a bolt of lightening hit it and split it in two. Took out a fence and street lamp. Reports in Convent Louisiana are 96 mph.<br /><br />There are many shingles and siding damage. Much more than Katrina and Rita. Gustav has forced a <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">mandatory</span> curfew In the Baton Rouge area until 6:00am Tuesday morning. You can wander around your neighborhood, but you cannot drive around and site see.<br /><br />Early reports are that the downed trees and <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">power lines</span> is higher <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">than</span> expected. There is concern in Ascension Parish about flooding around Hwy 42 closer to the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Amite</span> river. Lake <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Maurepas</span> is expecting to surge close to midnight. The concern is that they won't get to the pumps in time to prevent the flooding. Yes, it's true, there are areas that use pumps in Louisiana besides New Orleans.<br /><br />I'm trying to get the inside scoop on the rumor that the Levee in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Plaquemines</span> Parish is about to breach and they are doing an evacuation.Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18062798544774881984noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16134993.post-60830771139919954272008-09-01T14:05:00.002-05:002008-09-01T14:18:50.755-05:00Where Are Brad and Angelina?It's interesting to see all the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">celebrities</span> fixing and donating after the fact. I didn't see any filling sandbags before the storm. Interesting. I'm sure they will be <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">available</span> for still shots later this week. I guess the film festival is more important than helping your neighbors.<br /><br />The wind and rain is <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">definitely</span> beating Baton Rouge and surrounding areas much harder than Katrina or Rita. I can't get an exact read but it is greater than 50 mph. No significant damage around the neighborhood. A few fences and trees are down. There are also shingles all over the yards. No leaks in the attic. It is supposed to beat down on us for another 3 hours.<br /><br />I saw someone driving in the neighborhood - moron. There has been at least one fatality of someone driving and crashing into a tree. There is a rumor about someone driving by the outlet mall in Gonzales and their car being hit by a tree but I cannot confirm it. I know of two friends who had trees go down and hit their neighbors car. One neighbor is in Europe, so they will have a nice <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">surprise</span> when they get back.Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18062798544774881984noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16134993.post-48367911108319930532008-09-01T08:13:00.003-05:002008-09-01T08:30:49.831-05:00Some Wind and RainSo far just some wind 10-20 mph and some rain. Nothing too bad yet. The drainage is keeping up with the amount of rain. Looks like the storm is <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">weakening</span>. We should see serous rain and wind around noon.<br /><br />The coastal areas like Grand Isle and Venice are getting 70+ mph and lots and lots of rain.<br /><br />I'll try to keep this up most of the day.Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18062798544774881984noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16134993.post-345167457044283952008-08-31T22:53:00.003-05:002008-08-31T22:56:47.834-05:00My Neighbor Must Read My BlogI just went out to "clear some debris" out of my neighbors backyard and all of the stuff on his patio has been picked up and put away. He must have come home to tie up a few loose ends.<br /><br />Latest word is that we are looking at a Cat 3. In Ascension Parish, we will get lower sustained winds than some places but higher gusts. Additionally, the rain could be greater than 8 inches. Looks like St. Mary and Terrebonne Parishes are going to get 100+ winds. We'll see.<br /><br />Funny what keeps you up at night. I'm burning the last two years of photos to DVD.Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18062798544774881984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16134993.post-37583792815037319322008-08-31T21:33:00.004-05:002008-08-31T22:02:42.062-05:00Storm Before the CalmI hate mowing grass. I don't like talking about it, I don't like doing it. For some reason a Louisiana tradition is to talk about cutting grass. To leave home early to cut grass. To ask people if they cut their grass. Today I found myself trying to finish work and personal items so I would have time to "cut the grass" before Gustav hit.<br /><br />We were up early this morning doing the final preparations. Lots of people going to church early, much earlier than normal. Airline Highway had the lights set to yellow flashing to flow with traffic and red flashing to cross. Not much traffic at 7:15am. By 8:45 however, there was moderate traffic for a Sunday. You could tell some was just people running <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">errands</span>, and some was people leaving New Orleans. There were State Troopers and sometimes Sheriff vehicles at many intersection. I-12 was empty as it isn't a key route to evacuate Baton Rouge. Not sure about I-10 as I didn't make it over there.<br /><br />Lots of people getting gas and groceries but everyone seemed to be civilized. I did see one moron filling six 5-gallon gas cans wrapped in <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">cellophane</span> in the bed of his truck. I guess he doesn't watch <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">youtube</span>. Static electricity and gas fumes don't mix. I left quickly figuring I would hear about him on the news.<br /><br />When we managed to get back into the neighborhood, I found what looked like a massive party. Trucks with boats and trailers and people everywhere. The Katrina look and feel was there as most driveways had multiple cars from evacuees.<br /><br />We managed to straighten out the garage to begin putting all of the patio <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">furniture</span>, grill, smoker, etc into the garage. This time, I organized the garage into areas where I could get to things I might need. We noticed that my neighbor left with his garbage can out and a back patio full of potted plants and a landscape wagon. Now, I have that to worry about blowing into my house. It's going to be a shame when someone steals it later tonight. He won't find any of it. I'll tell him it blew away, which technically will be true.<br /><br />Late in the afternoon, I kept looking at the clouds and noticing a wind increasing. Back to the mowing of the lawn... As much as mowing was the last thing on my mind, I knew that if I didn't I would regret it. This time of year, Louisiana has the climate of a modest jungle and grass grows by the foot each week. I began to mow and the weather looked like it wasn't going to cooperate. I couldn't believe bands of the storm were already here but they were. Thankfully I finished and put the lawn mower up last.<br /><br />I managed to <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">finish</span> and took a look at the latest coordinates and realized that we had plenty of time to prep. One thing about Louisiana is that we love our food and our alcohol. It was Sunday and I was hoping it wasn't too late to get some <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">daiquiris</span> for the storm. I called two of our <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">favorite</span> stops and they were closed. I mean, Home Depot and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Walmart</span> were open, what were they thinking? Missed business opportunity if you ask me. Finally I found one, the closest one to the house ironically, and set out to get a gallon. When I got there, the parking lot was packed. Clearly the regular <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">clientele</span> had no <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">intentions</span> of preparing for the storm and was having a typical night. After making the purchase, I drove home figuring that it might be the last daiquiri for more than a week.<br /><br />It was at the point that I realized the steaks would be tough to grill with the grill in the garage behind 10 feet of other items. Fortunately, I'm a camper and managed to dig out a small grill and propane tank and setup an emergency grilling station. The daiquiri definately was the ticket to cool off while cooking some nice steaks for what I dubbed "the last supper".<br /><br />Tornado watch tonight. It missed us but the outer bands are starting to cause some havoc. Combine it with the normal late afternoon thunder storms this time of year and it is a bad combination. It looks like we'll have rain tonight but no heavy winds until about 10:00am. Noon until 5:00pm is where the really bad stuff will happen. Of course everything is subject to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">change</span>.Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18062798544774881984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16134993.post-55390890259576148512008-08-30T22:40:00.005-05:002008-08-30T22:59:47.064-05:00Panic at the DiscoToday <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">definitely</span> brought back some memories. I started by going to the auto part store to get some oil and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">carb</span> clean-out. I noticed a pallet of 5 gallon gas cans and commented to the manager that I bet he would sell all of them. He then informed be he had sold 250 on Friday and expected to sell out. We then discussed the "we can't believe anyone who lived here wouldn't have 3 or 4 cans already. Of all things, my little brother-in-law came over to watch the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">LSU</span> game and mentioned he needed gas cans. I called the store and they had sold out already! They then informed me they were getting another shipment at noon and that we should be there at 11:45. He didn't but managed to find some later in the day.<br /><br />I then went to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Lowes</span> to pick up a few small supplies. A generator shipment had just arrived and people were buying $800 generators like there was no tomorrow. <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Never mind</span>, they didn't have any gas cans. In my usual, observe panic behavior, I looked for batteries and noticed there were no D or C batteries. The rumor was there would be a shipment on Sunday. As for plywood, they actually had a setup outside where you could drive up, tell them how many sheets you wanted, pay and they would load them for you. Not a bad little deal.<br /><br />My final destination was the donut shop. Of all things, they too were doing a booming business! No chocolate but they had plenty of hot glazed and some chocolate with sprinkles. I'm adding donuts to the list of hurricane related items I'll track in the future.<br /><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">LSU</span> of course trounced Appalachian State. Poor fans and some ESPN goons thought they had a chance. The biggest bummer about the 10:00am kickoff was that it was moved to ESPN Classic, a channel many people do not get on Cox Cable. Thankfully, I have <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Eatel</span> which provides fiber to the house along with ESPN Classic. Note - the game had to have a "live" banner on it so people tuning in realized it was a live event and not some old game they usually show.<br /><br />I ventured out to meet some friends and noticed heavy traffic on I-10 West bound. The people were already starting to vacate New Orleans. As of tonight the New Orleans Airport (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">MSY</span>) is closed at 6:00 PM Sunday Sept. 1. No <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">shuttles</span> already. Only ticketed passengers allowed in the airport. I guess they don't want a repeat of the planters being used as bathrooms after Katrina.<br /><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Surprisingly</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">three</span> weren't any significant gas lines. Sure there were some stations busier than others but for the most part it was still civilized. I manage to top of some gas cans and my truck without waiting and for a mere $3.49.<br /><br />Most of the day the storm looked to be heading to Lafayette or further West. Unfortunately, now that it is finally in the Gulf, it looks like it is heading straight for Baton Rouge. New Orleans is under <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">mandatory</span> evacuation and contra-flow starts at 8:00am Sunday <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">instead</span> of the 6:00pm time. Gustav has sped up and appears to be on track for lunch time on Monday. There is still a lot of ground to cover but that means a lot of time to gain strength. We were really hoping that the high pressure zone over Arkansas would move down and push Gustav over to Texas. If it keeps up, the high won't have time to get here in time.<br /><br />I'll keep you sports fans posted on the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">chaos</span> tomorrow as I expect to venture out <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">across</span> the city.Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18062798544774881984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16134993.post-59777151678773295982008-08-29T22:01:00.000-05:002008-08-30T02:47:20.531-05:00Calm Before the Storm?The <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">anniversary</span> of Katrina has caused everyone to pause. People are in deep preparation.<br /><br />I spoke with a small business person who sells and fixes generators. Many people have come by after leaving gas in their generator for over a year with <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">panicked</span> looks to get things fixed before the weekend. For those who don't know, gas breaks down and gums up the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">carburetor</span>.<br /><br />Today I noticed many boats on the Interstate. Normally, I would chalk it up to the Labor Day Holiday. In this case I could tell it was not the recreational freshwater boats but people hauling their saltwater <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">vessels</span> out of harms way.<br /><br />The state decided to move all of the inmates out of the New Orleans prisons today. They may not need to evacuate but decided it was better to move them out of the area before traffic started getting heavy on I-10. No inmates wandering around the high rise in flooded New Orleans sounds like a good thing to me.<br /><br />The biggest news of the week is moving the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">LSU</span> opening game to 10:00am from its 4:00pm kickoff time. People complained about the 4:00pm time due to the heat. Comfort vs. ESPN. TV revenues win every time. No <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">pre</span>-game festivities and they are asking people to leave right after the game.<br /><br />One the way home, I stopped to get gas. No long lines are frustrated people but <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">definitely</span> doing more business than a normal Friday night. Gas was $3.45-$3.59 on Wednesday. It was up slightly about a dime. Officials began evacuating all of the rigs in the Gulf today so expect a good $.50 rise quickly.Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18062798544774881984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16134993.post-18020203857795430612008-08-27T23:01:00.002-05:002008-08-27T23:14:32.146-05:00Ding Ding Ding...Round 2Hard to believe that it has been 3 years since Katrina. Not much to update and then Gustav shows up. A few things are different this go around. We have actually had lots of rain and the ground is saturated. People are definately ready.<br /><br />Today I noticed long gas lines going home. Reports at most of the area Walmarts are that water and batteries are in short supply. I'll make the usual rounds at the gun shops to see if ammo is in high demand.<br /><br />The storm hasn't even made it into the Gulf and people are already talking about evacuating New Orleans and making plans to go north should something arise. Most of the computer models have Gustav hitting between LA and MS. It will be interesting to see where it goes and if it strengthens like it is expected to.<br /><br />There is talk about activating the contra-flow out of New Orleans on Saturday. This would be an interesting development as it is the opening weekend for LSU football and that mean 100,000+ people will be already making their way to Baton Rouge.<br /><br />Oil rose $5/barrel last night based on the news that people were concerned about this storm.<sigh>Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18062798544774881984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16134993.post-1152154405335099832006-07-05T21:51:00.000-05:002006-07-05T21:53:51.823-05:00What's Up With Cameron?While much of the focus continues on New Orleans, little has been said about the areas hit by hurricane Rita. I had the opportunity to travel down to Cameron, LA and see things first hand. As much time as I have spent in New Orleans and the surrounding areas, I had not idea what total devastation looks like.<br /><br />As we traveled down Hwy 27 from I-10, we noticed that the marshes were littered with debris like someone had a bag of trash that spilled on the side of the road. The difference was that this debris consisted of windows sills, refrigerator doors and an occasional house. I had to verify with the locals that there were no houses in these marshes. Frankly, I’m not sure how they are going to clean it up.<br /><br />When we go to the turn off for Cameron, we quickly realized that all landmarks for navigation were gone. After talking with Parish officials the only building really standing is the courthouse which is the only building that survived hurricane Audry back in the 1957. Most of the Parish government is working out of trailers circled around the courthouse.<br /><br />There is a building behind the courthouse that used to be a dance hall. I knew that the entire Parish evacuated and there had been only one death so I was surprised that the sign on the door had a nice inscription about the gems of Cameron Parish being inside. When the coroner arrived and opened the door, I saw hundreds of new caskets. Perplexed, I asked where they were from. These turned out to be all of the caskets that came out of the ground when the storm surge came in. Apparently, cemeteries actually do a good job tagging bodies so you know which site and plot they came from. The coroner had to ID every body, get them into a new casket and get them back to the proper plot. The short time I was there 4 or 5 families came looking for loved ones remains displaced from the storm. Sobering.<br /><br />Rita is being re-classified as a category 1 or 2 storm. The people of Cameron Parish are laughing and the ludicrousness of this. There are reports of wind measuring devices at the large oil field reporting gusts of 140mph that lasted 30 minutes. Combine this with an 8 to 10 foot storm surge and you can see why there is little left.<br /><br />I haven’t seen this “officially” but according to the leader's information, Rita sets the record for the most linear miles of coast affected in terms of size. It was actually bigger in size than Katrina. Fortunately, it hit the least populated stretch of the Gulf that it could have. At some point I’ll update on things in Lake Charles, LA and Orange, TX where Rita continued to damage things.<br /><br />The people whose homes are torn apart and damaged from the surge are not having issues with flood insurance. The people whose homes are completely gone are having issues. Typically, if an area has damaged home and one or a few are completely missing, it indicates a high wind typically associated with tornados which can be in the outer bands of the storm. Flood is covered by flood insurance and wind damage is covered by home owners insurance. The home owners in Cameron Parish that had wind damage are having difficulty getting their claims paid.Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18062798544774881984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16134993.post-1151167001644239742006-06-24T11:31:00.000-05:002006-06-24T11:36:41.670-05:00Round 2 - Getting Ready for the Season <p>People around the state are preparing for the next round of storms this year. Gas cans are being emptied and refreshed, generators are getting oil changes and tune-ups and people are stocking up their hurricane closet supplies. Many people that I talk to are improving on their strategies from last year. Things from hard wiring generators to having more water in storage. Still, I'm surprised by the people who do nothing. They will be the ones running around getting gas cans and batteries the day before the storm and cursing the lines.</p> <p>Many people last year found out why you should review your home owners polices every few years. Floods are not covered under your existing home owners policy. Many people had the original amount when they purchased their house and had not increased the amount with their cost of rebuilding and found themselves under insured. You can go to your current agent to get your flood insurance but all of it is underwritten by FEMA and the price will be exactly the same regardless of your broker.</p> <p>I spoke to an insurance agent regarding flood insurance this week and was surprised by much of the discussion. Many people who are not in flood zones have been purchasing flood insurance. We fall into this category as well. Even though the odds of a storm surge hitting Baton Rouge are slim, with all of the new sub-divisions and drainage projects, you can not be sure about flooding. Cheap peace of mind for people not in a direct flood zone.</p> <p>Keep in mind the most flood insurance you can get via FEMA is $250,000. There is are some insurers who offer amounts above that similar to how umbrella policies work for liability insurance. To give you an idea, if you are in the lowest risk zone, 1 year of insurance is $296 for $200,000 worth of coverage. You have a 30-day waiting period from the day you pay your premium and they will not accept applications if there is a named storm in the Gulf. You must also pay the full year in advance.</p> Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18062798544774881984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16134993.post-1140753007771561992006-02-23T21:31:00.000-06:002006-02-23T22:07:06.170-06:00The Rest of the QuarterWe managed to get around the French Quarter and spend time looking and talking with merchants. If you haven't been to New Orleans, the city looks somewhat normal on the surface. If you have been or really do some exploring you will discover just how empty the city really is.<br /><br />We went to the River Walk and wandered through all of the shops. About 1/3 of them were actually open. This place was trashed after the storm so any sign of life is a warm welcome. Some of the larger shops like Eddie Bauer have closed up and do not plan on returning. We saw the Sensation which is the cruise ship that the NOPD personnel are living on.<br /><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5208/1520/1600/DSCN0328.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5208/1520/200/DSCN0328.jpg" border="0" /></a>This is a view of the Sensation from the West Bank taken on 2/11/06. If you look at the glass building towards the front of the ship, you will notice the roof windows are still unrepaired.<br /><br />After leaving the River Walk we walked down Decatur and looked around. My brother-in-law showed me the special permits from the health department that restaurants have to get before opening. Seems that they take the flooding and lack of electricity serious. What was suprising was the number of restaurants and bars that did not have them up. Being 2 weeks from Mardi Gras, you would think they would want to open.<br /><br />We cut over to Bourbon St. via Jackson Square. No artists, fortune tellers or panhandlers. Weird. For a Saturday at 6:00pm, it was a strange feeling. Not one tourist shop had a visitor in it. We spoke with several owners and they stated they were open because they had to pay rent. Overall they stated business was dead. Even the small bars only had 1 or 2 people in them. Some of the larger bars had small crowds but you could tell they weren't tourists. Mostly workers taking the afternoon off and getting smashed.<br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5208/1520/1600/DSCN0330.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5208/1520/200/DSCN0330.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />This picture is of the city taken from the West Bank on 2/14/06.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5208/1520/1600/DSCN0320.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5208/1520/200/DSCN0320.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />This photo is one of the many trailer parks all over the state. This one had RVs as well as tent trailers. It is behind Blaine Kerne's Mardi Gras WorldPaulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18062798544774881984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16134993.post-1140663825222370562006-02-22T20:48:00.000-06:002006-02-22T21:39:35.840-06:00Upper and Lower 9th WardTooling around the 9th ward and east New Orleans is interesting to say the least. Lots of local tourists driving around taking pictures. Again, you have to see the devastation to believe it. It's easier to count the number of houses that have people living in them than to count the number of houses damaged.<br /><br />We drove over Franklin Avenue towards the St. Bernard Parish line. They were working on the levee breach. We were quite surprised to still see barges and smashed houses still untouched. Below are two photos showing the area near the breach.<br /><br /><p><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5208/1520/1600/DSCN0237.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: left" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5208/1520/200/DSCN0237.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5208/1520/1600/DSCN0238.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: left" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5208/1520/200/DSCN0238.jpg" border="0" /></a> Note, you can see a chain link fence keeping people away from the repair efforts.</p><p>You would think by now the barge would be gone.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>As we drove towards the parish line, we noticed there were people gutting their houses. We couldn't see water lines in this area. I wasn't until we came across this house that we realized they must have been completely under water.</p><p></p><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5208/1520/1600/DSCN0235.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5208/1520/200/DSCN0235.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />The tires and debris on the roof really hit home. The entire street looked like this with the exception of the homes where people had begun cleaning up. Again, all of these photos are from 2/4/2006 not a month after the storm. You can see the grass is finally growing back. One of the early complaints was that there was grey everywhere. It is still in the streets, driveways and sidewalks but the lawns and plants are starting to come back.<br /><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5208/1520/1600/DSCN0239.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5208/1520/200/DSCN0239.jpg" border="0" /></a> This house has been checked 4 times. The X is painted each time the house is checked and there are date and unit numbers as well. This one apparently had a dog in it. This was a little eerie as you could see notes on the house like, 2 dead cat, dog footprints and other random notes. This house was checked almost a month after the storm. The reality is that many houses still have not been checked. They found a body as late at 2/2/2006. I'm sure there are a few more lurking around.<br /><br />There were also some tent cities. Some tents, some tarps held up with wood. FEMA is providing water and MREs to these people but it didn't look like the best living conditions. It would be nice to have the media really focus on the rebuilding effort or lack there of. It is less than 100 days to hurricane season and we have tent cities and debris everywhere.Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18062798544774881984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16134993.post-1140360340336249812006-02-19T08:33:00.000-06:002006-02-19T18:23:18.283-06:00If the Rich Aren't Rebuilding What is Everyone Else Doing?I spent the last two weekends in New Orleans. If you weren't familiar with some of the areas, you would think that things are getting back to normal. It is not until you talk with store owners or go to the heavily hit areas that you realize how little has been done.<br /><br />We went to Lakefront first. This is the part of New Orleans that borders Metairie and Lake Ponchartrain. There is a large neutral ground down West End Blvd. that was a large grassy area. A garbage dump size pile of tree trunks and other tree debris is piled up as well as tons of abandoned cars that have been towed there. They don't know what to do with the trees. They want to burn them but are worried that the embers from the fire will set the now dry flooded houses on fire. Who knows what will happen to the cars. They have flooded cars all over the city.<br /><br />The water level on many houses in this area was up to the 2nd floor. Many of the houses clearly have foundation problems and the streets are getting large potholes. We went to the actual lakefront where the marina and many restaurants are. Much of it looks like it did the week after the hurricane with boats still on levees and in parks, power lines still down and none of the restaurants close to open for business.<br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5208/1520/1600/DSCN0231.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5208/1520/200/DSCN0231.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5208/1520/1600/DSCN0232.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5208/1520/200/DSCN0232.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5208/1520/1600/DSCN0230.0.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5208/1520/200/DSCN0230.0.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5208/1520/1600/DSCN0234.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5208/1520/200/DSCN0234.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I think what is most amazing is that these pictures are not from a week or two after but are from 2/4/2006.Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18062798544774881984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16134993.post-1134617993151445912005-12-14T21:35:00.000-06:002005-12-14T21:39:53.166-06:00Media SchmediaThe media typically loves to focus on death and destruction. Anything that shows the plight of others is usually news worthy. Why is the media only focusing on a small portion of New Orleans? I’ve heard from some people look at <insert> name. They had a terrible disaster, didn’t complain and kept on going. The San Francisco earthquake is one I hear referenced a lot. On one side, I couldn’t agree more. On the other, explain to me what disaster affected this many and to this extent. There are currently 270,000 homes that are uninhabitable in New Orleans. How many homes were damaged to the point of being uninhabitable 3 months after the disaster in <insert>? I don’t know of any that anyone living today can say they witnessed something like this.<br /><br />As of 12/14/2005, NOPD and Orleans Criminal Sheriff buildings do not have power. Entergy, the power company, is a privately held company. If you go to New Orleans on a Sunday, you will see Entergy crews everywhere. Again, how many disasters in US history saw critical city infrastructure down for 3 months? This is not a city official or corruption issue. This is the media under reporting how widespread the damage truly is. FYI – NOPD is working out of the Royal Sonesta hotel on Bourbon Street and Orleans Criminal Sheriff has full time generator power. It isn’t anarchy, I'm just pointing out that there is way more going on here than city or state officials.<br /><br />Data and phone lines are still at less than 60% up. People are buying cellular wireless cards to get internet access because they can not get their cable or phone lines up in a reasonable time.<br /><br />The above data is only New Orleans. I have a DVD of some footage taken in Plaquemines Parish a week or so after the storm. These people are driving where there was 40 feet of water. There is nothing standing. Nothing. These aren’t the rooftops you see flooded in the same helicopter footage you were seeing over and over. These are home that are splintered. These are businesses that are no more. Much different to see this from the angle of a car driving by than a helicopter. Where is the media on this area.<br /><br />Washington Parish – this is a small rural parish north of New Orleans. Bogalusa is the Parish seat. They eye wall passed just east of this heavily pine wooded parish. They keep cutting and cutting and cutting the pine trees that snapped. There are still areas that have no power. Bogalusa would be bankrupt had not a private citizen donated the money to keep the city afloat. Who is reporting on that human interest story?<br /><br />Cudos to HDNet for having a story on HD News on Pecan Island. They focused on the fishing, primarily shrimping industry. They showed shrimpers going out and catching barely adequate hauls. When they started interviewing the owners of the boats most of which are old families and the owners of the businesses that support the fishing industry, they started asking how much insurance paid for the rebuilding. They were shocked to find out that the shrimpers had simply helped each other get their boats off the levees and docks without any help. Businesses were quoted as “we haven’t seen an insurance or FEMA person. If we waited for them we would be out of business.” When asked how they did it, they replied “we all did it ourselves”. Too bad HD News has a tiny viewer ship since you need an HD set and DirecTV to get it. That is the old gulf coast way. You don’t cry, you rebuild and move on. I guess that doesn’t make good news.<br /><br />BTW, there is extensive damage in Mississippi and Texas. I see little coverage on this any more.Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18062798544774881984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16134993.post-1134570947413656182005-12-14T08:35:00.000-06:002005-12-14T08:39:48.793-06:00If It Keeps on Raining the Levee is Going to BreakThere seems to be much debate over what to do with the levee system and the coastal erosion. I can not emphasize this enough. Before you pass judgment on Louisiana and the Levee system, you must educate yourself of the history of the Mississippi River, the debate that goes back to the early 1800’s of the ways to contain the Mississippi River, the rivers role in the economics of the entire US and the fact that as early as floods in 1912 people knew the levee system caused flooding levels not previously seen. This is not simply a New Orleans issues and all the problems are not solely corrupt Louisiana politics. Granted, politics as usual have not helped the situation but they are far from the only source of blame. This is partly a nature problem and partly a man made problem.<br /><br />The coastal problem is an interesting one. We can argue man made and global warming but the reality is that nature has also played a large part on this. Over the last several hundred years the hurricanes and other storms have eaten away at the barrier islands on the Gulf Coast. There has been a massive call for costal restoration that has been met with little fanfare. There are some theories that the very act of putting in any levee system causes the wetlands to sink. Do your own research before judging. I’ve mentioned it before but the Rising Tide book has lots of history of the various theories of how to build the levee system and show that the politics started long before the 20th century.<br /><iframe style="WIDTH: 120px; HEIGHT: 240px" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=prairievillec-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0684840022&fc1=000000&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;=1&lc1=0000ff&bc1=000000<1=_blank&IS2=1&bg1=ffffff&f=ifr" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe><br /><br />Pumping issues - too many to note. The current pumps the city uses came into play in 1917. Many of these are still relied on but additions have been made. Much of the Kenner flooding has been blamed on the pumps being shut off during the hurricane because the pump operators would not be safe. I am not advocating the loss of life but something needs to be done about this. Either the pumps need to be made save to run remotely or the pump operators need some type of bunker that is flood proof and has 2 weeks of supplies. Had all the pumps in Jefferson Parish been working and much of Kenner and Metairie would not have flooded. Also, maybe it’s time to upgrade some of the century old pumps. I’m working on finding out about other areas but only have details on this part of Jefferson Parish.<br /><br />Flood gates – as recently as the 1960’s the Corp of Engineers suggested flood gates that could be shut when a storm in the Gulf is on track for the mouth of the Mississippi. This would help Lake Ponchetrain from becoming flooding and having a surge hit the North Shore (parts of Slidell, Covington, Mandeville). I’m not sure what this would have saved at this time, but it is worth mentioning.<br /><br />Bottom line, you need to work on the levee system and coastal rebuilding to truly solve the issue with New Orleans being hit with another hurricane. Pumps, flood gates and other options need to be explored as well.<br /><br />Some rumor clarification on the piling depth of parts of the levee in New Orleans. As best I can tell there are two facts that are confirmed – the pilings for much of the levee go to 17 feet and the river in those parts was dredged to over 18 feet. Not really a good design. There is conjecture that the pilings only go down to 10 feet. This is based on some sonar tests that were done recently. I have spoken with officials in Ascension Parish which is quite a bit up river from New Orleans. They too had sonar tests done a while back and they showed that their pilings were 12-13 feet. When they pulled the pilings they were at the required 25 feet. We will need to wait and see what the piling length turns out to be but don’t be surprised if it is actually 17 feet. If they need to be 25 feet in Ascension Parish, why are they only 17 feet in New Orleans? That is a much better question to ask the Corp of Engineers.<br /><br />For you people around the country who think New Orleans and South Louisiana should move. In an ideal world I agree. Now back to reality. For all the reasons that New Orleans and South LA should move so should all of Florida. I work with public officials in the Tampa area and they are scared to death of a category 4 or better hitting them. Disneyworld and Miami – you’re cut. While we are at it, I’m insisting that San Diego, Los Angeles and San Francisco be relocated as well. We all see the amount of damage earthquakes can do and we just can’t afford it. Hawaii – need I say more? An island that can be devastated by storms with and is built on an active volcano? What idiot would stay. Iowa or other parts of the Midwest? One word, it begins with a T and ends with ornados. Don’t get all high and mighty Pacific Northwest. Have you heard of subduction quakes? We call those city killers in the movies. The last one that happened in Alaska in the 1960’s still has the Goose population affected as far south as Southern California. When you go down, you’ll take the FEMA generator coupons just like we did. New York – look at the people dying in the ice storms. Get it? We live on earth and have to live with the weather. Deal with it. If you think moving over seas will help, ask the people who dies in the Asian earthquakes or Tsunami this year. Those numbers make Katrina look like a pimple. Oh and for the evangelists who claim God punished New Orleans for its evilness, explain why Las Vegas is still standing and then we can talk. Even Steven King destroyed Vegas.Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18062798544774881984noreply@blogger.com0