Mandatory Evacuation Of New Orleans

Update: 5000 lined up outside waiting to get in Superdome. Looting already being reported.

Here's a very good live weather feed on the Net. Or, click on "watch weather plus" for live weather report live on line from WDSU in New Orleans. Though they will be leaving the building at some point.

Possibly unihabitable for weeks - TV says first time ever for a Mandatory Evacuation for New Orleans.

Updated Radar Links: here    and    here   and  here. Navigate this Google Map to get your bearings - you can zoom to street level.

Urgent Weather Message from NWS New Orleans Below

via Drudge.

WWUS74 KLIX 281550NPWLIXURGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW ORLEANS LA

1011 AM CDT SUN AUG 28 2005


DEVASTATING DAMAGE EXPECTED

HURRICANE KATRINAA 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. ATLEAST 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 CREATEADDITIONAL 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. FEWCROPS WILL REMAIN. LIVESTOCK LEFT EXPOSED TO THE WINDS WILL BEKILLED.AN INLAND HURRICANE WIND WARNING IS ISSUED WHEN SUSTAINED WINDS NEARHURRICANE FORCE...OR FREQUENT GUSTS AT OR ABOVE HURRICANE FORCE..


.ARECERTAIN WITHIN THE NEXT 12 TO 24 HOURS.ONCE TROPICAL STORM AND HURRICANE FORCE WINDS ONSET...DO NOT VENTUREOUTSIDE!LAZ038-040-050-056>070-282100-ASSUMPTION-LIVINGSTON-LOWER JEFFERSON-LOWER LAFOURCHE-LOWER PLAQUEMINES-LOWER ST. BERNARD-LOWER TERREBONNE-ORLEANS-ST. CHARLES-ST. JAMES-ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST-ST. TAMMANY-TANGIPAHOA-UPPER JEFFERSON-UPPER LAFOURCHE-UPPER PLAQUEMINES-UPPER ST. BERNARD-UPPER TERREBONNE-1011 AM CDT SUN AUG 28 2005

Comments

[Isanah]

Folks in N.O. LA. go west! There isn't any place to live here in Pensacola, Florida.

[TexasGal]

Such a horrible situation. So many people with so few places to go. My prayers are with these people. It sure looks like it is going to get a lot worse before it gets better for them.

[jolari]

May God watch over them all--

[Hydrangea]

Whenever I pray I always wondered if I had to do it a special way. I've always been of the philosophy that I could talk to God when I wanted to, no special words or place was necessary. I hope that is true. I hope HE is listening to all of us that are talking to him today and that he will spare NO and many lives. AMEN.

[FloridaPatty]

Yes, go west to evacuate, east is cogged up, 4 hours to go 30 miles.

Go to high ground to atleast avoid the storm surge.

[annie]

May God watch over them all--

Posted by: jolari | Aug 28, 2005 5:41:11 PM

Indeed! It is very scary!

[Newbee]

My uncle lives there and will not leave...PLEASE PRAY FOR ALAN

[FloridaPatty]

Expecting Mobile bay to surge as much as 20 feet so count on atleast a 10 foot surge.

Florida Patty suggests you park your car on the northwest side of a brick building and then go into a shelter.

[Susan]

Newbee...why won't your uncle leave :(

Prayers to all....

[FloridaPatty]

Is he in New Orleans Newbee?

Atleast call him while the lines are still up and ask him to get a radio with fresh batteries so he can atleast hear the news when the power goes down. If it hits even indirectly can be as long as 3 weeks for power to go up. Tell his neighbors he is not leaving. Get his ID information while you still can. I don't mean to be morose but I am being sensible. If you are unable to contact him 3 days after the storm or even up to a week or don't hear from him at all you will need to contact LE which will be extremely busy.

[Newbee]

Because he is as stubborn as a mule and won't listen to any family members, including his wife.

[Newbee]

thank you for the advice flordia patty

[Newbee]

Flordia Patty-
He is in La Place...20 mi nutes away and not far enough away from New Orleans..he lives on the water

[Hydrangea]

Newbie I will pray for him.. Is his wife leaving? I hope so. Good advice from FLA Patty.

[Newbee]

yes...my aunt left for baton rouge 2 days ago..thank you for your prayers

[Hydrangea]

FLA Patty you sound as if you have first hand experience with all this.

[Hydrangea]

Have you heard from her? Sounds like she left in enough time to have avoided the traffic we are hearing about.

[TexasGal]

My uncle lives there and will not leave...PLEASE PRAY FOR ALAN

Posted by: Newbee

Will do. And tell him to get as much fresh water as he can in containers NOW as it is essential after a hurricane due to water contamination.

[Newbee]

Posted by: TexasGal
He says he is prepared with water and batteries...borded up windows...ecetera...I am afraid that wont be enough. This storm is to be catastrophic

[TexasGal]

Posted by: TexasGal
He says he is prepared with water and batteries...borded up windows...ecetera...I am afraid that wont be enough. This storm is to be catastrophic

Posted by: Newbee

Yes it is. I was born and raised on the Texas Gulf Coast and have been through hurricanes for as long as I can remember. We never left our home. But the aftermath was horrible, no electricity, no water. He need to be prepared for the possibility of quite a few days without power. Getting food wasn't a problem for us as everyone fired up their grills and used up meat that was in freezers but it was the water that one couldn't have enough of. It is needed for everything.

[Hydrangea]

Newbee also check the "resources" post Dan has up. Linda has a list of things he should make sure he has. Plastic bags, matches, paper goods, etc.

[FloridaPatty]

Hydrangea I'm really in Florida, on the water of the Gulf of Mexico. 1993 got hit, had 4 feet of water in the house, storm surge.

many many many of my friends all over the state share experiences. It becomes a necessary evil to hear the stories to keep ourselves and loved ones safe.

Sometimes it isn't even the storm itself that is the tragedy but the before and after. People panic, people have a wreckless sense of safeness when the storm is over. Power lines come to mind.

Glad your aunt was wise and left. 20 miles from NO and on the water. I'm thinking storm surge just depends on the timing of that storm and high tide as to how well he will do.

Newbee please follow-up and let us know how he faired.

[Newbee]

Did you ever go through a category 5 storm???? Thank you for your comments..it has helped ease my mind a bit. :)

[Newbee]

Newbee please follow-up and let us know how he faired.

Posted by: FloridaPatty
I will..I am afraid it will probably be a few days before I know. Thank You

[TexasGal]

Newbee also check the "resources" post Dan has up. Linda has a list of things he should make sure he has. Plastic bags, matches, paper goods, etc.

Posted by: Hydrangea |
And cash!!! The Nat'l Guard did come and distribute ice and water after a certain amount of time and did impose an early curfew.

[TexasGal]

Did you ever go through a category 5 storm???? Thank you for your comments..it has helped ease my mind a bit. :)

Posted by: Newbee
The biggest that I went through was Celia. It was a Category 3 but there is a lot of speculation that it was bigger. I know that there were gusts up to 200mph. But even small ones can be devastating. He needs to have a "last minute" plan in place. Somewhere close such as a school or church that may provide better shelter if need be.

[Hydrangea]

Fla Patty and Newbee I am up in the Northeast so we rarely get Hurricanes and when we do they have usually lost a lot of strength. When we were kids we used to get excited and look forward to them. Older and wiser now! Best of luck to you both and to your Uncle, Newbee.

[Newbee]

Thank you everyone for your concern and ideas and posts.I will call him and make sure he has all those things in place. :)

[Marlin]

Wishing everyone affected great strength, patience, a sense of humor, and support in the weeks ahead. One day at a time....

[Dan]

discussion thread for the hurricane
http://www.riehlworldview.com/carnivorous_conservative/2005/08/hurricane_katri_2.html

[bhm mom too]

Did you see all the old folks that were going to the super dome? In wheel chairs etc. sitting in the seats. Can you imagine how awful that is for them? they must be from nursing homes or something. My heart goes out to them--that would be hard physically to stay there for several days for a young person.

[Just Somebody's Grandma]

It must be going to get really bad down there. My older brother and his family have lived in Slidell since 1977. He has never left during a hurricane, he would send his wife and children towards Rapides Parish to our parent's home to stay, but he would always stay. He left this time, first time ever! He usually is the one on the block that rides out the storms, but he said this is one storm he didn't want to see.

[crystal]

Wow! Nice to see Rapised Parish talk here. I live in Quachita Parish but I a m very familiar with Rapides. Kinda nice here now at least the temp has dropped, but I am afraid of what is to come

[!]

Just saw an update and I know slidell is on the other side of the lake when you get off the road. It looks like it is gonna get hit hard as well. The flooding will be terrible!! The land is so flat there. God bless all in this paths storm and i hope we do not get too much rain here as I will probably flood again.
Maybe it will wash the damn place away this time. lol
TAKE CARE ALL & GOD BLESS ALL...AND IF ANYONE THERE NEEDS HELP PLEASE LET US KNOW WHAT WE CAN DO TO HELP !!
DO NOT HESITATE.!

[LALady]

I am in Rapides Parish and the traffic has been bumper to bumper all day..no rooms left in Louisiana and I understand that maybe northern Ark. has some..all of our evacuation centers are full..I fear we will awake to a terrible tragedy
in the morning..please pray for all in harm's way

[SupportOurTroops]

Prayers being sent your way! I remember living on the east coast and hurricanes. Moved overseas to Okinawa and weathered typhoons.....I thought the hurricanes were worse! Structures seemed to be amazingly built in Japan for typhoons/earthquakes. God Bless You all! BE SAFE!

[lsu76]

3.22AM CDT

Am 30 miles north of New Orleans. Winds are picking up. Gusting with moderate rain. No rain flooding yet as the ground has been able to soak up water due to lack of rain. WOrst is yet to come.

Expect problems with trees in area later as roots give way or become saturated with water.