Gustav, you Bastard

So yeah, it seems as if we are going to get hit. This may be my last post for a while. This city, has turned into a time bomb. Everyone is tense and going crazy. It's fucking scary.

Suppositly, contraflow will now begin on Sunday. Basically what that means is that all traffic goes out of the city and no one is allowed in. This means the mandatory evacuation will begin sometime Sunday, but now it seems as if it may start today. I went out to dinner last night in the French Quarter. It was a ghost town. There were maybe 10 other people in the restaurant with us, and maybe 15 other people with us at Cafe Du Monde. This is unheard of especially on a Friday night. There was no one walking around and everywhere you went you could not escape the word Hurricane, and I'm not talking about the drink.

The worst I believe is the National Guard. I mean I'm glad they are here, so that they can "keep the peace" once everyone leaves, but man is it a scary sight. I think that's what's most frightening. I feel like we are being invaded. There were so many humvees and tanks and amphibeous vehicles as well as helicopters and most scary, men and women with guns. They have started patrolling a little, but there presence is felt everywhere. I'm not trying to judge from past experiences, but the last time they were here after Katrina, they were abusive and harrased the locals. They were in a power struggle for control of the city and did not act appropriately. New Orleans turned into the wild west, and seeing them made my stomach drop.

I have also never heard this many helicopters in my life. They fly by constantly, doing God knows what. That noise, well it's pretty scary.

All of my neighbors are boarding up and getting the fuck out of here, something I will be doing shortly I'm sure. Right now, however, this waiting, is just fucking killing me. I need to know a plan, and it seems as if there isn't one. The phone calls to the family are hard, because, well I can't lie, yes I'm scared, no I don't know what is going to happen, yes there is a plan, but that'll be in effect until shit hits the fan. It's all sort of up in the air, and I feel like I'm on a roller coaster and the tracks up a head dissapear into nothingness. I'm trying not to worry, I mean, I will get out, I will be away from this, and I will be safe. But for now, everything is sort of in a frenzy and unknown.

My neighbors were meeting outside discussing possible evacuations routes. No one is staying. They were saying that how this storm will hit us, it will be what is called a wet storm. Basically they were saying that the Lake will flood and topple the levees, and then there will be more flooding in areas along the Mississippi because the levees in spots aren't fixed properly or there aren't any at all because they haven't finished them. The thought of more flooding in the city is horrifying. This city has just been through so much, and the people here are on the brink. So many say, if this storm is bad, they will not come back home.

So for now, I will prepare. I'm taping my windows and putting my stuff in water proof bags. I'm packing my evacuation bag, and trying to eat something. Then I'll just be trying to enjoy this beautiful weather we are having, I guess, and just waiting to be called to duty.

I wish the city my best. I hope all get out safe, and I hope there isn't much damage. I know a ton of people resorting to religion at this point, it's called foxhole religion. Basically when put into an extremly stressful environment, such as a foxhole during a war, you find God. Well I just can't help but ask myself, if there really was a God, well then why is he letting the people of New Orleans go through this again?

I'm sorry if this post is terribly truthful, but I don't have the mental capacity right now to separate what is professional to write and what I am feeling.


Until next time.

Peace