Gustav journals

8/30 at 5:24pm


So I just got the call, Gustav is coming and I start working tomorrow at 5:00am. I'm sitting here watching the news, waiting. I already packed my bag, hid everything in my closet, taped my windows etc. Someone should be here shortly to put tarps over our windows. Right now, all i have left to do is wait. Gustav, now a category 4 storm, should hit the LA shores at Monday at 1 pm. Tomorrow at 4 am, contraflow will start, and I believe at 8 am the mandatory evacuation will begin. Most people have already evacuated. Over 8,000 inmates, the second largest prisoner evacuation in the state's history were already evacuated. Most of the hospitals and nursing homes have already evacuated. All of the schools have shut down and most of the tourists have left because the hotels are closed. I went into the French Quarter last night and there was barely anyone around. We were almost the only ones out on the streets. Two of my roommates have left already as well as most of my neighbors. It's fucking scary here, God help the people of New Orleans.

8/30 at 8:59pm

So I just met my neighbor Tharren. He used to live across the street from us while he was rebuilding his home. Fuck man, he just moved back into his home after three years, and now he's packing up again. Some way to meet your neighbor! I also met my neighbor Joe. He said he's trying to figure out a place to go. Our unnamed neighbor "the tough ass" said he's going to wait until tomorrow to see what he's doing. Nagin said "this is the mother of all storms." Basically the worst numbers I've heard is that Katrina was 400 miles across and Gustav is 900 miles across. This is going to get bad. The only tolerable piece of information that I have gotten is the fact that the tourists have gotten out, the people in hospitals and nursing homes are out, the prisoners are out, over 15,000 were evacuated today with the help of the public evacuation service, and countless others left by their own means.

8/30 at 10:49pm

I just finished repacking my bags. It's hard to see things and wonder, am I ever going to see this again? Who knows if my home will even be standing when I next see it. I don't even know how I would feel if this was my home for years. I am just not looking forward to tomorrow. I have a feeling there will be a lot of desperate people there, simply trying to get the fuck out. There may also be some crazies there, or some mentally disabled from ptsd from Katrina. Most of the folks here just moved back into their homes, or are still living in trailers. I just keep thinking about all of those who are staying. Yes it's their decision, no it's not the right one, but I still feel for them. They are still humans, and still deserve to live. These people have gone through enough. Although the government may be prepared to deal with the storm this time around, mother nature is a bitch and you can't control her. I just keep thinking about all the people I have met down here, and keep thinking, will they get out? Will I ever see them again?

I'm back, and a little less busy

So I've realized I haven't posting in a long long while. How unfair of me! To you, possibly the one blog reader out there reading this, I have neglected you and to that I apologize. I escaped from Gustav, spent 15 hours in the car to get to Atlanta, 24 hours there and then 8 hours to get back to my lovely NOLA, helped people re-enter, was cursed at, befriended National Guardsmen, helped clean up, and now am back to the "usual" schedule. In my defense, things have been crazy, totally out of my control, and life's been a trip. I have been keeping a written journal and vow that in the next week, I will transfer these journals into my blog. Please keep in mind, some may sound bitter, some scared, some simply burnt out. I felt that it was better to simply rewrite them as I wrote them in my journal, word for word. I apologize for any bad language or irrational thoughts. I hope you "enjoy" these thoughts and my hope is to start blogging fresh on Wednesday, or more realistically friday. For now, Adios and stay tuned!

Peace
Amanda