[00 Trans Ram]

Well, looks like Gustav is really coming for New Orleans. We've boarded up our house, packed our stuff, and are on our way out of town. Gonna be staying an hour north at my parent's house, so we'll still be somewhat in the thick of it.

Had to leave the Rhino (nickname for my car) in the garage. Just no way to get it to safety, plus our other 2 cars, 1-month-old twins and my wife. Besides, there are already a half-dozen guys running flood cars - I guess I could too.

I'll let y'all know how everything goes!

[00 Trans Ram]

Well, me and my family made it fine. Houses are OK. Cars are fine, too.

People in Baton Rouge and Lafayette got hit hard, though.

[nape]

People in Baton Rouge and Lafayette got hit hard, though.

The contractor I work for just sent 60 crews down there. The lights will be back on soon (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/2thumbs.gif) (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/drink.gif)

[00 Trans Ram]

People in Baton Rouge and Lafayette got hit hard, though.

The contractor I work for just sent 60 crews down there. The lights will be back on soon (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/2thumbs.gif) (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/drink.gif)

I passed a convoy of 53 trucks just this morning. There must be thousands down here!

Julie, it's a different kind of damage than Katrina. It's not easy to see. Trees down, some on cars/houses. Roofs blown off. Minor flooding of low-lying areas. Basically, the same stuff you see when a small tornado hits Kansas or the mid-west floods because of rain. Except, instead of it being one or two communities, it's the lower half of our state (home to 75% of our population). It just doesn't make for good TV like a flooded metropolitan city.

Lots of electricity problems, though. I heard the other day that about 8-10 parishes (from Baton Rouge down the river to New Orleans) have been completely taken "off the grid". Basically, they severed all ties with the electrical grid of the Eastern US because their damage was so extensive that it was affecting service for the rest of half the country. We are now being powered by a few "gypsy" power stations and have no ties with the rest of the country (electrically speaking, that is).