Hurricane watch

[Pigskin]

Well, here it is 7PM CST & I'm still at work. We've taken in over 3,000 evacuees from the coast & they're still coming in droves. Our EOC is set up & we're coordinating security at the shelters & traffic direction. All schools are closed tomorrow & we're using them for shelters. I'm having to do press releases & interviews so it got busy right before the evening news & now is in a lull. All the hotels are full & we've already had a near fatality wreck from an out-of-town woman changing lanes in front of a log truck. The storm is starting to change course & move more into Louisiana so people will probably start going home tomorrow. Then there will be the cleanup after they leave & the taking of offense reports for all the stuff they take back with them.

[Sam]

It is still heading towards us in Texas but they still are saying it will turn soon.
http://vortex.plymouth.edu/hur_dir/hur_pos_nt3.html

[Mitzi]

Do NOT underestimate this thing, you guys. It's only slightly less strong then Andrew was. We had friends who stayed during Andrew and they said NEVER would they do that again. They said they were lucky to get out alive. The projectiles from the wind were not to be believed they said.

[kateykakes]

I am so nervous right now because of this storm. My brother, Michael and his gf Anna live in New Orleans. He's so stubborn. He won't evacuate, but his gf did. When I talked to him tonight, he said things are expected to be very bad, and the winds were whipping big time.

For all of you in the area, please stay safe. Piggy and cajuncop, please be careful.

http://www.comcast.net/smedia/ap_2002_10_02_-----_7676-3321-Hurricane-Lili..html

[ 10-02-2002, 09:26 PM: Message edited by: kateykakes ]

[Pigskin]

It's 10:30PM CST & I'm going to try to make my way home but first I'm going by the registration center to see how many more evacuees are coming in. The storm is locking in on La. so we'll probably have everybody going home tomorrow. We've opened 22 shelters in the county with over 4,500 people registered. That doesn't count those in motels, hotels, staying with relatives, & just parked on parking lots. We're tapped out of officers to man each & every shelter & we ran out of cots, blankets, & a few other things earlier in the night. Food is going fast too. I've done my last interview for the night so I'll be back at 8AM to see how everything went. We arrested one guy for starting a fight over not getting a cot.

Katey: My son is in Slidell just North of New Orleans. He called to say they were battened down just as they were for Isador but were expecting higher winds. We're keeping our fingers crossed for them as well as your brother.

[Pigskin]

Got home last night around Midnight & back to work at 7:30 this morning. We opened 29 shelters for 5,771 people. Lili directed herself toward Louisiana as expected so we gave the all-clear at 9 o'clock for people to return home. About half of the shelters have closed now but we'll still have to provide lunches for about 2,000 stragglers. We lucked out & will get some light wind & rains. My son in Slidell called this morning to say they are riding it out in their house & are worried about the winds. The yard is flooded but it's not getting high enough to get in the house.