email from N.O.

I received the message below from a friend who lives in suburban New Orleans. I think he provides an interesting first hand perspective.


Claudine and I have arrived safely in Houston, TX; Wednesday Aug 31. Early 3 AM Sunday morning Claudine drove from Slidell, LA to Vicksburg, MS area where her and her friends from the refinery evacuated. I remained in Houston, TX , recently I accepted a position with a new family Wing Aviation, www.WingAviation.com. On Saturday I remained in Houston but found it difficult to sleep with the storm approaching. When morning came I continued my worrying, Claudine and I were on the phones constantly. My day consisted of purchasing gas cans, tarps, a generator, water, and food. I also reserved a Uhaul Truck. After the storm passed it lost some energy then approached the area where Claudine had evacuated. When we last spoke she was going to call back with an update on the refinery's condition. That call never came. Late in the evening Claudine had acquired a satellite phone. We were able to have a brief conversation. We decided she would stay in position and I would start moving toward her. But if she heard that Slidell was in good shape we would meet there. I on the other hand had prepared my airport car to drive into Slidell, LA. The News had no reports on Slidell's condition. My Subaru was packed with a generator 35 Gal additional gas, water & food for 2 weeks, numerous lights, and a computer with GPS. My plan was to enter the town under darkness so I could pass the police line. At 2 AM Monday I completed my last fueling just outside Baton Rouge and filled the additional fuel cans. I 10 was closed into New Orleans and I 12 was open to Slidell, LA. I passed many emergency vehicles in Baton Rouge waiting to enter the area. The FM talk radio stations had a lot of great information. Local calling was possible in some areas and people called in with a lot of information which painted a clear picture of the New Orleans area. There was no information on Slidell. Cell Phone coverage stopped around Walker, LA soon after Baton Rouge. Approaching the Covington area which is on the North shore directly across the lake from New Orleans, I noticed a lot of fallen trees along the highway. Only one lane of travel was passable in each direction. Passing each exit ramp the State Police refused all persons entry to the towns. As I entered the Slidell area that was the case too. I went north on I 59 toward Hattiesburg, MS and exited at Military Trail Road. This route was through a backwoods area along the swamp. There was good reason I was able to exit, the road appeared un passable. Using a machete and some creative driving I was able to continue on the mission. If you picture a jungle and a war that was the environment. Closer to the house in less wooded areas the driving became much easier. Due to the fact that all lights were out I became disoriented and referenced my GPS for my position. Trees were blocking the road in many areas. Upon entering our area I was surprised to see most structures were standing with some damage. There were very few windows broken, which I found hard to believe. The wind had been 150 mph. Our neighborhood was flooded most trees were knocked down and houses were damaged. After driving through water I made it to our residence. I completed an inspection of the property then turned off all utilities. Our property suffered less damage than others. I quickly traded the Subaru Outback in for our Tahoe and loaded my equipment, much needed search light and a chain saw. For the remainder of the morning I tried to assist people who needed help. The Police cars and Ambulances were on their last tank of gas, the fire trucks were empty. The police said the shelters were out of food and water. They had no communication with anyone from the outside. After surveying the area and taking many photos I started my drive to meet Claudine. Every gas station was out of fuel my entire drive to Vicksburg, MS. I did not get gas until Wednesday morning. Claudine's co-workers were happy to see the pictures. It let people know what was happening. They had been without power and were anxious. Claudine’s refinery manager Albert spoke about the situation at hand. ExxonMobil is providing their employees with a terrific line of support. Albert provided our group with a very positive outlook for the future. It appears her refinery has weathered the storm well. Although their facility has not been inspected it took on very little water (2 Ft ??); compared with surrounding areas. Equipment will need repair. The surrounding area has been completely flooded, and many friend have lost houses. But not all has been lost. The focus of our group meeting was regroup our families, you all have jobs, and we will regain operations of our facility. I was impressed with the ambitions of all employees who wanted to help the company and each other. At this time Claudine has had contact with most of her group and many friends. A lot of structures have minimal damage, 20,000 trees have fallen all lights are out. There will be no power for at least a month more likely three. The waters have moved inland miles and many houses have water damage. Streets have alligators and snakes, where they are located near swamps. The bridge connecting Slidell to New Orleans has collapsed. There is a second bridge that needs to be checked. Upon my exit from Slidell, LA the Police requested an emergency call for help they were in dire straights and had no communication. On my drive through Mississippi I called 911 when my phone worked and passed their message. The following photos show the condition of our area. Many people have suffered great losses, we have not heard from all our friend yet. I'm sure they will all call when their cell phones start working. If you want to text message friends & family (phone number no dashes)@Teleflip.com. Receiving calls on a New Orleans number is difficult. Standby for more.