Text 2330, 81 rader
Skriven 2004-09-16 17:10:00 av LEE LOFASO (1:123/140)
     Kommentar till en text av DAWN ROBICHEAUX
Ärende: Ivan
============
Hello Dawn,

DR>I'm still here.  The Interstate was bumper to bumper yesterday.

It was crazy.  Bumper to bumper on both I-10 and I-12, all the way
to Texas.

DR>Ivan looks like it's turning north toward Mobile.  The news shows
DR>the Florida panhandle and west coast getting lots of wind and rain,
DR>but it hasn't really hit here yet.

It did hit Mobile early this morning.  And once the sun came up, it
was not a pretty sight.

DR>Sections of New Orleans look like a ghost town.

Kinda weird, given the kind of town New Orleans is.

DR>I've never seen it so empty.

I have.  Once before.  On July 4, 1976.  During the day.  Not due to
a hurricane, but a rumor that got started in Detroit at a KKK rally.
On Independence Day, the blacks were going to start a revolution,
hitting towns across America, beginning an armed conflict.  The blacks
in New Orleans were scared shitless, given the number of white folks
who were riding around in cars with loaded shotguns being scared that
blacks were going to start a revolution.  Fortunately, no shots were
fired and everybody survived.

DR>A curfew goes into effect at 2 p.m., so the few people still out on
DR>the streets will be retreating indoors.

Not everybody.  Some folks decided to go to Pontchartrain Beach to watch
the waves.

DR>However, it looks like New Orleans will not see the worst of Ivan.

Dang!  And I was looking forward to getting lots of free money from
Uncle Sam!  Oh, well.  Maybe next time.  :)

DR>Lots of people will probably lose electricity in the coming hours.

Not so much in New Orleans, given that The Crescent City dodged the
bullet.  But in other places lots of folks will be out of electricity
for at least a week.  Probably closer to three weeks.

DR>Plenty of branches and trees will fall too.

Along with millions of shingles from rooftops.

DR>The worst is expected some time after midnight.

Tornadoes hit even before Hurricane Ivan made landfall, killing at least
two people in Florida.  As of this morning, at least 12 people have been
killed due to the storm.  But it won't be for a few days until all is
accounted for.

DR>Some stores and gas stations had their best day of the year this
DR>week.

And now there is no more gas, and very few supplies.  Even toilet paper
is nowhere to be found.

DR>The airport is closed, but the Internet is still open.  :-)

There was a live telecast from a hotel room in the French Quarter
where a group of families were riding out the storm.  The hotel had
a connection to the internet, and using that technology the families
were able to telecast live from their hotel room, shown on CNN.
Amazing technology.  What was not said on cable, but what could be
seen, was the amount of booze on the cabinet behind them.  Even with
lots of kids present, folks in New Orleans know how to have a true
"hurricane party".  :)


--Lee


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