Hurricane Gustav Threatens New Orleans; Locals Engaging Evacuation Plans
Posted August 28th, 2008 in Activism, All and Inside New OrleansJust a little snide aside for all those people who can’t understand why any people/pets remained in New Orleans during Katrina - here’s a little exercise that should clear things right up for you. Try to make your family a hotel reservation in any of the evacuation cities in Louisiana or nearby states for this weekend. If you’re really up for a challenge, insist on a pet-friendly hotel. Don’t forget to consider the cost of gas while we all sit on the highway trying to get out. You might reconsider judging those who remained in the city.
Today’s 5-day forecast cone for Hurricane Gustav;
New Orleans plans for a direct hit
If there’s one thing New Orleans residents have learned to take seriously, it’s hurricane preparedness. So locals are paying close attention to Hurricane Gustav, which has already taken 23 lives when hitting landfall in Haiti. Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal has declared a state of emergency, and preparations for evacuation by Labor Day weekend have begun in for New Orleans residents. This week marks the anniversaries of both hurricanes Katrina and Andrew - the two most devastating hurricanes to hit the Gulf Coast in recent history, which brings a high level of anxiety for local residents who experienced the storms and their aftermaths. For our readers outside the Gulf Coast, imagine the anniversary of a large-scale disaster such as 9/11; all the emotional turmoil of a catastrophic event is re-lived not only because of the date, but because another storm now threatens the same region. Since the Bush administration essentially washed its hands of the Katrina disaster, levees have not been repaired - let alone strengthened - and major flooding remains a possibility for the city.
For our local readers: we encourage you to resist the temptation to become enmeshed with disastrous predictions, and instead empower yourselves and your loved ones by maintaining as much of your normal schedule as possible. Once you have heard the most recent updates, turn off storm coverage. Listening to hour upon hour of imprecise predictions will not provide you with new information, and news networks often engage in unnecessary catastrophism in order to raise ratings. The best way to combat anxiety about a storm is to empower yourself by being prepared. Develop or revisit a plan in case an evacuation is called for, and a plan for weathering the storm locally. Following are some links that can help you stay appraised of the latest weather alerts, and help you complete your preparedness plan. Remember that anxiety is normal under these conditions, but don’t let it interfere with your ability to take care of yourself, your loved ones, and your community. We are all going through this together, and together we can weather any storm, even with Mayor Nagin in charge.
- NOAA Gustav Public Advisory Updates - The most recent updates from the National Hurricane Center, a division of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. This is an easy way to stay updated on the latest weather news without becoming overwhelmed by repetitive guesswork and overly-dramatic predictions on the news and weather channels. You can also find the latest and news on NOLA.com’s New Orleans Hurricane Center website.
- General Evacuation Guidelines - From the city’s official site, includes tips, evacuation routes and estimated drive times, and emergency broadcast stations around the state.
- Southeast Hurricane Evacuation Guide - Click to see where you can get copies of the guide including evacuation routes or download it here.
- Gambit Weekly’s tips for hurricane preparations - including evacuation checklists and location guides.
- NOLA.com’s tips for emergency food and water planning - Great tips from Katrina survivors, including how to store frozen food even when the power goes out, how much water you really need, and of course, the requisite red wine (no chilling necessary).
- Plan for your pets - Don’t forget to plan for your fuzzy friends. Many shelters will not admit animals, so your pets may need a backup evacuation plan. This link has information on how to plan for your pet, as well as animal shelter options and pet-friendly hotels and motels. You can also find tips on the Louisiana ASPCA website, or call them directly at (504) 581-PETS or (504) 368-5191.
