Sunday, September 07, 2008
From an email one cousin sent to another on 9/4
Folks,
Barry and I are in Pensacola at Bill Frazier's trailer with him and his mother. We evacuated Saturday, leaving about 3 P.M. and arriving here at 2:30 A.M. Absolute hell on the highway. We averaged 5 to 15 mph most of the way. It took us six hours to get to Waveland, Mississippi! People were generally calm and polite, but we didn't want to stop too often for fear of not being able to re-enter the steady stream of traffic. And all of this was before the mandatory evacuation was ordered.
Bill has been in touch with a neighbor on Gouaux Ave. who reported that some pieces of tin were blown off my roof. Of course this has me in a great state of anxiety, since we have been forbidden to return to even assess damage until tomorrow (Friday) at 6 A.M. There will be no electricity if we do return then, or stores open to get supplies or gas. We brought all of the food we had in the freezer and refrigerator with us, so we won't have that stinky freezer/refrigerator problem. The Sheriff does not want anyone who returns Friday to stay overnight (nor do I want to without electricity), so if we go tomorrow with tarps, etc. we get here in Pensacola, we'll need some place to go near Houma for overnight.
The best site we've found for news is the Houma Courier, which has heart-rending photographs and frequently up-dated new releases. From what I've seen there, getting utilities up will be a long process. Bill has heard that his mother's house has sustained no visible damage. His mother is on oxygen like our mother was, so he isn't planning to return until electricity is restored. He has offered to let us return after we secure our roof, bless him.
I've already registered with Fema. Don't know what good that will do in the short run, but hope for some benefit later on.
I's keep you all posted by e-mail of what we do, and I hope you will do the same, if possible.
Love to all of you.
Jay
Barry and I are in Pensacola at Bill Frazier's trailer with him and his mother. We evacuated Saturday, leaving about 3 P.M. and arriving here at 2:30 A.M. Absolute hell on the highway. We averaged 5 to 15 mph most of the way. It took us six hours to get to Waveland, Mississippi! People were generally calm and polite, but we didn't want to stop too often for fear of not being able to re-enter the steady stream of traffic. And all of this was before the mandatory evacuation was ordered.
Bill has been in touch with a neighbor on Gouaux Ave. who reported that some pieces of tin were blown off my roof. Of course this has me in a great state of anxiety, since we have been forbidden to return to even assess damage until tomorrow (Friday) at 6 A.M. There will be no electricity if we do return then, or stores open to get supplies or gas. We brought all of the food we had in the freezer and refrigerator with us, so we won't have that stinky freezer/refrigerator problem. The Sheriff does not want anyone who returns Friday to stay overnight (nor do I want to without electricity), so if we go tomorrow with tarps, etc. we get here in Pensacola, we'll need some place to go near Houma for overnight.
The best site we've found for news is the Houma Courier, which has heart-rending photographs and frequently up-dated new releases. From what I've seen there, getting utilities up will be a long process. Bill has heard that his mother's house has sustained no visible damage. His mother is on oxygen like our mother was, so he isn't planning to return until electricity is restored. He has offered to let us return after we secure our roof, bless him.
I've already registered with Fema. Don't know what good that will do in the short run, but hope for some benefit later on.
I's keep you all posted by e-mail of what we do, and I hope you will do the same, if possible.
Love to all of you.
Jay
# posted by Jane @ 2:03 PM 
