The Nest

OMG!  Now I'm scared!  DH bought a generator yesterday.  We're on the North Shore but I'm freaking out.  He's all about riding it out and I'm ready to pack the animals and head back to KY!!!  Any advice?  Any "must need" supplies besides the obvious (water, TP, first aid kit)? 

 

Canned food, flash lights, batteries, emergency radio. Water and lots of it. I suggest battery operated fans, it gets hot here, fast. Don't forget pet food... 

Expect to be without power for a while, not a few hours, a few days... at least. Northshore is better off than south, but if its a four of five or they call for evacuations... better safe than sorry, get out. This of course if for worst case scenarios and better prepared then not. 

I used to love Hurricane parties. Not so much anymore, I'll party for a tropical storm instead! 

Oh and we aren't refugees. Seriously, we have homes. We are evacuees and coming from a person who lived in BR for five years pre K, then six months post K... the traffic wasn't all that different. BR traffic sucks all the time anyway! Only kidding...  

I have to admit I'm getting scared. I rode Katrina out in Covington, and I won't do that again!! If it gets to a 3 of higher, I'm out!! Karen, if you guys are going to stay, I would suggest filling up some containters with water and freezing them. They came in handy for keeping food cold in ice chests. We also stock up on charcoal or propane for the grill so we can still cook. My MIL actually made coffee on the grill last time. We had a battery operated TV and radio which were a god-send for keeping updated. We also get candles and batteries for the flashlights. I'm with Melhel......hurricane party for a TS or small storm, otherwise I'm outta here!

PS- mzovoce, I thought your comments were very insensitive! Do you think that people WANTED to spend 2+ months in BR? Do you think I enjoyed sleeping on an air mattress on the floor instead of being home in my own bed or standing in long lines at Wal-mart to buy things like socks and underwear?! I think you should think a little bit more before you start making comments.

Hey Ladies - good luck to everyone!!

I am starting to panic a little.  We were at Memorial Medical Center (Baptist) for Katrina and it was a nightmare.  We didn't get out until Sept 2 and it's not an experience I wish to re-live.

I have to agree with LSU628 - now is not the time to make insensitive comments; no one wants to leave their home, pack up their cherished belongings and hope their house is still there when they return.  It's stressful on everyone and no one is asking for this hurricane to come.  It's out of our control, so let's just all be smart about making plans and don't let tempers flare - it won't help the situation and it will only stress you out.

Love to everyone!!! 

Oh ya'll, i'm so sorry I didn't mean to be insensitive, but I do see how it reads that way. I swear I have foot in mouth disease open mouth insert foot. I'll go back and edit that, so it isn't so inflammatory, thanks for pointing it out.

Melhel86:

Oh and we aren't refugees. Seriously, we have homes. We are evacuees...

I was trying to think of a nice way to respond to that statement...thanks.

Also make sure you bring ALL meds and important papers.

Thanks for the advice.  DH doesn't think it's coming and thinks I'm freaking out over nothing but I don't care.  So are they really good about the warnings?  Are there sirens?  How does it work? 

according to Weather Underground, Gustav will be here Monday and it's projected to be a category 3.  I don't know how accurate that really is. 

 

http://www.wunderground.com/tropical/tracking/at200807_5day.html?MR=1

I had to think long and hard about that response. I was in BR for four months. I thought my life had rewound, I went from living on my own, to moving back in with my college roommate!! Though she was a life saver. 

My parents own a house in BR for my sisters (cheaper than double rent) to live in while in college. So we now have a great evac spot, and technically we're residents! 

No sirens, it's not like a tornado. If it comes, and is a three. Leave, you haven't experienced one and really it's not worth it! A three is real scary, a one and two is scary, but doable.  You will know a day or two before if it's projected our way. It might not be 100% so you'll have a lot of people over a wide area evacuating. (ex. Mississippi Gulf Coast to New Orleans, or if it goes west, BR isn't safe either to New Orleans) 

Watch the news. Keep informed, they will let you know what to do!  Pack important papers, meds, wedding albums, pets anything irreplaceable and head out. 

 

Hi Ladies -

 I am on the Northshore and am not in panic mode just yet. We are getting together our important papers, dog stuff, pictures and will be ready if we need to leave.  We rode out Katrina in Carriere, MS with my dad and although we were without power for several weeks, we had plenty of food, fans, water and we just did what we could to keep sane. 

 So it's important to just watch the weather and stay updated on information. Be prepared!

wow this is too real for me. pre-k we used to love hurricane parties and thought evacuating was a road trip. now that i am a home owner, freaking out a little. and my DH is telling me i need to be packing b/c he wants me to leave to go to his moms in houston on saturday. he is a wildlife and fisheries agent so he has to stay. not really looking foward to this road trip, hope this thing turns and stays less than a 3.

I am freaking out a little.  I am getting everything ready just in case we need to stay or leave.  DH has not be evacuated from offshore yet so I get to do all of this on my own.  My mom has been so nice and she went to Sam's earlier this week to get some of the things we need.  I am not looking forward to this at all!  I am preparing for the worst and expecting the best.

 Oh here is another suggestion...For those of you who have little ones or who are pregnant you may want to get a copy of your medical records in case you or your child needs medical attention if we have to evacuate.

i'm not panicking, but i'm certainly not looking forward to evacuating with three babies, either. blech. we were planning on going to baton rouge anyway, and now i'm just going to pack more stuff.

sigh. i hope everyone stays safe and has an uneventful evacuation with no storm!
 

I'm panicking and I'm in Dallas, ok, so I'm panicking for my family back in the the N.O. area.  My mom lives in St. Charles Parish and I just got off the phone with her and she isn't worried in the least.  She's all like, "Yeah, I need to go home and do some laundry".  Um, pack your car up NOW woman!  She'll head up to Ponchatoula to be with my relatives.  Though after Katrina they were out of power for weeks and ended up here in Dallas till it came back on.  Then my cousin and her BF are all about riding it out.  Ughhh... just get your asses her now!  It's like freaking de ja vu.... 3 yrs later, same weekend.  crazy.

 I'll be thinking of all of you!  Please stay safe!

Hey everyone! DH and I were planning on going to ATL for labor day. I'm going to take the dogs and go there tommorow. He's planning on staying in town just in case he needs to board up the house or get things ready for a storm. If the city gets evacuated he'll head to St. Francisville with my family. Hope everyone stays safe.

I'm not...

After Katrina, my attitude is: "It is what it is."  I lost everythnig the first time, so I've learned not accumulate a lot of stuff. I haven't printed A picture since Katrina (they are all online, on my computer or on a disc). We will evacuate, if needed on Sudnay, as I have two little ones, so riding it out and hoping for the best is not an option. We're headed to Houston (family, who ironically are all Pre-K New Orleans residents - gotta love that) unless the storm decides to go further west, then we'll head to Atlanta.

If there is damage, we're not looking back. We're moving to Salt Lake City, UT were I lived after Katrina for 6 months. Great place to raise a family. I told my husband, if I have to pack, I'm packing for good. I'm tired of this crap, it's not fun living here anymore. Sorry to be a downer, but Hurricane season SUCKS!

You are all being so brave. I have called one of my good friends and offered my home for him if he needs it.  I am sitting here terrified that the city I love so much is going to be damaged beyond repair. Please be safe and be smart.

 

 

scooter&peety....I so wish DH and I could just relocate.  I'm so with you on the moving thing.  I feel like I just want to stay where we end up.  Unfortunately, with a house note and low savings we can't.

 We had a hotel room in Lafayette (not my choice), and now we have a back up close to Birmingham, AL. 

 I hate living here and I hate going through this.  INstead of a dog and 2 cats for Katrina, add a baby to the mix.  And since Katrina I know to pack MORE stuff so I'm going to have to become a really crafty packer.

We are not in panic mode just yet.  I am a little nervous, but "it is what it is"  HOWEVER, it sucks.  If we leave and we are "washed away" we are not comming back.  I cannot do this again.  Good luck to all and hopefully we will have nothing to worry about.

Kelli