Gustav

Before you read further, here are two people, who understand what may happen much better than I do.

Here is a post by someone that comes highly recommended by my sister-in-law (and many others), many people are much better people than I am, here is an example of one. I hope that if Gustav is what Katrina was, that many more people take up the cause like Lance has.

I also stumbled upon a blog of someone from New Orleans, she has gotten out, and I hope she has something to go back to.

As landfall draws near of potentially a catastrophic hurricane, I wanted to take a moment and say that I hope everyone in the Gulf Coast Region gets through this as best as possible. The unfortunate disaster of Katrina has taught us all valuable lessons, lessons that I hope lead to a minimal loss of life. I think all of us, those such as I, safely in my home in Wisconsin, and those fleeing New Orleans, realize that homes and property will be lost. Homes can be rebuilt, a life cannot.

As I watch coverage of the evacuation, I see highways that I was on only a couple of weeks ago. I drove past the levees that were rebuilt, that millions of people now hope hold up during the next few days. I stayed in a hotel, which had to renovate 60%of its 41 floor building, and stayed closed for over a year after Katrina. I walked Bourbon street, and listed to brass bands on the street. Filling the streets again with music that helped bring New Orleans back. Both the hotel and street most likely stand empty today. It is amazing to think that a major city can be turned into a ghost town. Mother Nature can be one powerful woman.

This next part is not exactly the place for this, but I also wanted to comment on the naming of Hurricanes. Not that Gustav is a popular name in the US, but I feel that it wrong to attach names to things that could cause massive devastation. Their are millions of Katrina's who are now associated with one of the worst events in US history. Why do they need names? Their has to be a better system.