Hurricane Katrina Image

Friends:

My friend, Photographer Randy Richards, sent me an email about the origin of the word “hurricane.” So I did a little research. This comes from www.helium.com by Frances Jock:

“There are two possible origins of the word “hurricane.” According to one source, the word “Hurricane” is derived from the Spanish word “huracn.” The origin of which is the Carib term for “God of Evil”. Other sources, however, postulate that the word is derived from the name of the Mayan storm god, “Hurakan.” According to the Popol Vuh, which recounts the Mayan Creation Myth, Huracan (from Mayan Jun Raqan) is the ancient Mayan weather god of wind, storm, and fire. Hurakan is “the one-legged”, and one of three creator deities, collectively called “the Heart of Heaven,” that participates in three attempts at creating humanity first from mud, and then wood. The final and successful creation resulted in the creation of mankind from maize.

The Creation Myth also reveals that Hurakan caused the Great Flood after the first humans angered the gods. According to the myth, he lived in the windy mists above the floodwaters and repeatedly called forth the earth until land came up from beneath the seas. His “one legged” appearance refers to one of his legs having been transformed into a snake. His appearance features a snout-like nose, resembles that of the Aztec god Tezcatlipoca. Hurakan can also be spelled Hurrican, Huracan, & Harakan.”

Well, it appears this angry God of wind and storm is snaking into the Gulf as I write, a strong Category 4 hurricane. May he have mercy upon us…

Until next time…

Warmly,
Dianne

Hurricane Gustav TV Image

Friends:

Overnight, Hurricane Gustav strengthened to a Category 3 then while I was watching this forecast, it was upgraded to a Category 4. We are definitely evacuating tonight, driving when it’s cooler and when there is less traffic. We are finishing with our packing and monitoring the hurricane’s path. We are still unsure whether to head east or west. Overnight, the hurricane took a slight jog to the east, changing its path just slightly but still keeping us in grave danger. It is predicted to strengthen to a Category 5.

Mayor Ray Nagin has asked citizens of New Orleans to voluntarily evacuate. Tomorrow, a mandatory evacuation order will likely be issued.

This is a picture of my neighborhood as it looks today.

Hurricane Gustav Before Picture of Neighborhood

Most people are packing and preparing to leave. I did talk to a neighbor and his son, who said that they were staying. When I asked him if he had an axe (to break through the roof in the event of flooding), he said, “No.” And his house is a one-story home. I am bewildered about his decision. After everything that happened with Hurricane Katrina, you would think that people would take extra precautions and evacuate. I hope my neighbor changes his mind.

As I watch the weather forecast, I learned that the storm has not only intensified but it has huge feeder bans. It is growing in strength as well as size. If the storm continues on its projected path, it is predicted that our area (the West Bank) will see water and flooding like we have never seen before. Most of the computer models have the hurricane coming straight for the South East Louisiana coastline. We are definitely taking this seriously. Our favorite meteorologist, Bob Breck, says that everyone should leave by tomorrow morning. He said, “I am really frightened about the West Bank.”

We live very close to the Harvey Industrial Canal which, according to parish officials, can only handle a Category 1 hurricane. Storm surge and heavy rains will be of great concern. If you are interested in checking out our local news, tune in to WWL Channel 4 on the web (http://www.wwltv.com). WWL kept us informed during Katrina, much better than the national news.

Our oldest daughter, Soleil (18), is in Texas visiting her boyfriend. She tried to change her flight on Southwest and they have her flying in at 7pm tomorrow night into the New Orleans airport. By then, we will have evacuated. I can’t believe that Southwest would allow people to fly in when city, parish and state officials are asking people to leave. We told Soleil to stay in touch with us. We’ll have her cancel her flight if need be. We will keep her out of harm’s way.

Even if the storm misses us (hopefully), there will be widespread power outages and no access to resources such as food and water. All the Wal-Marts have closed already! Now that should tell you something…

I will continue to keep you updated via this blog and Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/storyconnection). I can blog by email and twitter by text from my cell phone (as long as it works).

Again, thank you for all your emails and well-wishes. I appreciate your keeping our family in your prayers.

Until next time…

Warmly, Dianne

Hurricane Gustav Before House Photo

Friends:

Here we are on the 3rd Anniversary of Katrina, preparing to evacuate from Hurricane Gustav. My husband, Antonio, works for LSU Health Sciences Center (medical center) in downtown New Orleans. He is considered essential personnel until they release him. We are unable to evacuate until he is released.

I am busy packing and securing the house. Our oldest daughter, Soleil (18), is a student at LSU in Baton Rouge. She left on Thursday to visit her boyfriend in Houston so she is in Texas right now. LSU is closed on Tuesday in light of the storm.

My youngest daughter, Eliana (8), is in third grade. Her school is closed Tuesday and Wednesday of next week. Everyone on the Gulf Coast is taking this hurricane very seriously. Local, state, and federal government officials are working together to institute as smooth an evacuation as possible. Right now, Gustav has not yet entered the Gulf of Mexico so his path is still uncertain. They cannot pinpoint an exact landfall at this time. So that kind of leaves us in limbo. We don’t know whether to head east or west.

Our TVs are glued to local news, monitoring latest developments and waiting for voluntary and mandatory evacuation orders to be issued. Of course, my phone is ringing off the hook (and emails are flowing in) with people wondering what our plans are.

My brother is a police officer with Louisiana Medical Center (formerly Charity Hospital of New Orleans). He is emergency personnel and cannot leave. His four children (Jourdan (10), Camrynn (9), Ashlynn (7), and Jasmynn (6)) will be evacuating with my mom and stepdad. We plan on caravanning together to evacuate Louisiana. We will keep in touch with each other via 2 way radios if our cell phones stop working. I also have a GPS, which should help map out alternate routes if the evacuation routes are clogged. I just don’t want to spend 17-24 hours on the road! Ugh!

Contraflow (when traffic for the region is all outgoing) will be instituted for Orleans and Jefferson Parish Saturday night or Sunday morning. We want to try to get out before a mandatory evacuation order is issued. The news is predicting, as of this moment, that Gustav will make landfall as a Category 3 hurricane. If it lands anywhere near where we live, that would be disastrous.

My hope is that we will evacuate and be able to return after a few days with no damage to our home. It’s hard to think that another Katrina-type scenario could happen.

I have packed up all my CD masters and book files, as well as essential office files. I am bringing more than I did for Katrina in the event we will be displaced for a while. We are elevating important items in the event our home floods. I have also packed our important documents – mortgage and insurance information, vital records, and photos.

You can keep up with me via this blog as well as Twitter (storyconnection). My webmaster, Heidi, will be putting important updates on the front page of my website. Please pray for all Gulf Coast residents…

My family and I appreciate your concerns and well wishes. Thank you so much!

Until next time…

Warmly, Dianne