Gustav

[Piglet822]

Prayers and coming your way!!

[mickeys_princess_mom]

And Sgt Tigger - I"ll be saying extra special prayers for you and the rest of the police (and other rescue personnel) in the area!

Absolutely!!! Can't say enough about how much we appreciate what you do!
Today at school the computers were all getting locked up cause all the staff had weather channel on computers in their rooms. My goal for today--send every kid home with a good library book "just in case". We had a little talk yesterday about things they could do (a little empowerment, here) to "prepare" even at this early stage, and how picking up things in the yard would be helpful by freeing up their parents to do other preparations. Many came in today telling what they did, and they feel good about it. Kept their minds occupied, too. Some told me they're going to help out their elderly neighbors today. Makes you real proud of these kids--kind of gets to me.

[MsMin]

It's not looking good. I looked at the high pressure systems that will push the storm away and it wasn't encouraging. The models are now focused on our areas more than before.
MississippiDisneyFreak I am not familiar with McHenry??? My parents lived in Pearlington, Ms and had moved up to Baton Rouge before the storm. Their old house had an elevation of 17 feet and had 5 feet of water on the second floor.
We lived on the Rigolets in Camille and lost our house when I was young. Once is enough for me.
I remember when Betsy went straight up the Ms. River and hit BR pretty hard too.
It all depends on who is East of the storm
I have been looking for D batteries for 2 days.
I know BR got hit hard in Andrew. I was in Slidell then.
IF anyone needs a place I'm here in BR -- we also take animals. Lori and Bret (you know Sherrie and Koda are welcome here too) the door is open.
When I was young my grandfather was a State Trooper (troop B) in New Orleans. I know how frightening it can be when your loved ones are out helping others. Bret we are with you in spirit and our prayers are with you to keep you safe.
Lori, so sorry they canceled your reservations. The holiday Inn threw us out after we lost our house in Camille. They needed room for telephone repairmen
Thanks to all the states that have already offered help. It's incredible that states have already offered help with buses to help evacuate the people of N.O., ambulance to move the sick and elderly etc.

[Nana]

My prayers are with everyone that may be impacted by Gustav. I have lots of friends along the coast. I talked to several of them today and I could tell their nerves were on edge. I felt so bad for them. They have jobs and family. They could not leave after Katrina and they really thought that it would be a long time before another Hurricane like Katrina hit thier way. I work for the electric company helping prepare the crews for storm duty. I can tell you that we have been ready since before Fay hit. I think everyone including us learned from Katrina. Please be safe. My prayers are with all.

[Meerkat]

Good luck and best wishes to everyone on the gulf coast. We are still coping with water damage after TS Fay stalled over us for almost two days. I can sympathize with anyone in Gustov's path.

[pogo]

Prayers are coming from the North Coast to everyone on the Gulf Coast that are centered in the cross hairs of this storm.

Extra prayers for Bret and family. I've always admired your humor and Wit..... now I admire your courage. Be safe, my friend.

[Here we go again...]

Hi everyone.
I have been away for a while but had to pop in and send my thoughts and prayers to all in the path of this Hurricane.
I spoke with Beth (msmin) and Bret (sgttigger) today. Beth is fine and preparing for the storm. Bret... well.... he is not doing very well. (are you proud of me Beth??? I said WELL)
He is extemely stressed out... worried about his health, Sherrie, what could happen next and I know he does not want to go through this again.
For those of you that have never seen the death and destruction left behind by a hurricane, be thankful. Bret lived it... days without water or showers, dealing with people dying all around him. Katrina changed his life in many ways. I am sure that he was thankful to have his Intercot family here for him to get him through. Many people wonder why he did not leave... it was because he could not. He is part of a mandatory stay team. So please, please send your thoughts and prayers to him and his family.

As for us, we will be sticking around. Since I work in pharmacy we are one of the first places people go to when they realize that they forgot those all important medications at home.
Please pack those first. By law we can only help with maintanence medications. (heart, blood pressure, diabetes, etc.) We will not provide schedule mecications with out a valid prescription... your xrays will not help.
So, unless we are underwater, CVS will be ready to go. We have generators to keep the stores open and trucks of ice and water ready to roll - at regular price or free.

Please keep us in your prayers. We are going into New Orleans tomorrow for a last weekend of fun. Hopefully it will be fine in another week, but who knows. Afrer that, I might send my DD and DH up to Oxford Ms to stay with my SIL.

Anyone that has access to computers throughout the hurricane, please call others and keep us updated. We lost track of some of our regulars after Katrina... we still do not know if they are okay. I want to know that everyone is okay when this is over.

Lori, you can come here and stay with us if you want to.
Angel

[Dsnygirl]

Sending prayers and from the North for you all... I hope & pray this storm weakens and comes in with a minimum of rain/winds.... I can't imagine how hard it is for all of you to have to just watch and wait, not knowing what will happen, esp. after what you went through 3 years ago. God bless, stay safe & let us know how you are!

[daparish]

Thanks Beth and Angel for your offers. I think we will be heading to Alabama. This waiting is killing me. I am so torn as to what to do. I did just call and confirm my rooms in Alabama. My family is coming over to sleep at my house on Saturday and if we need to we are leaving early on Sunday. My house did not flood for Katrina but just several miles down the street was total devastation. Since Katrina they have built a flood gate that would prevent the water from Lake Ponchartrain from getting into the 17th Street canal. I hate to take the chance with my 75 year old mom and 3 year old niece. I just hate the thought of evacuating. For Katrina it was 16 hours to get from New Orleans to Panama City (usually takes about 5) and it was so hard trying to get gas along the way. I also worry that my niece's car will run hot in the grid lock. Then I worry that the stress from evacuating may be worse on my mom then staying. The current path does not have us getting a direct hit so I don't think we would get the storm surge like Katrina. We can handel the street flooding from rain where I live. I will update before it hits and let everyone know what we decide. Beth has my cell phone. Say a prayer for the entire coast because our local meterologist are stressing that those from Alabama to Texas need to be on alert for this one. God bless.

[SgtTigger]

Bret lived it... days without water or showers, dealing with people dying all around him. Katrina changed his life in many ways. I am sure that he was thankful to have his Intercot family here for him to get him through. Many people wonder why he did not leave... it was because he could not. He is part of a mandatory stay team. So please, please send your thoughts and prayers to him and his family.

My how things change........

I just talked to Angel this morning......

I have always been on the stay team....... even till the last 35 people I am here to stay....

Well all that changed today.... For those who don't know I was in the hospital from Tuesday till Saturday last week.... The major problem was pancreatitis but a bunch of other things as well....... I just went back to work on Wednesday and worked all day... then came home and got a bunch of stuff ready here. Well I have no energy and am still recovering so they have decided that I am going to be one of two Captains that are going to be in charge of the evacuation team. I am bring out a trailer of our equipment and then I am staying in Hammond ( an hour a half north of us) where if we evacuate personal and equipment and cars that is where they are all going. So I get to stay with Sherrie at my moms till I have to report to the evacuation center.

So I will be out of the major harm and ready to go back in as soon as the all clear is given.......

Thanks to all who have been thinking of me and my friends at work please keep them in your prayers....

[daparish]

My how things change........

I just talked to Angel this morning......

I have always been on the stay team....... even till the last 35 people I am here to stay....

Well all that changed today.... For those who don't know I was in the hospital from Tuesday till Saturday last week.... The major problem was pancreatitis but a bunch of other things as well....... I just went back to work on Wednesday and worked all day... then came home and got a bunch of stuff ready here. Well I have no energy and am still recovering so they have decided that I am going to be one of two Captains that are going to be in charge of the evacuation team. I am bring out a trailer of our equipment and then I am staying in Hammond ( an hour a half north of us) where if we evacuate personal and equipment and cars that is where they are all going. So I get to stay with Sherrie at my moms till I have to report to the evacuation center.

So I will be out of the major harm and ready to go back in as soon as the all clear is given.......

Thanks to all who have been thinking of me and my friends at work please keep them in your prayers....

Bret,
I am sorry to hear that you were sick. I hope you get better soon. I am glad that you will not be there especially being ill recently. I just saw on the news mandatory evacuation will be issued for Saturday evening.

[BronxTigger]

Extra prayers for Bret and family. I've always admired your humor and Wit..... now I admire your courage. Be safe, my friend.

Well said. I cannot imagine...

I spoke with Beth (msmin) and Bret (sgttigger) today. Beth is fine and preparing for the storm. Bret... well.... he is not doing very well. (are you proud of me Beth??? I said WELL)
He is extemely stressed out... worried about his health, Sherrie, what could happen next and I know he does not want to go through this again.
For those of you that have never seen the death and destruction left behind by a hurricane, be thankful. Bret lived it... days without water or showers, dealing with people dying all around him. Katrina changed his life in many ways. I am sure that he was thankful to have his Intercot family here for him to get him through. Many people wonder why he did not leave... it was because he could not. He is part of a mandatory stay team. So please, please send your thoughts and prayers to him and his family.


Prayers are on the way from NYC.


Please keep us in your prayers. We are going into New Orleans tomorrow for a last weekend of fun. Hopefully it will be fine in another week, but who knows.

Have a good time; take lots of photos. And pray. A lot.

I want to know that everyone is okay when this is over.
Angel

Yes, please let us know you are okay as soon as you can! Stay safe everybody!

[Dsnygirl]

So I will be out of the major harm and ready to go back in as soon as the all clear is given.......

Thanks to all who have been thinking of me and my friends at work please keep them in your prayers....

Bret, I'm glad to hear you'll be able to stay w/ Sherrie and be out of harm's way... I hope that this whole thing becomes much less than expected, but regardless -- I'm glad to know you'll be one of the ones heading north!

[BronxTigger]

I have always been on the stay team....... even till the last 35 people I am here to stay....

Well all that changed today.... For those who don't know I was in the hospital from Tuesday till Saturday last week.... The major problem was pancreatitis but a bunch of other things as well....... I just went back to work on Wednesday and worked all day... then came home and got a bunch of stuff ready here. Well I have no energy and am still recovering so they have decided that I am going to be one of two Captains that are going to be in charge of the evacuation team. I am bring out a trailer of our equipment and then I am staying in Hammond ( an hour a half north of us) where if we evacuate personal and equipment and cars that is where they are all going. So I get to stay with Sherrie at my moms till I have to report to the evacuation center.

So I will be out of the major harm and ready to go back in as soon as the all clear is given.......

Thanks to all who have been thinking of me and my friends at work please keep them in your prayers....

Oh, wow. That sounds like great news for you. I'm sorry you got sick but it sounds like the timing has turned into a bit of a blessing. I hope you feel better soon!

[weswerx]

Well Bret, it sounds like your sickness is actually a blessing. Sorry to hear that you were ill and had to go through all of that, but I am extremely grateful that you will be able to be away from the storm and with Sherrie. You guys take care!
Prayers and to all in the path of this storm.
Just remember to stay calm and don't panic.

[ElenitaB]

You are all in my thoughts and prayers (most of my family from NOLA relocated to Houston before Katrina, but my aunt and uncle lost houses to previous hurricanes and then finally relocated to Slidell).

I'd call the hotels directly to confirm the reservations.

I'll be praying for everyone down there and fervishly hope that the weathermen are wrong on this one.

[merlinmagic4]

Prayers and for all of you!

SgtTigger, I am so glad you will be with your wife and I hope you are feeling much better soon.

[JanetMegan]

If anyone needs a place to go and feels like driving to Atlanta I have some extra beds here

Be safe everyone, hopefully they are wrong about this one!

[jwildflower1981]

I booked 3 rooms at a pet friendly hotel in Birmingham, Al yesterday. It is at Country Hearth Inn and Suites. As of last night they said they still had rooms. I just wanted to pass that on to anyone in our area who was still looking.
Good Luck to all!

[BrerGnat]

Just wanted to pass along my well wishes and prayers to everyone in the path of this storm as well. This is something that our country just doesn't need right now (or ever, really, but especially now when we're in such a bad economic state already).

I hope all our Intercot friends fare well and stay safe.

Pixie dust to all of you, your homes, and your well being as we wait and see what happens.