Worst-case scenario

[constance]

I've been staring at hurricane footage for so much of the past couple of days, spending so much time trying to track people down, that just now when I went outside with the dog, I was a little surprised not to see whitecaps and rushing water. It is only moderately wet here and drying out now, and I guess we are out of danger (though I thought last night's tornado sirens were a malfunctioning metal fan and did not even realize differently until a coworker was telling me this afternoon about cowering in her bathtub with a mattress and two children with a tornado blowing through her neighborhood, so I am not to be trusted).

Out of danger. I wish I could say the same for my friends in NO, most of whom are homeless--not to mention jobless--as of today. And much more worrying, the parents of a couple of friends decided to stay and haven't been heard from since the storm began, one set in NO which is bad enough, and the other on a farm in Pearl River County in MS, which. It's just north of Gulfport, you see.

One of my old Mid-city neighborhood:



And one of my friend M's, called, without apparent irony, the Bywater:



It is only going to get worse before it gets better, but I bet from the floor of the Superdome (from which they are not allowing people to leave), from the rooftops of houses, from the interstate islands, it feels like it can't possibly be worse.

Comments

[dahlia-777.livejournal.com]

Oh, T. I've been watching the coverage and it rends my heart. And it must be a thousand times worse for you. I hope your friends, and those missing parents who stayed in the city, all turn out to be OK,

I can't remember if I ever mentioned this but I visited NO a long time ago (1994, I think) and have very happy memories of it. I think it's an amazing place I'm sure it will survive this.

[somniesperus.livejournal.com]

*huge hugs*

One of my students asked today if they were going to rebuild New Orleans, or just...I don't know, drain it, leave it, and start over elsewhere. There was no doubt in my mind that NO will rise again. No question, though: this sucks.

[miraminx.livejournal.com]

I have been thinking of you a lot and hoping that your friends still in New Orleans were safe, so my heart really goes out to you, and to them. I've got my fingers crossed for your friends' parents. The whole situation is horrendous and I feel very frustrated that all I can do is send money, and send you warm thoughts and virtual embraces. *hugs*