WickedTemptress
09-08-2005, 06:42 PM
We're back! We're ok and(obviously) our elec. and cable are back up too.
We were very, very lucky with some things, but not with others.
We were extremely lucky that the eye of the storm didn't hit where we are directly, like it was suppose to. If it had, we would have gotten MUCH more damage than we did and we also would have had flooding, which we ourselves were also lucky not to have at our house.
There were some tornadoes where we are that did touch down, but, we were lucky not to have one damage our house. I had been worried about that because our area seems to like to spawn those...
Also, we were lucky that we live kinda close to the elec. company's sub-station because we probably would not have gotten elec. back when we did and my kids were getting sick from the intensity of the heat. We also were lucky that none of the trees that fell had fallen on our elec. lines, though they did fall on the cable lines.
We did get some damage though... We had a storage shed next to our house that the wind picked up and slammed into a tree that is also right next to our house and actually, literally molded it to the tree... I took a picture of it that I'll post for you guys later.
There were also some branches that fell next to my bedroom window and the utility lines by my bedroom window were also knocked down. They weren't knocked all the way to the ground, but, they are hanging low. On the subject of the cable wires, they were also severed.
In our area, there are many, many trees down which fell on power lines, roads, houses, cars, and just about anything else that was in their way. They were either ripped out up the ground with the roots and all or cracked straight in half. And some of them were huge trees... Many business signs have been torn down, one business had it's roof top completely blown over to one side of the building, another has a huge hole on it's front side...
There has been panic in the streets as everyone here is desperately searching for gas, ice, and food... The police were having a hard time managing the people that live here and it's only getting worse because everyone from New Orleans that heard that some of our stores did open back up are coming here. Some of them even walking the Interstate by foot to get here.
Down the highway that our street is off of, maybe about two or three miles away, there have been several gun shots fired. We hear sirens almost constantly, which frightens us, of course. So much so that we had started staying awake in shifts to make sure that no one would break in to our house. And, we're not the only ones. I have heard and seen many people sitting up in their houses or even walking the streets with their guns for protection. And, our landlord also suggested to us that if we didn't own a gun(which we don't) that getting one now would be a good idea...
One man said that he was sitting on his couch day and night with his shotgun on his lap afraid to go to sleep because he hasn't seen a police officer drive down the highway that he lives by in three days.
Words can not express the chaos that is going on down here... I've listened to so many horror stories, and can't even possibly remember them all.
And... It just keeps getting worse.
It's hard to find some of the things you need and on top of that they are limiting each person to certain things, for example one loaf of bread per family.
There is a bank that is open, but, they are only letting people take out $100...
Gas is very hard to find and when you do find it, you have to wait in a line of cars for literally hours before you get to the pump and at one point they were only letting you get $10 worth of gas. They seem to be letting people get more than that now.
I have heard about one gas station that was trying to charge people $6 per gallon of gas...
It's just an utter mass of chaos...
I'm sure some of you have heard either on TV, radio, or the Internet that it's been like pulling teeth to get the government to give us the help that we need.
I've listened to a few Louisiana government officials CRYING on the radio because they're begging for help and not being heard. They're not being sent the help or supplies, or even basic things needed to survive.
One was a parish president who broke into tears because his own son was begging him for gas and food and he couldn't even provide it to his own son, let alone all of the people under his parish...
Another, a Louisiana senator representing the Northshore, in tears because no one is listening to his pleads for help to this area. He said that he feels a little selfish for asking for the help when he sees how bad off New Orleans is, but then he looks and he sees his people suffering here too and he knows we need the help too.
As for myself... I am handling this as best as I can... Though, I must say that I am in such a deep despair right now over the whole thing.
I think about New Orleans and Metairie(Jefferson Parish) where I was born... Where I grew up and had lived my entire life. Those two places mean more to me than I could possibly express and to see and hear all of the devastation and pure chaos going on out there... I'm just lost for words and utterly bewildered...
But, not only that... I have family and friends scattered all through the areas that were hit.
My mother and step-father live in Mississippi close to where the eye of the storm DID hit. They have a tree on top of their house and another that crushed one of their cars... Along with some other damage.... They lost eight trees in their yard alone...
Two of my Aunts and Uncles live in Metairie and Chalmette and some of my cousins, where there was over 7 feet of water reported. I've been able to track down most of them, luckily, and they are ok. (Some of them I have not been able to track down though and of course I am still worried about them.)
My best friend, a girl I have known since I was in pre-k, also lives in Metairie... Her little 7 year old sister had just had a surgery where one of her lungs had been removed not too long before the hurricane hit. I have not been able to locate either of them...
My brother lives in Kenner, though, luckily, I know that he is safe where ever he is because he went out of town before the hurricane hit to get married... So, though I haven't spoken with him, at least I know he wasn't home when the hurricane hit...
I also have some cousins in Destrahan and Mandeville... The ones from Destrahan I know are ok, but I haven't been able to locate the ones from Mandeville...
Osiris also has family unaccounted for...
Also, that cemetery where the bodies are floating up because of the flooding... I have family buried there! And there are sharks and gators out there in that water...
*sighs* This thing is just effecting me on so many different levels... And I don't even think it's all really fully sunk in yet... Like I'm in some kind of shock or something. I know it's never going to be the same again, but yet, it's like my mind doesn't want to fully grasp that fact...
The list just goes on and the whole thing just tears at my heart... I'm trying to hang in there though.
But, my heart has also been touched by all of you who have been concerned over our welfare and those of you who are reaching out to help us in this time of need. THANK YOU... I can not possibly find enough words to express my gratitude to you all.
In a time of insanity, where, you can't even really get to the money in your own bank account... Where your options for food are limited, where waiting in lines that never seem to end become your new daily routine, where depression, heat exsaustion, and the possibility of danger around every corner become all too familiar... You guys helped to bring a little more brightness into the darkness that's all around us. You made it possible for us to have the cash we needed when ATMs and credit cards are being rejected... You've helped to reduce some of the stress we've been under and for that, for your support, and your friendships, I say Thank You!
Red has saved all of your names for me(Thanks Honey!) so I WILL be writing each and every one of you back. It may take me some time, and, I don't really know if us having cable right now is going to last(I'm crossing my fingers that it does though) but I will get around to thanking you all personally.
I've taken a few pictures of some of the damage around here that I will post for you guys in a little bit.
Thank you all again, IT'S GOOD TO BE BACK!!! I hope it lasts! *smiles*
We were very, very lucky with some things, but not with others.
We were extremely lucky that the eye of the storm didn't hit where we are directly, like it was suppose to. If it had, we would have gotten MUCH more damage than we did and we also would have had flooding, which we ourselves were also lucky not to have at our house.
There were some tornadoes where we are that did touch down, but, we were lucky not to have one damage our house. I had been worried about that because our area seems to like to spawn those...
Also, we were lucky that we live kinda close to the elec. company's sub-station because we probably would not have gotten elec. back when we did and my kids were getting sick from the intensity of the heat. We also were lucky that none of the trees that fell had fallen on our elec. lines, though they did fall on the cable lines.
We did get some damage though... We had a storage shed next to our house that the wind picked up and slammed into a tree that is also right next to our house and actually, literally molded it to the tree... I took a picture of it that I'll post for you guys later.
There were also some branches that fell next to my bedroom window and the utility lines by my bedroom window were also knocked down. They weren't knocked all the way to the ground, but, they are hanging low. On the subject of the cable wires, they were also severed.
In our area, there are many, many trees down which fell on power lines, roads, houses, cars, and just about anything else that was in their way. They were either ripped out up the ground with the roots and all or cracked straight in half. And some of them were huge trees... Many business signs have been torn down, one business had it's roof top completely blown over to one side of the building, another has a huge hole on it's front side...
There has been panic in the streets as everyone here is desperately searching for gas, ice, and food... The police were having a hard time managing the people that live here and it's only getting worse because everyone from New Orleans that heard that some of our stores did open back up are coming here. Some of them even walking the Interstate by foot to get here.
Down the highway that our street is off of, maybe about two or three miles away, there have been several gun shots fired. We hear sirens almost constantly, which frightens us, of course. So much so that we had started staying awake in shifts to make sure that no one would break in to our house. And, we're not the only ones. I have heard and seen many people sitting up in their houses or even walking the streets with their guns for protection. And, our landlord also suggested to us that if we didn't own a gun(which we don't) that getting one now would be a good idea...
One man said that he was sitting on his couch day and night with his shotgun on his lap afraid to go to sleep because he hasn't seen a police officer drive down the highway that he lives by in three days.
Words can not express the chaos that is going on down here... I've listened to so many horror stories, and can't even possibly remember them all.
And... It just keeps getting worse.
It's hard to find some of the things you need and on top of that they are limiting each person to certain things, for example one loaf of bread per family.
There is a bank that is open, but, they are only letting people take out $100...
Gas is very hard to find and when you do find it, you have to wait in a line of cars for literally hours before you get to the pump and at one point they were only letting you get $10 worth of gas. They seem to be letting people get more than that now.
I have heard about one gas station that was trying to charge people $6 per gallon of gas...
It's just an utter mass of chaos...
I'm sure some of you have heard either on TV, radio, or the Internet that it's been like pulling teeth to get the government to give us the help that we need.
I've listened to a few Louisiana government officials CRYING on the radio because they're begging for help and not being heard. They're not being sent the help or supplies, or even basic things needed to survive.
One was a parish president who broke into tears because his own son was begging him for gas and food and he couldn't even provide it to his own son, let alone all of the people under his parish...
Another, a Louisiana senator representing the Northshore, in tears because no one is listening to his pleads for help to this area. He said that he feels a little selfish for asking for the help when he sees how bad off New Orleans is, but then he looks and he sees his people suffering here too and he knows we need the help too.
As for myself... I am handling this as best as I can... Though, I must say that I am in such a deep despair right now over the whole thing.
I think about New Orleans and Metairie(Jefferson Parish) where I was born... Where I grew up and had lived my entire life. Those two places mean more to me than I could possibly express and to see and hear all of the devastation and pure chaos going on out there... I'm just lost for words and utterly bewildered...
But, not only that... I have family and friends scattered all through the areas that were hit.
My mother and step-father live in Mississippi close to where the eye of the storm DID hit. They have a tree on top of their house and another that crushed one of their cars... Along with some other damage.... They lost eight trees in their yard alone...
Two of my Aunts and Uncles live in Metairie and Chalmette and some of my cousins, where there was over 7 feet of water reported. I've been able to track down most of them, luckily, and they are ok. (Some of them I have not been able to track down though and of course I am still worried about them.)
My best friend, a girl I have known since I was in pre-k, also lives in Metairie... Her little 7 year old sister had just had a surgery where one of her lungs had been removed not too long before the hurricane hit. I have not been able to locate either of them...
My brother lives in Kenner, though, luckily, I know that he is safe where ever he is because he went out of town before the hurricane hit to get married... So, though I haven't spoken with him, at least I know he wasn't home when the hurricane hit...
I also have some cousins in Destrahan and Mandeville... The ones from Destrahan I know are ok, but I haven't been able to locate the ones from Mandeville...
Osiris also has family unaccounted for...
Also, that cemetery where the bodies are floating up because of the flooding... I have family buried there! And there are sharks and gators out there in that water...
*sighs* This thing is just effecting me on so many different levels... And I don't even think it's all really fully sunk in yet... Like I'm in some kind of shock or something. I know it's never going to be the same again, but yet, it's like my mind doesn't want to fully grasp that fact...
The list just goes on and the whole thing just tears at my heart... I'm trying to hang in there though.
But, my heart has also been touched by all of you who have been concerned over our welfare and those of you who are reaching out to help us in this time of need. THANK YOU... I can not possibly find enough words to express my gratitude to you all.
In a time of insanity, where, you can't even really get to the money in your own bank account... Where your options for food are limited, where waiting in lines that never seem to end become your new daily routine, where depression, heat exsaustion, and the possibility of danger around every corner become all too familiar... You guys helped to bring a little more brightness into the darkness that's all around us. You made it possible for us to have the cash we needed when ATMs and credit cards are being rejected... You've helped to reduce some of the stress we've been under and for that, for your support, and your friendships, I say Thank You!
Red has saved all of your names for me(Thanks Honey!) so I WILL be writing each and every one of you back. It may take me some time, and, I don't really know if us having cable right now is going to last(I'm crossing my fingers that it does though) but I will get around to thanking you all personally.
I've taken a few pictures of some of the damage around here that I will post for you guys in a little bit.
Thank you all again, IT'S GOOD TO BE BACK!!! I hope it lasts! *smiles*