MANDATORY EVACUATIONS FOR NOLA.. 175mph winds Upgraded!

Sustained winds at 175 mph from the 11am advisory.

If you are reading this blog. Stop. Turn on CNN or TWC or any channel you choose and watch something you will not see again for years to come.

If you have friends in the area do not call them and yell at them to get out. They have heard. Ask they where they are going. Find ways to pass along messages to anyone else that may call and will call while they are trying to do things.. pass the message along. IF they insist on staying. Ask them not to.. try... pray for them and ask them to go up to high ground or a higher floor.

Despite what people say about not doing that.. it has saved many lives.

I have friends who remember riding out storm surge from the 1926 Miami Hurricane two blocks from the Atlantic Ocean on South Beach.. 2 blocks from Government Cut.. 2 blocks from Biscayne Bay. Surrounded at the tip of South Beach in small 3 story buildings. They went up to the 3rd floor and looked down and watched the storm tide rushing through the first floor of the building. One of their most vivid memories. A river racing through. Somehow.. miraculously when the waters parted the building stood.. missing good parts of it. They found a place to hide and survive but they wouldn't have on the ground floor. Have had a few people tell me the same thing while doing research on the 26 Storm. Somehow people survive but they don't survive if they don't go up above the water.

I remember during Andrew.. as friends were leaving Miami Beach. The last thing I remember our friend across the street doing was showing me on his van where the water line was during the 1926 Storm. A vivid memory. We went upstairs and hunkered down in an old home built in 1926. The man lived in the house that used to belong to Barbara Capitman.. spelled that wrong, no time to stop and check or I will lose my thoughts. Looked at Barbara's old house (bless that lady, Mother of Art Deco Revival on Miami Beach) and her old house that faced our house and pictured Miami Beach under water in 1926. Remembered Mr. Giller an old time architect telling me his stories.. other's stories... find high ground. Run from the Water.

Otherwise.. if you haven't checked out CNN.

There is a problem with finding gas.
There is a problem on I-10 going west to Texas.. take alternative routes out of town and then get onto I-10. Go north.. all westbound traffic is jammed.

Window is closing... winds should get bad fast and those evacuation routes will be shut down.

ATMs are I am sure out of money.
Gas Stations are out of gas because those who were scared last night filled up already before the early worm could get some gas.. Been in Miami while people are driving around on fumes trying to get gas and some relative is calling on the cell telling them to get out of town.

Nice to tell people to get out of town but are you sending them a plane ticket???

Actually ...they said on press conference that the tourists are having problems trying to get planes out of town and they have first priority here.

FACT: When a Cat FIVE is coming to town ALL the major carriers start pulling planes and crew out of that town and they get priority too. So..not only are tourists trying to get out of town and people with money trying to buy their way out of town.. you have to compete with every carrier trying to fly their planes and their crews out of town. Think on it...

Unless you have a private plane, copter or a ride on a magic carpet ride do NOT call up your distant relatives and friends who have possibly 5 kids or a grandma or two dogs and no money and yell at them to get of town in a city without gas and with not enough money to buy bus tickets for 7 members of their family and their dogs. No money they can access if they had it in the bank because the banks are closed and the ATMS are out of Twenty Dollar Bills. Pray.. Advise.. Run from the Water, Hide From the Wind. Winds of 175mph winds.. Not much I can say beyond that and pray.. doesn't hurt, definitely won't hurt! More later.. Bobbi, want to read discussion and boards.