First, every facet of government really had their act together this time. Evacuation, while not without its problems, was handled well. People got out, and the plan to evacuate people by planes, trains, and buses seemed to work. More importantly, those people were also brought back, instead of stranded in some far away city.
The streetcars start running again today, which - for us at least - is one of the biggest signs of normalcy in the city.
Entergy really came through as well. As of 10 PM last night, 99% of Orleans parish had power, and 73% of people in Louisiana who were without electricity due to Gustav had it again. This is an amazing achievement.
While many stores are open reduced hours, the problem this time seems to be that they are running out of stock, not so much for lack of employees. While many stores remain closed, it is not difficult to find groceries or gas at all.
The fact that the city and state allowed the Saints to play in the Superdome on Sunday is another sign of how quickly the city is recovering. Initially, it was thought they might play in Tampa instead, but Ike's original computer models suggested it might turn onto the west coast of Florida.
Driving through New Orleans, it is obvious the wind became stronger as you went from east to west, just from the amount of fallen limbs and debris piled up on the curbs. Even in the six miles or so from the French Quarter to the Jefferson Parish line, it was kind of amazing to see the difference in wind damage.
Given their experiences with Gustav, it is not surprising that many residents are saying they will not evacuate for the next one. I must admit - given our evacuation gridlock experience, I am more apt to ride out the next one and leave afterwards - when traffic is clear. I still worry about debris disabling our mini-van, and that is probably the only thing that would get me to leave for anything less than a Category 4 at this point.
Thank You Apple & AT&T
The iPhone turned out to be an invaluable tool both during the storm and upon our return. As a cell phone, it helped us find out what businesses were open before we wasted gas going there. As a handheld computer, it allowed us to check radar and visit news sites to keep up to date on what was happening back home while we were evacuated.
With local landline phone service down, it was important AT&T get their cell towers operational again in southern Louisiana as soon as possible. Apparently, this was done as soon as winds dropped below tropical storm strength. Even during the storm, we were able to text message back and forth with people who had stayed.
We Still Don't Like Ike
Governor Bobby Jindal has declared a state of emergency as a prelude to Ike. Right now, the storm is on track to make landfall somewhere between Mobile and Houston, with the most likely spot being southwest Louisiana. This would definitely not be good for the coastal parishes, who were hardest hit from Gustav. (Some rural areas will not get power back until sometime in October.)
Declaring a state of emergency allows Louisiana to keep the National Guard troops and equipment on the ready to deploy as needed in response to another storm.
The projected track for Ike would have to take a considerable turn to the east in order to inspire me to evacuate again, but we are watching it very closely.
This will be the last Hurricane Gustav update. Hopefully, updates for Ike will be even fewer, or - if we are lucky - not necessary at all.
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