Gustav seems to be heading in a collision course course with New Orleans. Right now 4 p.m. (Pacific time) it is a huge storm that is heading in the direction that will land in the worst-case scenario to the East of the city. The counter-clockwise spinning of the hurricane pushes the wind and water from the westside of the storm onto the land.

The historic Oak Alley Plantation near New Orleans will soon be experiencing rains near the force of this summer deluge & more

I haven’t heard this level of doom and gloom yet on the news media, but back in 1978 I was a staff photographer for the barriar island newspapers The Sanibel-Captiva Islander that allowed me to attend a couple of National Hurrican Conferences that are convened for the media and first responders. I had the pleaseure of watching the ten head of the National Hurricane Center, Dr. Neil Frank. Dr. Frank was great at doing his best imitation of a Baptist minister peaching the fear of hurricanes as he showed slides of the previous years devastation.

I’m afraid that this year his worst prediction will come true. I was in New Orleans six months after Katrina and made a visit to the Lower Ninth Ward district.

This Wizard of Oz looking scene resulted from houses floating and then dropping

This lifting and dropping effect was present inside houses as well. Many of them looked as though the occupants walked away and never returned.

This hat was either unmoved from the bedpost or was placed back there after the water receded.

Outside the signs showed the extent of the destruction…

and the toll on pets.

Salvation will relay on forces beyond FEMA – even doing more than a “Heck of a job” this time.

9/1/08 – It looks like my fears were more overblown than the storm and the preparations better than before. I look forward to seeing the continuing rebuilding of a distinctive and wonderful American city.

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