Linkstew

Image: "Clean up efforts for Hurricane Katrina have already begun in some areas." This is pretty great, and is especially timely given that We Love Katamari comes out next week.

So here's what will hopefully be the final update on my sister, this time directly from her (though I added paragraph breaks to make it easier to read):

We are fine. [Saturday] morning we tried, once again, to cross the bridge on foot, and were told we could do so by an Army Sergent, but were, once again, turned away by the officers on the bridge. Beth and Jim were able to get a ride into Algiers where her father lives. There wasn't room for four, so I, very tearfully (for first time, real tears pouring rather than moist being held back) gave her Gwen.

We ended up at the Convention Center at about 8:30am. Neal and I got in what seemed like it should have been a line but mobbed the further along it went toward the military copters flying people out. Just as we were at the begining of the line, many buses rolled in and we were directed to them (this was at about noon).

We were told we were going to Baton Rouge, but it turned out we were in for more than a ten hour drive to Fort Smith, AR. I cried about being separated from Gwen for about an hour; regarding getting our lives back to gether, I've never been too worried because we're smart, willing to work, and have the best network of family and friends anyone could ask for.

We stopped once at about 10:30pm; I managed to get to the pay phone to call my mom collect to let her know what was going on, as nobody had been at the apartment we had been at since early that morning.

Our bus driver tried to let us off just outside of Baton Rouge since we had money and people who could come get us, but the State Trooper very assertively stopped that plan in its tracks. After we got to the Army base at Fort Smith (3:15am), we were told to stay on the buses so we could be processed. After about five more hours, the drivers ignored that and let us off to stretch our legs, have a smoke (Neal was very appreciative of that), &c.

Eventually, maybe at about 10am, food was made available, but the lines were too long; our driver had some MRE packs, so Neal and I split a Thai Chicken meal. ! I talked with a police officer on the base about our situation and capability of taking care of ourselves because we had funds and friends able to help us; he quietly said we would not be stopped from leaving the base. Neal and I verified it with an MP, then let our bus driver and a family we had been helping since early that morning know we were leaving.

Some MPs gave us a lift to the front gate, a lady from town was going to take us to the bus station, but first took us to her apartment so we could shower and have coffee (Neal got his first cup since Sunday morning at the base).

I called my mother, she got me in touch with her friend, Eva, who lives in Tulsa, OK. Barbara, the kind AR lady drove us most of the way, Eva and her husband picked us up, took us to Wal- Mart to buy some clothes (our suitcase is in Texas, Austin (with Karn's sister, I think). Eva talked with Beth, who is on her way to Dallas; Gwen is fine. We will try to get her to meet us half way so I can have my kitty back. I'm hoping our next stop will be Las Vegas to see Trish, Chris, and Siggy, and then to Bakersfield.

I was reading my feeds this morning, and a few of the ads actually caught my attention for once:

The latest update on my sister (Kristi) is that they weren't able to leave today. Here are some details from the last person to talk to her:

I just got off the phone with Kristi. They tried to leave on foot today and were turned back by the National Guard. They are not letting any pedestrians out, even though the NO mayor said they would.

Kristi wanted me to assure you that they have plenty of food (fruit, bagels, bread and other stuff) drinking water and other non-alcoholic beverages. They're in a security building with secured entrances, they have access to all the apartments in the building, (they broke in a stole the super's master keys, those clever kids!) and they feel safe where they are.

People are aware of where they are holed up and that they're trying to get out, including some of the National Guard and the Sheriff's department. It seems they are now on a waiting list. The land line they can be reached at is (504) xyz. They can receive some calls in, but can't call out from what I understand, and I'm sure they're hoping for calls telling them it's okay to evacuate.

Kristi seemed in good spirits and says they're safe as they can be right now, except there are 2 people there with them who have medication needs. She mentioned trying to get to Houstin, and then possibly taking a bus or train from there if someone can arrange for the tickets/money when it's time. Alternately, Chris and I will drive to Texas and pick them up. Either way, they won't be stuck if they can just out of NOLA.

More as I know more.

update: So apparently one of the cars wouldn't start and half the band was left behind, so that's when my sister and her husband (and maybe others? that was unclear...) tried to decide to walk out and the national guard turned them back.

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After hanging out for a couple of days in New Orleans, my sister and her band are on their way out of there this morning. Here's the message I got this morning from whoever has been closest in touch with my sister:

Well they're off. There are 9 humans and 3 cats, in two cars. The bridge is open and they are heading to Beth's father's on the West Bank. He has running water, he has electricity. Once there, they'll figure out who is going where and get an estimate of how long that may take. Only unknown is how long it will take to get to the West Bank. Since the bridge is now open to all evacuees... could be awhile. (They should've left at first light to beat this rush!)  Anyway... I imagine we'll all get calls once they get to civilization.

So that's more or less that.

For those of you who asked about my sister's reaction to the hurricane, here's the correction to my "I assume she evacuated but I haven't heard back yet." This is what I know as of 10 pm last night:

Instead of evacuating, she was going to stay at the hotel she worked at, but apparently the hotel corp decided to shut it down completely and kicked everyone out, so they went home. She says this of their situation:

We decided to do a vertical move and are on the 4th floor of a cement apartment building; the apartment belongs to friends of ours and there are a couple other friends in the building who have also decided not to leave New Orleans either.

Said apartment is located here.

As far as I can tell, most of the flooding so far is in the north and east parts of the city (up by the lake) coming from a break in the levee apparently somewhere along that little canal directly NE of my sister's near where I-10 crosses it.

Google Earth even suggests that she's +3 feet of elevation, which is pretty good for new orleans.

But uh, she's also near the superdome, and one report I read suggested there were 3 feet of water outside of the superdome at that point.

I'll have an update once we hear from her again, but in the meantime, there's not really much else to say.