The Beotch katrina
(I refuse to capitalize the name)

Saturday Afternoon, August 27th - Evacutation

On the radio, WWL announced that at 4:00 in the afternoon the state contraflow plan would be activated.  Traffic on both sides of Interstates 10, 55, and 59 would be changed to allow outbound traffic only.  Amy and I had memories of nightmarish traffic during prior evacuations and we agreed to leave as quickly as we could.  [Traffic data collected after the storm indicates that over 500,000 vehicles carrying an estimated 1 million people fled the Gulf Coast  in 30 hours.  This is approximately half of the time estimated by the US Army Corps of Engineers.  Of the many miserable failures suffered during the katrina emergency response, the contraflow was a triumph of planning.]

Moving a million panicky people from their homes is an aweing and somewhat saddening site.  Thoughts of the movie The Ten Commandments come to mind as the Israelites fled Pharoh's wrath. Hurricanes show no respect for social status.  Everyone is desperate to flee and to bring as many valuables with them as they can carry. Sadly, many are ill prepared and have scarce few resources to help them in a crisis. I observed many automobiles that appeared in no condition to be driven for a long stretch.  Often you would see the craziest things tied to cartops:  a child's tricycle, boxes sealed with duct tape, tarpaulin covered items.  It was rare if we travelled an entire mile without seeing a breakdown. In spite of the hardships, it seemed that there was a prevailing sense of civility.  Everyone seemed to acknowledge that we were all sharing in a great suffering.  There seemed fewer displays of rudeness, road rage, and agressive driving than might be encountered on a normal commute to work.

There's a carnival song enjoyed by New Orleanians called "Rich Folks Get to Pee on Mardi Gras Day".  The lyrics detail how hard it is to find a place to do the most common and necessary things when there are a million others crowded about.  On Fat Tuesday if you're wealthy you can simply retire to the privacy of your rented suite on Bourbon Street or at The Plaza Hotel.  No such class privilege exists during hurricane evacuations.  Chances are you will find yourself at one of the half-dozen roadside rest areas in south Louisiana with several hundred other like-minded folks.  If you're male, your wait may only be five minutes.  For the fairer sex, my advice is don't wait too long before addressing necessary tasks. 

Within the past couple generations, sociologists have documented changes in the human-animal bond.  Pets have become family members.  It should come as no surprise that during emergency evacuations, most people refuse to evacuate without their pets.  Evidence of this could be observed at every roadside rest area. You could see four-legged family members being watered, fed, walked, and comforted. Hundreds of pets.  Barking, meowing, mewing, growling and snarling masses. (Watch your step.)  Dawgie the Lab was riding in the pickup with me so we too were making frequent stops.  Dawgie is a very friendly creature and she found the toilet breaks to be quite a social opportunity. Because she weighs in at 85 pounds, some of my fellow travellers viewed her welcoming efforts as menacing.  The non-petowners seemed particularly distressed when Dawgie, dragging me by her leash, would rush to bathe their toddlers' faces with her tongue.  [One touching katrina pet story that made national news occurred when a police officer forcefully separated a little boy from his small white dog during a public evacuation.  The little boy cried until he vomited.  "Snowball, Snowball", he continued to call out for the dog.  As a result of katrina stories such as Snowball's, the Pet Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act was passed in 2006 forcing state and local officials to include pets and service animals within their evacuation plans. Despite large reward offers, the child was never reunited with his dog.]

For my own amusement, I am preparing this katrina blog on the fifth anniversary of the wench's calling.  I confirm the absolute accuracy of all facts before documenting them (I ask my wife).  If per chance I have mis-stated a point or you would like to correct or critique any entry, you are welcome to email me or to include your comments in the guestbook on this site. I add material at my leisure. Check back often.  And then again, I may not write another word until the tenth anniversary of katrina.  Concerning the literary quality of my blog, my apologies go to Ms. Lauren, Ms. Massey, and Ms. Sherley.  You all taught me better than this.