That Darn Gustav is coming for a visit here

[skiptomylu]

Can't believe they are already talking a mandatory evacuation of Orange/Beaumont area. That is 90 miles South of me, but people up here are going nuts!

Last update puts it coming withing about 30 miles of my house.

We are stocking up on gas, propane etc. etc. and time to batten down the hatches.

Skip

[shipahoy41]

Be safe Skip. I worked in the cleanup after hurricanes Ivan and also Katrina. I was helping an adjuster in New Orleans, Fort Walton Beach, Pensacola and Destin Florida. Some of those images I will never be able to forget especially those from New Orleans
9th ward on General Diaz Blvd and Ponchetrain.

This one may even be a category 5 when it hits Monday night!!!!! You are in my prayers!

[smoothlures]

Will be praying everyone makes it through Skip. Keep your head down.

[sac-a-lait]

Hey I hate to wish it to go to another area BUT we have had our share over this way and in April my neighborhood was hit by a Tornado...I'm tired of hearing transformers blowing up and seeing the trees blowing sideways...and being without power...To borrow a line from Robert Duvall..."I love the smell of generators in the morning"

Hey Skip just from experience of HAVING TO STAND IN LINE TO BUY Gas or use an ATM or anything...Get some gas in YOUR BOAT. Fill it up and use the gas out of there as people can/will steal if from your car. Get water from your tap NOW while the powers on. We had no water after Katrina for weeks. No power...No ATM's...etc

The only silver lining is as an outdoorsmen I own a ton of 12V lights, TV, radio and BIG batteries. I ran lights at night in the bedroom when I wanted some piece and quiet (from the generator) and my trolling batteries starting fading at the end of 2 weeks. Get ready for a curfew and a POLICE state if it hits you. Get what you need now WITHOUT panic. I see these idiots lining up for gas now and I think to myself, heck they will use it all up before the storm gets here anyway. So just cause you see a line doesn't mean you have to get in it. Kroger was open after about a week but they had limited selections (imagine that)...I felt like I was in a third world country. I never imagined I would be standing in line to get ICE or GAS (well most of us were). If you have a home/friends to go to up North of the coast HEAD ON OUT. Otherwise get a little gas, a generator, a lot of beer, some oil and hush puppy mix and eat fish everyday like we did. At the end of the cleanup up here I already had gas in my boat and was glad as they limited your purchase to $20-$30 at most places AFTER the storm but I would go take the boat to the lake, pass by the lines, putt out to my fishing hole and get some fresh fish.

[skiptomylu]

Yes got the truck full and the boat half full and 6- 5 gallon cans of gas for the generator. Some propane some Coleman stove fuel. We learned from Rita when we were without Elect for 11 days and no water for 7 days.

Filling up a big tub with water for flushing.

Skip

[GrouseFly]

I hope the weather miss's yea Skip but if it don't you might have to live on fried fish for a few days, MAN WOULD'NT THAT BE BAD!!! We had a winter ice/snow storm once that shut everything down for several days. We cooked on everything from a gas grill/coleman stove/ to the fire place and beans on top of the kerosene heater. You can always make do if you just use yea head...lol. Good Luck and Hang On....

[sac-a-lait]

Hey Skip, When I was a kid growing up in Pensacola I can remember leaving there several times due to storms but I can, to this day, remember my parents filling up the tubs when we rode one out when I was around 10 years old. I didn't do it last time as never thought we would be down so long but if that baby even thinks about coming up this way, I'm filling up all the tubs AND a 55 gal drum with water for flushing, etc. I knew that 55gal minnow tank would come in handy during the summer when it's too hot to keep minnows. Certainly can use it to flush with. I like Chinese food and the first order of fried rice I got AFTER Katrina never tasted so good!!!

[skiptomylu]

Yeah after Rita I had 2 big fish fries and invited anyone that wanted it. A few Sheriff Deputies and even some EMT's from New York came to eat. Both time fried over 30# of crappie filet's. Them people from New York had never heard of hush puppies, LOL! Also had never had fish fried like I did it. We had a pretty good time considering all that happened.

One of the Deputies brought us drinking water every day and boy that was nice. Also he had access to the school in town and took use a couple of time to get a shower, boy did that ever feel good.

We made due with a bunch of smoked sausage I had from my Elk and some Axis Deer too.

Skip

[speckfinder]

Glad to see that you guys can find the silver lining

[herb]

What speckfinder said.
Best wishes to all of you who might be in this storm's path.