Two calls in 30 minutes from relatives living near the Gulf.

[tedoll78]

My mother-in-law lives in Baldwin County, Alabama (Mobile). She called about an hour ago, worried about the storm. My partner and I told her to begin packing and leave soon. The projections have so much room for error that it would be reasonable to presume a direct hit in that area. She's packing the computer, her paperwork, precious family photos, some valuables, medicine, and her clothes.

Not five minutes after we hung-up with her, my own mother calls from New Orleans. She and Dad are worried that Ivan hasn't turned yet. Dad reports that Home Depot was "quite busy" today, and that people are making a run on basic hurricane supplies. The prospect of New Orleans being under 10 feet of water permanently doesn't sit well with them, so they're beginning to pack as well. I express skepticism about the hurricane not turning, but then again, these nasty storms are notoriously wily.

So here I am, sitting in Austin, wondering about the fate of my family and my hometown. Ivan, go away!

[likesmountains 52]

1. Ivan

I'm worried too. My son is in college in New Orleans. I keep checking his college's web site and they are not even mentioning Ivan.. He was evacuated 2 years ago for Isadore.

[ClintonTyree]

2. My daughter...............

is in NOLA too, and I'm starting to get worried myself. That damn thing had better start turning soon. We evacuated her twice in her Freshman year, none last year, and then along comes this SOB. I curse the day I said she could go to Tulane. We live in New Yok now and we're so damn far away.
I know how you feel, it'll work out one way or another. It's just the damn uncertainty.

[charlyvi]

3. I'm in central Alabama,

And I'm worried too; mostly about the tornadoes and storms that will come if a weakened Ivan rolls through here. Good luck to your family; tell them to do whatever they what they need to stay safe!

[lapfog_1]

4. Ivan hasn't followed the predicted path for days now

NOAA keeps predicting a turn to the north due to a High Pressure
area off Bermuda providing steering wind currents that should
push the hurricane off and to the north east. Ivan keeps tracking
west. I think you mother in New Orleans is quite right to be
worried and start making preparations (not that folks in Mobile
or Pensacola should STOP making preparations). I just have this
feeling that Ivan is going to shoot the gap between the Yucatan
and Cuba, and that's a more westerly landfall than the current
prediction maps show. Word from Jamaica was 20+ foot waves on
the South shore. That's a major storm "surge". Plus Ivan keeps
going up and down in the wind speed and pressure. Hang on to your
hats, gulf coasters!

[TNDemo]

5. I have a preparedness question.

My daughter is in Baton Rouge (and in NO half the time with the boyfriend) and I talked to her last night and told her that today was the day she needed to get ready to evacuate since she was off and could think about it. I told her by the time they figure out it really is going to hit there that it will be bedlam with people trying to get out and to do whatever she had to do now. I told her to fill up her car and look around the apartment and decide what she could not live without and get it together. I suggested her important papers, passport, important jewelry, laptop and clothes and things for a week or two (and her kitties). Anything else she should add to this list?

[likesmountains 52]

6. phone card, credit card n/t

[tedoll78]

8. You've pretty much covered the important things, it seems.

A few recommendations..

If she decides to leave anything behind of small value to her, tell her to leave those things in the dishwasher (if she has one). Dishwashers are made to be watertight, lol.

Next, if she can get her hands on a videocamera, go through her living space and record on video as many of her possessions as possible. This makes things much, much easier when dealing with insurance companies. (I hope she has some flood insurance.)

As far as evacuations go, I've told my parents in New Orleans to leave on Tuesday around noon at the latest. There are four main evacuation routes out of new orleans:
1) I-10 east --> it'll get her to Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. I don't see taking this route as making much sense right now, unless she gets to Mississippi and then makes a sharp turn north.
2) Causeway Bridge --> it's 24 miles long. Winds can be pretty nasty, as can high waters.. but that's only in extreme conditions. This will get her across Lake Pontchartrain, but she'll then be travelling via backroads mainly.
3) I-10 west --> from New Orleans to Baton Rouge, and then to Lafayette and Lake Charles. Going to Lafayette (or north of there) may be smart if Ivan follows a northern path through New Orleans rather than northwestern path.
4) I-55 north --> into Mississippi. This is my parents' favored route (they usually flee to Brookhaven and stay at the same pet-friendly hotel, year after year). Tornadoes would then become her biggest worry.

In reality, New Orleans can be considered an island. There's either river, swamp, or lake on each side. So all four routes involve some length of bridge travel. That's the biggest sticking point of evacuating the city and the areas around it. The earlier she leaves on Tuesday, the better.

Those are the most obvious things I can think of. If I were her, I'd grab a phone card, just in case. Best wishes!

Go away, Ivan!

[FloridaPat]

7. They had on the weather channel this morning that there is a

upper winds thing sitting in the Gulf that may take most of the punch out of Ivan as it heads north. I sure hope so. Those 145 MPH winds can sure destroy things in a hurry. We're still sitting here in Florida nervous too. I jsut spent the weekend looking at the Melbourne area here in Florida. They weren't even a direct hit. Everything on the east coast of Florida from North or Melbourne to south of West Palm beach is damaged. Not open for business. It is unreal.