WARNING:  This is a no-edit zone...

We dodged the bullet--or the eye of Gustav--but even in Florida, we’ve
been under tornado warnings most of the morning today.  They’ve been
spinning off an outer feeder band, coming up from Destin, Fort Walton
Beach, and Santa Rosa.

My mom’s family, in harm’s way in Gulfport, Pass Christian and Waveland
as well as New Orleans are all evacuated and safe, last I heard, which
has been long hours ago.

I’ve failed to reach extended family in Marrero on the New Orleans
westbank, but so long as the Harvey Canal tunnel holds, they should be
okay.  My hope is that they too evacuated and just haven’t yet gotten
through.  As you can imagine, phone lines are really busy at times like
this.

Since this storm had New Orleans in its cross-hairs for days, I did
something I’ve not allowed myself to do since my mother’s death. READ MORE...