It's a sad day for me. They say possibly as many as 80 dead in Harrison County alone. I used to live in Harrison County. I have friends there...former students and colleagues. They say that due to something called "Hurricane fatigue" many gulf coast residents didn't evacuate...too much of the "boy who cried wolf" syndrome. Unfortunately for many of them, this was the real deal. A cat 4 hurricane smacking you in the face is no small matter. It's devistation of the highest order. New Orleans, another city very close to my heart, and home to many a former DIVA, is underwater in places and a bit worse for wear, but it looks like they really dodged another one. Despite the damage, if that hurricane hadn't downshifted froma 5 to 4 and turned slightly eastward at the last minute, I don't think NOLA would be standing right now. SO despite everything, there is solace in knowing it could've been worse.
So for any and all DIVAS reading this, if you get word on any of our friends in that area, let the DIVAMASTER know, or leave a comment here. And for those of you in harms way, we're praying for you. Don't hesitate to let us know what we can do to help. For todays comments, feel free to just comment on the events of the past few days and pass along any updates you might hear. And if you wanna send along well wishes to DIVAS in the South Mississippi / NOLA area feel free.I'm sure DIVA master will send out a link to all residents once the power is up and running again.If any of you LEX area DIVAS can generate ideas about how we can help, post em!
BTW- the lyric is from Jimmy Buffet's BILOXI, a beautiful song about a beautiful place...here's the rest:
Down around Biloxi
Pretty girls are dancin' in the sea
They all look like sisters in the ocean
The boy will fill his pail with salty water
And the storms will blow from off towards New Orleans
Sun shines on Biloxi
Air is filled with vapors from the sea
Boy will dig a pool beside the ocean
He sees creatures from his dream underwater
And the sun will set from off towards New Orleans
Stars can see Biloxi
Stars can find their faces in the sea
We are walking down beside the ocean
We are splashing naked in the water
And the sky is red from off towards New Orleans
And the sky is red from off towards New Orleans
Down around Biloxi
Pretty girls are swimming in the sea
They all look like sisters in the ocean
The boy will fill his pail with salty water
And the storms will blow from off toward New Orleans
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43 comments:
Sad news, for sure. I had my own "hurricane fatigue"--didn't keep up w/ the news cuz I expected to hear the same old thing. Hope all is well with you guys down there. And if there's anything I can do (way up here in CNY), lemme know...
As one who is now "in the line of fire" down here. I witness daily what the effects of Hurricane Charley and Frances and Ivan did last year to this area and surrounding areas. I have students who are still living in temporary housing because thier house was destroyed by a hurricane last season and they can't get honest or reliable service to get their house repaired. A lot of shady characters come around when people are desperate.
I truly feel for those affected by Katrina. Heck, we were out of school on Friday because of Katrina...although thankfully we saw little of her. Just a few squalls from the bands. Thanks to her dip to the south before she headed towards the nothern Gulf coast.
The devastation of these storms scares the knickers off of me because I live in a Hurricane state..(yet another reason FL sucks)
I can't imagine what these folks are going through...
If enough folks are motivated...what about a "benefit"?? Kareoke contest at a local bar...all participants pay a small fee..cover charge...proceeds to help them....??????
I don't know. But I know they will need every bit they can get.
Hey Lex divas...are you getting some storms yet?
They're supposed to roll in this afternoon from Katrina...some 20 to 30 mph winds and alot of rain, but nothing too terrible. And the Kareoke contest is a dandy idea, Ms G...but only if you can be here to enter!
John Turner is that you? How the hell are you?
I CANT HEAR YOU OVER THE WIND AND RAIN!! Two inches today possibly. One inch over the course of the night.
Of course, that is a drop in the bucket (bad pun, I know) compared to those closer to the gulf.
I'm doing my anti-rain dance/flood and my dance of healing and strength for all affected.
"Busted flat in Baton Rouge..waitin for a train...when I was feeling nearly faded as my jeans. Bobby thumbed a deisel down, just before it rained, that tooks us all the way to New Orleans."
Ohhhhh TimmyX...if only I could!!!!
Jal and X and all Lexdivas-
Try to stay dry....and you can pretend your down here with me!! Stuff like that happens all the time! And I'll pretend I'm up there with you....it will be like SOMEWHERE IN TIME (one of my guilty pleasure movies) if we pretend hard enough...we will make it happen!! (Although I'd rather that we just meet in Lex and go have some cocktails.)
hi guys. after a wonderful summer on the jersey shore, i've been stuck in philly for 2 days trying to get home to jackson. thankfully i'm cool and comfortable in a hotel here at the airport. my husband is fine. our damage was minimal. my mother's place in gautier has lost its roof, but she says that she didn't like that carpet upstairs anyway.
all of my family is safe and accounted for. thanks for your thoughts.
hopefully i can get out of philly tomorrow afternoon and begin the rebuilding.
For all who might know him, I heard from Danny Dauphin in Jackson, MS. His parents and sister Marianne came up from the coast and NO respectively to stay with him in Jackson. While they are without power, they are doing fine.As for his parents house on the coast, no one knows as of yet.
And if anyone hears when HGY 55 (it is 55 that goes down to the coast from Hatiesburg, right? It's been so long...) opens up, let me know and I'll pass it on to them.
Glad you're safe and dry Heather!
Heard from Gwen (Rodney F's sister) and they made it to Starksville. Don't know about their home yet in Gulfport.
Brjette
Thanks, Jette.
(love one another:)
and it's highway 49 I'm trying to find out about, not 55
MDOT is keeping the website updated fairly quickly. as of right now they have not opened 49 between jackson and gulfport and do not plan to anytime soon. maybe thursday.
http://www.mdot.state.ms.us/
looks like mom and i are flying out tomorrow at 540am to montgomery, al and driving home.
those of you that know rhett walker, he's checked in from mobile and is doing fine.
To all you MISS/ALA/and Louisiana divaclones....my prayers are with you and yours. I am horrified at what I see on the news. My heart is with you
For what it's worth, Yahoo had a link on "How to Help" for victims of Katrina. It led to this page:
http://www.networkforgood.org/topics/animal_environ/hurricanes/
Lots of different ways to help through diferent organizations.
If, however, we're talking about targeting some "aid" to particular folks who we know need it, count me in. You know I never do Karaoke, Tim, but I'll violate that rule for this.
Prayers, indeed.
P.S. McElheney, we gotta play sometime.
Dana,
Glad to hear that your family is safe. Give my regards to Jenn and Laura...
For all of you who might know him , Mike Schultz (aka REMMINGTON) is safe and sound in Baton Rouge.
Anyone hear from the DIVA MASTER (Mr Mills?)
From Canady Vance Thomas:
Hey Tim.
Couldn't get on the blog site but wanted you to know that Betsy's family is fine. They made it out with two trees down and property damage but are fine. Glen has not heard from his folks in Poplarville for 48 hrs. He said they were in a church in Pop with about 200 people the last time he talked to his mom. The eye came right down on them so you can imagine he's worried sick. We are thinking they have probably lost their home. So please get people to send out some prayers. It's taking everyone and their brother to convince him not to drive there. I have heard that Armit's folks got out of NO and are fine. This is so devistating. I can't believe it. I know you feel the same.
Take care.
Canady
My version of the Beatles song "Oh, Darlin" would be a show stopper. No really, the show would stop and everybody would leave.
Katrina actually prevents a disaster as production is halted on the new Kevin Costner/Ashton Kucher film in Louisiana.
http://www.cbc.ca/story/arts/national/2005/08/31/Arts/movies_katrina20050831.html
Thank God for the small miracles.
Here is the full link. Got cut off in the post apparently.
http://www.cbc.ca/story/arts
/national/2005/08/31/Arts
/movies_katrina20050831.html
Just got a call from Mills. Was calling from his dad's office. He's okay, as is his family. Power is out in most of the area. Trees down. Mess.
Talked to Armit's girlfriend Jackie earlier, and, yes, their familes are fine.
Even Starkville, where my mother is, was hit. Trees down, loss of power here and there... Everyone there seems to be fine, though.
Mills said to wish you all his best. Isn't sure when he'll be back to the Cave, but he'll holler as soon as he can.
Take care, Heidi
Just got word from Jen Courtade-Duran, and her family is fine. Most of them are with relatives in Houston, but one of her brothers is still in NOLA, but he is safe, and desperately looking for a way out.
We'll keep him in our thoughts, Jen.
-x
It is so hard to find the words...
My husband and I had to evacuate Sunday from our home in Lafourche Parish. It was probably one of the most terrifying moments of my life. Thankfully we were able to return Tuesday. Driving from Baton Rouge to our home, the air was hard to breathe, as well travel through the devestation. We were so fortunate when we reached our home. We are staying with my folks due to lost of power and water.
Listening to the local news of New Orleans and the conditions of a city I grew up in on the weekends sours my stomach. Please continue to pray for us and the entire area affected by this storm. The healing time will be long.
Phone lines and communication are getting better everyday. Those who are still trying to make contacts -- hang in there. I know it is hard. It is very hard to make calls from here as well.
I send my love to you all for your concern and prayers!!!
Thanks for all the well wishers after the disaster. We're hanging in there all over the MS and NOLA areas worst affected. I'm housing an evacuated refugee from NOLA, and as posted earlier, Gwen and co. got out before the shit hit the fan in Gulfport and at least on eyewitness tells Gwen that her house is still standing. Wish us all luck and prayers for the digging out which will take weeks and months for some after what is now generally known as the largest natural disaster in American history. I'll be glad when this is all history, of course I'm one of the lucky ones that now has power and water and personally rode out a CAT1 hurricane in Brandon MS unscathed…who’d-a-thunk-it! Love to all - Rodney.
Glad the kareoke contest fundraiser is going well...maybe we could step it up a notch and make it an impersonator contest as well...get some people in drag involved, too.
I'll email a video of myself performing some song or something!!
Not that anyone needs that...but I want to help!
Then I need alive feed of the festivities....
Annnnnd, a pitcher of Cosmos and few Makers and Diets with a lime.
Aside from all of that....AGAIN, god bless everyone...even tho I don't know most of you Gulf coast diva's...I am right "down the way"
in SW FL. I know how lucky we feel to have been missed by this destruction. I send you alll my blessings and prayers!
Rodney and Jess,
Glad to hear you are safe and sound. Hang in there. We're all thinking of you and saying prayers up this way. If you need anything at all, let me know.
-x
For NO pics, Erin sent me this link:
http://www.wwltv.com/sharedcontent/breakingnews/slideshow/083005_dmnkatrina/2.html
Of course, this one is good for up-to-date info on the area:
http://www.nola.com
I have my fingers crossed for those unfortunate souls who ended up stuck in the Superdome with the types of idiots who are now *shooting* at rescue choppers!
Lets try that again:
http://www.wwltv.com/
sharedcontent/breakingnews/
slideshow/083005_dmnkatrina/
2.html
Piece those together.
Fats Domino is missing.
My ex wife's cousin is also missing. No one has heard from him since the storms hit.
Mother Nature is a cruel mistress.
Good news. Mike (my um...ex-cousin, I guess) has been sighted. He and his hard drive (he's a writer for MOJO Magazine) got out safely last night. However his many thousands of dollars worth of equipment (guitars, amps, recording equipment, not to mention years and years of LP and 45s) weren't so lucky. Since moving to New Orleans 12 years ago, he has been robbed three times but said he loved it down there too much to leave. Now I think he is ready to call it a day.
All this really boggles the mind.
Yep, me too, Adam...
btw- THE FAT MAN HAS BEEN FOUND!!! Fats Domino is safe and sound! A little good news...
From my friend Kellie Gilbreth:
my personal favorite quote from bush, flying above new orleans on air
force one: "It's devastating. It must be doubly devastating on the
ground".
Wow, Dubya...ya don't say??? And this man is IN CHARGE!!!!!
-x
Bush: One of the big reason that we are seeing the "end of days."
Mother Nature aside, I blame him.
THREE SIGNS OF THE APOCALYPSE:
1. Bush getting re-elected
2. Entire portions of the world swept away by hurricanes, tsumanis, and floods.
3. Some Things You Need To Know Before The World Ends (A Final Evening With The Illuminati)is being performed next week in Lexington, Kentucky.
God save us all.
"So put your head between your legs and kiss your ass goodbye."
--Bad Religion
TSUMANIS?
Dyslexic much?
"All the way...from Bourbon Street to Esplanade, they sashayed by....."
Tim is currently dancing around with Logan listening to Louisiana Lareuxs greatest hit.
So good to see that so many people are safe! Here in Jackson, most people have there energy back...roughly 50,000 of us do not...I would still be in the "do nots". But if my biggest problem is that I have lived without energy for 5 or 6 days, I can honestly say I am blessed!! We have still not heard from all of my family in the south MS, SE LA areas. I didn't have family in NO, my families were in areas like Hammond, Pearl River, Kentwood, Bogaloosa which are less reported on yet still have no power, no water, no phone, no fuel and only rare mobile phone service. One of my cousins drove for 80 miles from the former site of their home to get a cell signal, they said, "I'm OK...we are all safe." and then dropped the call? Small blessings, that is all so many people have right now. Xavier, thanks so much for all you already do by providing a place to check in!! So glad to see so many people are stopping by to share their love. I hope everyone takes care of themselves! Miss you all!
From Brady McKeller:
Elsa and I are fine and well in Mobile, AL.
We were trying to figure out some way to help out in New Orleans and the Coast, even though we can't get into the areas, so we set up Support Katrina Relief. We found a company that would donate red, white and blue "Support Katrina Relief" bracelets (ala "Livestrong") So, with a 5$ contribution that goes directly into a Red Cross Account, you can be the first on your block to have one. You can go here and check out the website: www.supportkatrinarelief.com
Search Engines won't pick up the stire for several weeks, so we are trying to get the word out as far as possible, as soon as possible. Every little bit helps guys. Check it out, and help us spread the word!!
Brady
From Carrie Bellew, regarding some coastal and William Carey folk:
Tim,
I thought you would like to know about some things on the coast. I am sorry I have sucked at keeping in touch and it takes a natural disaster to do it.
Wayne and Becky Catlett are okay. Their home is intact. Werner and Candace are okay and their home is intact. Shannon Robert is fine and has a tree on her home, but she is okay and has left the area. Mr. Quave is okay and his house is intact. Jeanna has a lot of damage to her home, but she is okay. USM has several trees down and electricity is out, but for the most part seems to be okay. I haven't heard anything about the faculty there, but spoke to a current student who rode the storm out there and seems to think that everyone is okay. He told me he would keep me posted. Kristi Allen is okay and has left the coast. Darren and Aimee Erhard left and are okay, but their homes in Waveland are more than likely gone. Mrs. Pat West is okay.
There are so many others that I have no idea about. Especially the old JD crew.
From Mitchell Moore-
I am alive, and my house is still standing but that is it. We have no power, water or phones. I live in Jackson, so if it is this bad (and is is awful) this far norht, I know H'burg and south is worse, much worse. The problem in Jackson is fuel. Those stations that have fuel have no power to pump it, and those that have power have been out of fuel for a couple of days or more. When a new station comes on, the gaslines start, and they run out that day. It is horrible down here. But I am alive.
Love you all, some more than others.
Mitchell
From Canady:
Hey,
Glen's family is fine and he has gone to help with getting them back on their feet...
Excellent news!
-X
I am thinking of the south very much right now...and my friends I can't get in touch with. I have so much love for both Hattiesburg and New Orleans. It hurts very much, doesn't it...for those of us who feel separated? I'm in California for the weekend and feel guilty. Odd, huh? I will be back in NYC tomorrow morning.
Love,
Brian Whisenant
I suppose you're right, Scott. My little blurb was a joke more than anything else, but politics DOES and WILL play a part in this mess, particularly the inability to get aid to the people who needed it most in a timely fashion...I'm not gonna give these yahoo's a free pass on this just because it's a touchy subject. And I feel very comfortable saying this as someone who lived a good portion of the last decade in that area. But for now, perhaps you're right, that it's still too early.
From Amanda Balius
Heya,
Well, suprisingly enough, my family was spared the full wrath of Katrina. My brother and uncle decided not to evacuate. This was very scary for me because they only live about two blocks up from the beach. We didn't hear from them for almost four days. Everyone is ok, but now my uncle has an ocean view because all the homes between him and the beach are gone. Its extremely sad to me.....everything that made Biloxi my charming little hometown is gone. The beautiful homes cannot be replaced. People can re-build but its still not the same. I am almost in tears everytime I think about it. My family said that the recovery efforts in Biloxi have been amazing. Literally, before the storm even ended the Biloxi Fire Department was out in neigbourhoods checking on people. However, my brother said the stench of death in Biloxi is horrible. So many of the people that I know have lost everything, but they are able to joke about it. One friend of the family said all he can think about at night when he remembers that he lost his antebellum home is that now he has to cancel his cable! That's Biloxi for you! Thats one of the things I love about my community.
I can't wait to go back and then again.....I can. I am afraid that when I do go back I will breakdown. But its something I have to do at some point I guess.
Thanks to everyone for the prayers. The people in Biloxi are grateful.
Amanda
Glad to hear your family is well, Amanda. We were thinking about you and them.
Take care.
Well, I just came back from the coast this weekend. I had to go down there and bring my stuff back. I was living in Ocean Springs when she hit. But I was actually in Pontotoc when she came threw. I headed up on a spur of the moment thing, not knowing there was a hurricane heading our way. Talk about dumb luck. And none of my things were lost. Just the idea of having to start over like that was killing me.
Everyone in my family is okay. We're minus a few houses but everyone is physically fine. Both of my uncle's lost their houses.
My Uncle Bill had to wade out of his, the water came in that fast.
He has to tear down everything and rebuild from scratch. The water came up about 10-12 feet on the Bay in Ocean Springs.
My Uncle Dan lost the house he and his family were living in and the house they were building. There is nothing left of his rental house or that neighborhood. His new house that was being built has to be rebuilt.
Its hard to believe this happened. And there really isn't a way to explain the feeling you get when you are down there. The closer you get to the coast the quieter it gets. You see it but it doesn't register to you. And the smell is unbelievable. Imagine this...cut down trees, saltwater, mildew, dead animals, and your garbage can. Now mix them all together and that's about as close and I can exlain it. Now its better in some places but the closer to the water you get, the worse it is.
I took some pictures while I was there and I will be adding more as I get them from my brother. I have posted them on my Yahoo! Photos. That way if someone wants to take a look it would be easier to view. Just click on my name at the top of this post.
Amanda, I was glad to hear your family is okay. I was wondering about them. Have you heard from Andy? How's the bakery? I wasn't able to get that far over to check it out.
Heather
http://photos.yahoo.com/hyathyrre
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