Gustav is in the Gulf of Mexico, a Category 3 storm. It strengthens, then weakens, then strengthens again. It jogs left then right again, but it's been consistently aimed at southeastern Louisiana, perilously near New Orleans. It's hard to believe this is happening, again, and in the wee hours last overnight, while channel surfing and communicating with my NOLA peeps using a variety of social media (more on this below), as I got more and more tired, I found myself thinking "Katrina" where "Gustav" belonged.
I have left my tiny apartment where the cohabitants (everybody but the Old Blind Dog, who loves me unconditionally) make fun of me for my multi-channel Gustav obsession, and joined evacuated former Atlantans, heretofore referred to as Romeo & Juliet. Romeo, after raising his kids here in the ATL, moved back to his birthplace, New Orleans, shortly after Katrina. Juliet joined him this summer, but hadn't yet sold her partially furnished Dunwoody home, so that's where they've come. We're hunkered down here, Dangerblond & B having arrived safely, tracking the storm and following numerous NOLA blogger buds as they evacuate, or not.
A variety of social media have been useful during the last few days, as residents decide whether to stay or go, and among these is Twitter, a micro-blogging site, sort of a hybrid of blogging & chat. Each Twitterer chooses others to "follow" and when Twitterers or Tweeters post their updates, which can be no longer than 140 characters, those following them, see the updates. The beauty of Twitter is that it can be accessed from a computer or via text message from a cell phone, making it the perfect group communication tool in an evacuation, and the Twittering has been scalding during this one, as citizens determine and share their plans, communicating real time traffic information along the evacuation routes, signaling when they've arrived safely, or, after resisting the pleas of their friends to leave, reporting from the hurricane zone as long as text messages can get through.
New Orleans' own Gambit Weekly has been tweeting and Kevin Allman continues to blog the evacuation for their BlogofNewOrleans. The Chicago Tribune has sent their own GustavReporter to New Orleans. He posted updates during his trip down and continues to tweet from New Orleans. He sent this report about how some among the NOLA blogging community are using the application. Rich Sanchez from CNN has been incorporating a variety of social media into his broadcasts for some time now, and he's also showcasing individual reports from folks from and about Gustav's impending landfall. Stacey told me he featured one of my tweets. I missed it, so I don't know which one it was. Still, very cool (obviously, it doesn't take much).
Finally, my thoughts are with all who are evacuated and evacuating, and perhaps especially with those who remain. You know who you are. Finally, there's been a lot of media attention given to how much better the government response has been in advance of Gustav than it was for Katrina. I don't think most people realize how much more time there's been to get ready for Gustav. For a Monday landfall, everyone's been mobilizing since Thursday, not mid-day Saturday, which was all the time they had for Katrina. They've had twice as long, so they damn well better get it right this time. Think of all that practice they had.
Peace, out, y'all. It's time to sleep. *yawn*
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