Family members in lower MS.

[Lucy]

Hi all,

Recently got an e-mail from my cousin's husband. Said that their house got hit by 5 pine trees, three of which cut through their house. They did a few repairs and covered the roof before heading to their little country place further north. They had been profs/dean at Miss. So. Univ. before his early retirement, and just didn't want to leave the university community there to spend all their time in the country.

Anyway, they arrived back in the country just fine, but there was no gasoline there, so they couldn't return home (at least last I heard).

Another cousin's daughter and her husband just had her first grandbaby. Day they were supposed to bring the little girl home from the hospital, they ended up in a hotel to ride out the storm. What a way to start off your life, hey!! I'm not sure where they live, but must've been in the path of Katrina.

Sure hope those folks in MS will get power and gasoline soon cause the fuel to operate the generators will soon be gone, and there are lots of elderly people who would have a hard time making it in the summer heat without a/c. Guess all the power co. trucks coming into these states have mostly headed to the coastal areas, so ones a little inland will probably be waiting a while.

I remember how we used to always ride out these Texas hurricanes. I did Alicia by myself in an old upstairs apartment building, all by myself. Thought for sure the windows would blow in, but they didn't. That one was mostly wind. We were on the dirty side of Carla, and it brought LOTS of storm surge and destruction. My dad and I got out while the wind was still blowing hard and pushed a tree that was leaning off of some electrical wires running from the garage to the house.

I was here during the flood from T.S. Allison and was watching the developing weather situation very carefully as I had my mom's brother, bed-ridden, also with PD, and my mom was ambulatory, but still difficult back then, so was wondering how I'd get them out safely should water rise to high around us.

We were mostly experiencing a thick misty rain as the first outer bands went by intermittently, so my uncle passed away in the afternoon before everything was impassible and between bands, so funeral home was able to get him to the cemetary's funeral home way north of town by Bush airport shortly before the bands became almost continuous. That was a Thursday when he died suddenly, and Friday was the day when we were completely surrounded by water. Not only that, but the overpasses on the way to the cemetary were damaged by the flood.

Anyway, Thursday evening the mortuary car was able to pick up the body, and Friday morning we were able to drive way out to the cemetary to make the arrangements, plus another trip to clear up a related issue at another time.

What would happen was that the evening heat would heat up the saturated air, dumping unbelievable amount of rain until the energy would wear off, then the next afternoon, it would start up all over again.
That's why I was making the funeral home appointments and the funeral itself in the mornings as I'd been told by the weather guys what would happen when the sun heated up the atmosphere with supersaturated air off the Gulf. Everything worked out beautifully cause the bridge was repaired in time for the funeral. Pays to follow the weather carefully, doesn't it?

Mom's been waking me up from mid-morning on, so really sleep deprived nowadays. She's having trouble, at least temporarily at times, knowing where she is.

I'm falling asleep now, so goodnight all.
Yours, Luce

[MaggieRedwings]

Morning Luce,

You sure have had your share and do hope everyone comes out of this one OK and that the long-term effects are not that massive for them. I have never been through one of these to the extent that our Southern friends have and do hope that the government gets a better handle on helping in the future.

Love, Maggie

[starfire]

Luce,
You sure have been through some tough situations. I admire your strength very much.

I do hope you will somehow get the rest you need.



Shirley

[Mars]

Luce,

Remember to take care of yourself!

[annie oakley]

Love Oma