Just a quick report before I shut down my computer and evacuate – probably not to come back on-line for several days at least. It is August 28, 2005 in Gautier, Mississippi, just west of the Mississippi / Alabama state line. Hurricane Katrina is presently expected to make landfall just west of new Orleans, about 100 miles to my west, early tomorrow morning. My wife and I, after much discussion, have decided to stay with friends a mile south of here. The counties to my west, Harrison, on the Louisiana state line, are a mandatory evacuation area. Hancock county to the east of Harrison is recommended evacuation for higher areas, mandatory for low-lying (“A” and “B”). My county, Jackson, is recommended evacuation for higher areas and mandatory for “A” and “B” flood zones.
This is the first of a multi-part series documenting my personal experiences with what has since been called “The Greatest Natural Disaster to Hit the US.”