Katrina Update #7

August 29, 2005; 10:23 AM

In terms of New Orleans, the worst is occurring as I write this.

Adam, his girlfriend and girlfriend's mom made it to Winter Haven, FL around 2AM CDT. They are safe.

Janis, Jarrett, Andrea and her brother stopped at a church that had set up a shelter in Jasper, TX. They slept on mattresses and had breakfast this AM. They should reach Janis' cousin late this afternoon.

Here's a picture I found from one of the TV stations:

This is an area near our house. If the waters don't go up any higher, our house will be OK. Unfortunately, Lake Pontchartrain is topping the levees in Eastern New Orleans and a levee broke near the Industrial Canal, flooding the 9th ward (which is down-river and northeast of the French Quarter - pretty far away from our house).

The pumps are down until at least 3PM when they hope to get them an "alternative source of power." Until then, the flood waters will probably rise.

In all, we won't know the total extent of the damage for a few days, but it is starting to look like New Orleans may have dodged another bullet - that, while the damage will still be significant to extensive, it will not be the doomsday scenario officials were predicting yesterday.

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