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STAY!
August 29, 2008So I've been debating all day long about either packing up and fleeing the area -- like most of my Gulf Coast brethren -- or just putting down hurricane roots and staying in New Orleans, regardless of what kind of horrid weather comes this way.
I know it's kind of unsafe and irrational to think of staying, especially since as of tonight the meteorologists are saying, more definitively, that Gustav is on its way, strengthening as he comes. But part of me -- the curious, adventurous journalist -- just wants to wade this thing out.
And so what do you do when you want to do something, and everyone tells you you shouldn't? Well, you contact the one person in your life who'll tell you to be crazy and follow your foolish gut.
For me, that was my mentor -- and former Times Record News editor -- Carroll Wilson.
So I e-mailed Wilson Thursday night, telling him of my dilemma, seeking advice. The first line of his e-mail back to me:
STAY! (Yep, it was in all capital letters, too.)
His reasoning was quite simple. He wrote, "This is the chance of a lifetime. . . Stay low, keep your butt down and be prepared to seek higher ground."
Of course, I haven't OFFICIALLY decided to stay and wade out the storm. Forecasts right now predict Gustav will hit land sometime Monday late or early Tuesday morning, so I've still got plenty of time to get out. But at least I know one person won't think i'm insane for wanting to see Gustav up close.
Posted by Lara Richards at 7:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Comments
I was just thinking about calling you. Tropical Storm Fay just blew through here and it was actually a lot worse than I thought it would be. If you're gonna stay, make sure you've got 1 gallon of water for each day you could be without electricity. Buy lots of canned food, batteries and stuff like peanut butter and jelly, too.
And as soon as you start to see dangerous flooding...get the heck outta there. Hope all is well.
Alright, I've changed my mind. As a friend, I'd say you should probably evacuate. From what I understand, it's now a Cat 4 hurricane - which is almost as bad as they get.
