WARNING:  This is a no-edit zone…

We dodged the bullet–or the eye of Gustav–but even in Florida, we’ve been under tornado warnings most of the morning today.  They’ve been spinning off an outer feeder band, coming up from Destin, Fort Walton Beach, and Santa Rosa.

My mom’s family, in harm’s way in Gulfport, Pass Christian and Waveland as well as New Orleans are all evacuated and safe, last I heard, which has been long hours ago.

I’ve failed to reach extended family in Marrero on the New Orleans westbank, but so long as the Harvey Canal tunnel holds, they should be okay.  My hope is that they too evacuated and just haven’t yet gotten through.  As you can imagine, phone lines are really busy at times like this.

Since this storm had New Orleans in its cross-hairs for days, I did something I’ve not allowed myself to do since my mother’s death… READ MORE…