Category 5

Saturday, I woke to news that the hurricane was a category 5. I tried calling my sister, Cheryl, who planned to stay and ride out the storm and beg her to leave. The lines were all busy and I couldn't get through. Then I called my niece, April, that lives in Many and together we decided to keep calling Cheryl and April's sister Lisa, who also was staying. I took Lisa thinking I'd convince her she needed to get her mother to safety. I was sure April would pull out all the stops and tell Cheryl she needed to leave so Lisa would and come visit her grandchildren.

Neither of us ever got a clear line and we were both sick with worry until we finally got a call from Lisa who said they were on the road and headed for Aprils'. I was much relieved. By the time they left the city the traffic was all being directed west so they had to drive a long way through Mississippi before they could go north and then east. April lives just a few miles from the Texas border so they had a long way to go in slow traffic. As they got further north and then turned east the storm and winds could be seen behind them. They couldn't stop because they didn't want it to catch up with them. I think it took them about 22 hours, but I'm not sure exactly.

My evacuees arrived in the afternoon. They were already on the north side of the lake when they left in the morning and didn't have too much trouble getting here. It was one of my oldest friends, Susan, her husband, Adam, their two kids, Susan's and Adam's mother, Adam's sister, Donna, her husband, Don, and their two kids. Sounds like a big burden, but they are self-sufficient house guests, especially with the two grandmothers there. With blow up beds and mattresses on the floor we managed to spread them around and found sleeping space for everyone.

Now we just wait to see what Katrina will do. It looks like it's going to be a long haul.