Hurricane Gustav - Heading for New Orleans?

Weather interests me and I track it in the news. Right now, I'm watching the path of what could become Hurricane Gustav in the Gulf of Mexico. Weather scientists predict landfall as a hurricane somewhere between the Florida peninsula and Texas, with New Orleans right in the middle. The strange thing is it's three years nearly to the day since Katrina struck.

Are the levees going to hold? Has enough been done to secure the levees and provide for security and emergency response? It appears that National Guard has been put on alert and buses and planes are ready to get folks out fast. The Superdome will not be a refuge for folks this time. At least the situation in the Superdome during Hurricane Katrina won't be repeated should Hurricane Gustav make landfall near New Orleans as a hurricane 3 or stronger.

Large scale evacuations take plenty of resources. Clean up takes plenty of resources. Closing down oil rigs in the Gulf costs plenty in terms of financial loss and availability of oil for consumption. I once read that 40% of America's oil comes via the Gulf. Since we already have concerns with oil demand and cost, can America handle the closure of oil rigs in the Gulf -- even one time, let alone multiple possible times during the hurricane season?

This is not the time to brave the hurricane. Folks need to prepare to evacuate, especially those who live below sea level, counting on the protection of a mound of earth and cement to separate them from an ocean perhaps dozens of feet higher than usual. Not only does failure to evacuate put stubborn ones at risk, but it risks the lives of those engaged in rescuing them.

Elderly, the disabled, and the poor, need assistance to get out and often need assistance when they get to safety. Medical needs are ongoing, no matter whether there's a hurricane pending or not. It's not easy to deal with moving and relocating a bedridden individual or a severely handicapped person. This I know from experience because my husband is quite disabled. We can't just hop in a car and head away without preparation for needs at both ends of the trip. Sometimes the most important things in the car are wheelchair, walker, medication, and three prosthetic braces.

With the hurricane expected to make landfall sometime this weekend, it's imperative that decisions be made now. It's not like a major tropical storm or hurricane is bound to just disappear off the map, and if it does weaken, it's bound to dump a whole lot of rain and bring potential for major flooding. If I lived in the Gulf region, I'd be making plans to head away from the Gulf. No, I'd already be on the road.