In the United States, there was, thankfully, little loss of life. (Condolences go to the citizens of Jamaica and Cuba, Haiti and the Dominican Republic; your losses were much more grave than ours.) This was no Katrina, which is the apparent benchmark for hurricane disaster. Gustav had more in common with Rita; hyper-prepared, city and parish officials constantly impressing upon everyone the potential danger.
It was potential, and luckily for much of Southwest Louisiana, unrealized.
There was a disturbing trend: many of those who left in 2005 from Rita refused to abandon their property this time, at the risk (potential) of their lives. Obviously, there weren't that many that didn't leave. I myself was mired in traffic chest deep and spent hours on Interstate 10.
Next time (and there will be one), I suspect many will opt to stay. It will be the news story of the (young) century: Scrappy southern Louisiana residents bracing themselves against mean looking storm. Urgings from parish officials ignored; mandatory evacuation snubbed.
Then the aftermath. Huge loss of life and property.
This is because Mother Nature is a poor sport. She doesn't bully, because most bullies are filled with bluster but not backed by substance. In fact, she doesn't play by very many rules at all. Hurricanes are unpredictable. Local meteorologists like to say this about their long term forecasts, where hurricanes are involved: "Anything after three days is magic".
Louisiana was lucky that Gustav wasn't Katrina nor Rita, that the impact was relatively tame and that the loss of life and property was minimal. The impact of the next big storm (maybe named Ike? Who knows?) will likely be viewed as another false alarm, or something to be born stoicly, like an insult from the planet.
Proper respect won't be given until swells boom against fragile walls, the wind roars in the ears of those who stayed behind, and those who weren't skittish enough to leave find themselves blown out like so many tiny candles.
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In the United States, there was, thankfully, little loss of life. (Condolences go to the citizens of Jamaica and Cuba, Haiti and the Dominican Republic; your losses were much more grave than ours.) This was no Katrina, which is the apparent benchmark for hurricane disaster. Gustav had more in common with Rita; hyper-prepared, city and parish officials constantly impressing upon everyone the potential danger.
It was potential, and luckily for much of Southwest Louisiana, unrealized.
There was a disturbing trend: many of those who left in 2005 from Rita refused to abandon their property this time, at the risk (potential) of their lives. Obviously, there weren't that many that didn't leave. I myself was mired in traffic chest deep and spent hours on Interstate 10.
Next time (and there will be one), I suspect many will opt to stay. It will be the news story of the (young) century: Scrappy southern Louisiana residents bracing themselves against mean looking storm. Urgings from parish officials ignored; mandatory evacuation snubbed.
Then the aftermath. Huge loss of life and property.
This is because Mother Nature is a poor sport. She doesn't bully, because most bullies are filled with bluster but not backed by substance. In fact, she doesn't play by very many rules at all. Hurricanes are unpredictable. Local meteorologists like to say this about their long term forecasts, where hurricanes are involved: "Anything after three days is magic".
Louisiana was lucky that Gustav wasn't Katrina nor Rita, that the impact was relatively tame and that the loss of life and property was minimal. The impact of the next big storm (maybe named Ike? Who knows?) will likely be viewed as another false alarm, or something to be born stoicly, like an insult from the planet.
Proper respect won't be given until swells boom against fragile walls, the wind roars in the ears of those who stayed behind, and those who weren't skittish enough to leave find themselves blown out like so many tiny candles.
