Great post Lisa, be safe...

Kacem Benali Bethesda Realtor.  Bethesda Homes for Sale

I can imagine how life as usual would come to a grinding hault. Stay safe!

I wish you were coming here but I understand.  Don't forget your phone charger--you know several of us will be calling to check on you! 

Lisa, I saw the same graphic of Gustav making a B-line for New Orleans and thought of you guys down there. Be safe.

Be safe and thanks for encouraging others to evacuate if necessary. Be praying for ya!

Lisa - Yikes, looks like it is heading straight for you. Stay safe.

Lisa, Oh My.  I didn't realize it was going to be here that quick.  If you head over to Houston, give me a ring! 

You guys be safe over there.

Good idea about the preparations - especially the signs! After suffering through a week of Fay (2 feet of rain) I am ready for a break. Hope Gustav decides to head west....way west. Good luck.

Good idea about the preparations - especially the signs! After suffering through a week of Fay (2 feet of rain) I am ready for a break. Hope Gustav decides to head west....way west. Good luck.

Good idea about the preparations - especially the signs! After suffering through a week of Fay (2 feet of rain) I am ready for a break. Hope Gustav decides to head west....way west. Good luck.

Hello Lisa we are looking at this storm as well here in Florida. I wish you well and if you have a chance to leave town do it soon and don't wait for Friday to leave because traffic will be bad. Take care and stay safe.

A great idea about preparations. Hope Gustav does not hit "The Big Easy" head on. Hoping only the best for all of southern Louisiana.

Have a great day.

Kacem, we will, thank you.

Colleen, you can almost feel the tension in the air here.  I know a lot of folks are planning their evacuations and the governor has already declared a state of emergency.

Amanda, I wish I was coming there too!  But, we'll get to explore Memphis and hopefully the drive won't be too bad.  If the track holds, we'll be leaving sometime in the wee hours of Saturday morning.

Craig, thank you for thinking of us :)

Liz, I don't want anyone to have a lack of transportation as an excuse.  The city and state are much better prepared than 3 years ago.

Sandra, that's how it looks right now...I don't want to wish it on anyone else - I just want it to go away!

Stephanie, happy Labor Day, huh?  We thought about Houston, but if the track shifts west, you might the one packing up.  Keep an eye on it yourself!

Gary, can you just imagine the phone call from an irate home owner with my sign planted in their window?  Thanks, but no thanks.  I'll pick them up.  I hope you dry out soon.

Abi, PLEASE keep an eye on it there too - everyone along the Gulf of Mexico needs to be prepared.

Shirley, thank you :)

Miss Lisa, please take care and be safe!  Keep us updated!

Renee, air cards are a wonderful invention, don't ya think?  No matter where I go, the laptop will be with me :)  Thanks for the good thoughts.

Lisa, we're watching Gustav here too.  Hoping it doesn't hit anywhere in Louisiana -- wherever it hits there will affect some of our family and friends.  :(   Take care, like Amanda said, don't forget the phone charger -- we'll be calling to check on y'all.

Contact Joe Spake or Angie Vanderbergh (A Crye-Leike Blogger) -- they're both in Memphis, TN.  I'll let them both know you might be contacting them.

Take care...Love you...Judi

"dancing in the rain!"

Lisa, I just spoke with Joe in Memphis -- you'll hear from him soon...  :)

Lisa, oh my goodness!  I hope you stay safe and weather this storm.  All New Orleans needs right now!

Lisa, please keep us in the loop. I cannot even imagine living in an area where I had to evacuate and hope my home was still there. Take care....;-)

Lisa,  Well...maybe we'll get to come see you?  :) 

Lisa, dahling, do get out if it looks like the track is unchanged!  Of course, it could always just decide to turn east and hit Florida 4 times instead, and then everyone here would have waterfront property...

I know, not a good time for jokes, sorry!

In all seriousness, load up on comfort foods and get the heck out! Hugs-

Judi, thanks for the phone call last night!  I'll be in touch with Joe today.

Brian, it's looking like the shift is to the west this morning...not good news for that part of the coast, but better news for us here in NOLA.

Teri, the forecast this morning is a bit better for us.

Stephanie, it's looking that way, isn't it!?!  Maybe my friends in Houston will be coming here instead.

My Inna, LOL!  We have plenty of comfort foods, a hotel reservation and a plan in place.  Hopefully we don't need any of them.

LISA - Good luck with everything.  I never thought about having to pull up listing signs.  What a pain.  Hopefully, the storm won't be that bad, and you'll be able to stay where you are.

Lisa - I was actually thinking of you while I watched the weather yesterday.  My first thought, was "I hope that this turns out ok."  My second thought was, "I wonder what Lisa's West Bank Weekend Events post is going to look like."  I guess this is it.   Seriously, our thoughts and prayers are with you.  Stay safe. 

You survived the last one....please take care and stay safe....

Lisa~Oh my! I feel your pain. We prepared for the same last week with TS Fay and now, it looks like there is another one on the way. All us Rainers who are in the path should pack our bags and go on vacation together...time to make lemonade out of lemons! Be safe!

Adam, we are still on hold, waiting to see what happens.  We'll make a decision by tomorrow night about leaving or not, because the traffic out of the city will be horrendous if we wait too long.  As my husband pointed out, it hasn't shifted far enough west yet for us to avoid storm surge.

Erik, LOL!  Weekend Events - none - pack up and go north :)

Sally, we'll be fine.  If it looks bad, we are definitely not staying to watch.

LaShawn, are you watching Hanna too?  A one, two punch is NOT what we need.  Did you know that tomorrow is the 3 year anniversary of Katrina?  The timing couldn't be worse.

Lisa,

I'll keep you in my thoughts and hope that the storm calms before reaching shore and ends up missing New Orleans and all other built up areas completely.

Jo

Jo, thank you so much.  We are not out of the woods yet and I appreciate all of my AR friends who are thinking of not just me, but this wonderful city I live in...

Lisa, be safe...we are finally drying out from the remnants of Fay here in SC.  Some areas had over 6 inches of rain in less than 2 hours.  Best of luck!

Lisa - I remember your "Inspired by Song!" post from months ago about your evacuation experience, and I don't envy you for having to think about it again already.  Your family is in my prayers.

Hi Lisa - I was involved in some of the KW relief efforts for New Orleans after Katrina, and can't believe the forecast we're seeing almost three years to the day. Very glad to see Governor Jindal and Mayor Nagin taking a much more proactive approach this time. Will be thinking about everyone in The Big Easy this weekend. Be safe!

Jeremy, if it doesn't start looking any better, we will be heading out towards Memphis on Saturday morning.  I hope you are dry now :)

Jason....thank you, my friend.

John, tomorrow is the anniversary of Katrina - what spooky timing for any storm to be on it's way for us.  I do believe that the city itself is better prepared (and certainly we don't expect this to be as strong as Katrina was) and that the Governor is being proactive.  The jury is still out on the mayor.

Lisa: My thoughts and prayers are with you and all in the path of Gustav. I am happy to hear that you are prepared. You sound like you are on top of things. I would never think to empty the refrigerator and freezer, but that makes perfect sense, especially in light of your past experience. Please keep us updated if you can.

Lisa, oh the things you don't think about and take for granted.  I would have never thought about the signs blowing in a hurricane.  Stay safe sweetie.

Michelle, we are leaving tomorrow morning.  There will be mandatory evacuations of coastal parishes starting then, so we might as well try and beat some of the traffic.

Susan, we'll be OK.  Not sure about the house and all...we'll have to wait and see, but that's just stuff.

Lisa, I see you are leaving tomorrow morning.  Geez, I don't want Gustav to hit anywhere, no matter where it hits, I have family and friends who will be affected.  :(    Stay safe and stay in touch with us.

Judi, I'll be in touch.  You can't get rid of me that easily :)

My thoughts and prayers are with all my fellow americans along the gulf coast, I'm getting teared up already just thinking about how horrific Katrina was for ya'll

Lisa,  y'all be careful driving up to Memphis -- you'll probably have a great time if y'all go to the Music Festival!!!   And you'll have another great post for your blog!  :)  

May God take the punch out of this storm and protect all of those who are in its path.  My thoughts and prayers are with you all.

Now the Weather Channel is saying it might hit the central coast of LA -- Vermillion Bay!  Trying to make my brother in Cameron Parish realize it's time to get the cars packed and get out of there!

Hi Lisa- Just wanted to drop you a hello and a be safe during the hurricane! :)