TIMELINE:\r\nFri 26 Aug P & family at home in NOLA\r\nSat 27 Aug Evacuate to hotel\r\nSun 28 Aug Hurricane tonite\r\nMon 29 Aug Hurricane\r\nTues 30 Aug Still at Hotel\r\nWed 31 Aug Mandatory evacuation to Baton Rouge\r\nThurs 1 Sept Staying with Jean-Luc & Marlene in Port Arthur near Baton Rouge.\r\n\r\nFriday 26 Aug 2005 Florida takes the first hit of Katrina as a Category (CAT) 1, then heads out across the 90°F gulf growing rapidly to a Cat 5.\r\n\r\nTrajectory, Katrina first looks like she is heading back to the Florida panhandle but takes a sharp left and heads for New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. Moving quickly to the dreaded Cat 5. Looks like the eye will strike the mouth of the Mississippi, the worst scenario but miraculously a westerly from Texas pushes the eye 55 miles east so New Orleans gets only the left side of the eye.\r\n\r\nSaturday 27 Aug 2005 Mean time, PRRC have vertically evacuated to the Pere Marquette Renaissance Hotel where René is Executive Chef. The Arts Renaissance has moved their occupants to the Pere Marquette causing them to be at capacity. As long as there are guests, René has to be there. René is already at the hotel on Saturday when two banquets were canceled. He had all the food cooked and stored in coolers on the second floor expecting the restaurant, René Bistrot to be flooded.\r\n\r\nSunday 28 Aug 2005 morning, 7A, P said they should leave, however, René had to stay with the hotel full. With the size of the storm hard to know which way to go, east or west. They decide Tallahassee. The tele shows the highway in grid lock. Stay put, don\'t want to be sitting on the highway when Katrina hits.\r\n\r\nSunday evening. Stressed. Watching TWC, CNN, MSNBC. John Zarella CNN staying at Pere Marquette. Whenever he did a report it was outside the hotel on Common! We could recognize it all. Went to bed, could not sleep, got up to print copy of storm for R&C\'s pack. Checked out the NOAA sites the man at Space Place gave me. Good picture. Still can\'t sleep, played Spider Solitaire 2 decks and won twice! Finally took Xanax, need to clear my head.\r\n\r\nMONDAY 29 Aug 2005 AM 7 - 8A Katrina has come ashore as a CAT 4 but wave energy as a CAT 5 will produce a dangerous surge. Ultimately a 28 - 30 foot surge in Gulf Port, Mississippi. Less in NOLA, 10 - 15 feet.\r\n\r\nPRRC story at hotel.\r\n\r\nIn Madison we anxiously await each call. The hotel is operating on emergency lighting with one hard wired phone working. Why were we not getting to talk to René, because we were talking to many concerned callers. Terry who Dick had not spoken to in 30 years called! Ronnie, California, Janet, CA with offer of helicopter rescue by here pilot friends, neighbors & family friends. Janet (H) 805-446-9228 or (C) 818-314-9494 offer of airline tickets, anything to help. The waiting is hard, not knowing for everyone.\r\n\r\nRené calls they are OK but stinky! No water. Generator good for 20 or more hours. 8A knock on room door for breakfast. René prepare 2 meals a day. Clara, Rémy and Penny help serve in the Banquet Room. Police there at hotel for shelter and food. T-shirts over flak jackets, revolvers, shot guns and rifles.\r\n\r\nThe eye is headed straight for the mouth of the Mississippi then some clouds appear on radar, they are being taken in by the westerly edge of the rotating hurricane clouds and pushes Katrina just enough to the east so just the west side of the eye hits New Orleans. OK for wind and rain. Penny talks to Laurie, says house not a scratch. Few shingles off Wes, Brians and Maggies. Levies have held.\r\n\r\nTuesday 29 Aug 2005 Now water becomes the problem. Ponchatrain rises 4 feet. The 14th and 17th street canals are breeched. However, the 14th street is actually draining water out of the city into Ponchatrain. The canal near Joes Crab Shack is the 17th street. The new bridge is too low to get equipment in, has acted as a filter for all the pier and boat debris.\r\n\r\nWednesday 30 Aug 2005 The water equalizes and actually begins draining out. Now 2000 or 20,000 pound sandbags are used in the 17th street canal breech. Too little to late. Hwy divides were placed but to no avail.\r\n\r\nHigh and low spots all over the downtown. The French quarter is on higher ground.\r\n\r\n15 - 25,000 people in the Super Dome. No water, toilets don\'t work, roof has a hole in it, but the people are safe. 475 buses were mobilized and the Gov of Texas opened the Astrodome to them. The conditions in NOLA are critical. There is no plan.\r\n\r\nWed PM PRRC have been evacuated by Marriott buses to Baton Rouge. Rental car not an option - the decision to have Betty and Dick come to collect is made. Many people besides John have volunteered rooms, Al Schwoegler, Annette and Travis, MA. Diane Johnson called mentioned a tractor ride!\r\n\r\nWed AM Called Franklin School, referred to Randall. Spoke to Jean. She was ready for me, a fax coming in, there had been a meeting downtown and her suggestion had been taken to not require registering at the Doyle Bldg but just showing up at the school. Everyone was so helpful and nice.\r\n\r\nThursday Am Head out for Baton Rouge. Check with AAA. Hwy 12 between Ponchatoula and Baton Rouge is open. YEA! Heading for Marriott on Hwy 10 in Baton Rouge. PRRC are with 300 others in a Banquet room. P calls, we tried calling her but communication is still reversed, she is at Jean-Luc\'s sisters house with Marlene his mother. Penny tells us the looters are now shooting at the helicopters! Mayor Nagin has now directed the police to direct their efforts to protecting property rather than search and rescue. No idea what that means. Downtown NOLA is a no-mans-land! We would call in Cobra gunships!\r\n\r\nLunch at Subway in Sherman IL. Just passed 2 huge power of some sort generators? Heading south. Stay at Holiday Inn Express in Sikeston. Julie did reservations for tomorrow night. Julie watched for cancellations so we could have 2 queen rooms. Subway for supper, other half for lunch tomorrow. Julie called from front desk 6P. Someone was at the desk with meals for anyone to or from New Orleans. We thanked her, we had already eaten. Bed 930P.\r\n\r\nFriday 1 Sept 2005 0530 up initiate Bravo Delta Extraction One is on the road. Clear red sunrise. We pass a convoy of energy trucks from Blue Bell, PA and Indiana. \r\n\r\n8A McDonalds south of Memphis before Grenada. Call from P, gas stations running out of gas. Closing because of too many people. Gas up before Baton Rouge. Mc Comb MS for gas. Another convoy, long as far as you can see! Piper Line Milwaukee WI! Portable shower for crews.\r\n\r\nSo, they have evacuated to Baton Rouge and everything is OK, not exactly. The scope is huge at least 500 miles along the coast and maybe 100 miles or more north is not OK!\r\n\r\nWhy is nobody on the road? No Gas! \r\n\r\n11A Finally get in line at a Chevron station in a bad neighborhood in Jackson MS. Gas is to be here 3 - 4P. Hang out visiting with others in line. Am told nurses local and on way to NOLA can get gas with nursing license. Going to use my WI/RN license, should have done it sooner maybe. 445P try Petrol. They are closed. I eat a can of tuna I got at the Mini Mart at the gas station while we waited. Dick calculates gas consumption as we had down 55. Checked out gas stations - \"out\" covers over pump handles. Police at another station, a three hour wait, we went on. Call P. Chuck is at Jean-Luc\'s, with 7 gallons, Jean-Luc has 5 gallons of gas in containers. Containers hard to come by. Everyone needs them. They have gassed up all their vehicles sooo if we can get close they can met us with gas, get us into town where we can fill up for the trip back. Save the 7 gallons for the trip back to get us through MS, hopefully Sikeston. \r\n\r\nRan out of gas 2 miles onto 12 off 55 near the weigh station. Lots of traffic going West. Sirens screaming past us. While waiting a black women with a handicapped license plate stopped to see if she could help. What a kind pleasant women. She offered us free gas from a gas can in her trunk. She had run out the day before. We thanked her saying help was on the way, save it for someone else. Sun is going to set directly ahead of us. Awaiting the arrival of Jean Luc and René. Talked to Chuck, THANK YOU! Chuck is leaving for home. YEA! René and Jean-Luc arrived with 7 gallons. 36 mile drive to Port Allen to Jean-Luc\'s wife sister\'s house. What a relief - we made it. Dick and René head out to find gas away from the highway. Fill up so we are ready to leave. René has purchased a shot gun and Jean-Luc a 357. René wants to leave, concedes to dinner. Jean-Luc convinces René to wait and leave in the AM. We are all very tired physically and emotionally. Have a good dinner. They raid the sister\'s freezer. Penny does pork roast with carrots and potatoes, Jean-Luc salad, coconut macaroons and lots of red wine. Sleeping - Penny couch, René floor, Rémy floor, Clara reading chair, Betty and Dick the antique canopy bed!\r\n\r\nSaturday 2 September 2005 830A Said our last thank you\'s and goodbyes to Jean-Luc, Marlene and Cynthia, Lily had already left.\r\n\r\nLoaded the car. Five & seven gallon gas containers, food and what few things PRRC have. Rémy and Clara have their ipods! P had to leave her insurance papers, duffle and computer backup at Arts Renaissance. Hopefully Chuck can do something about that. Two vehicles, one on the street by the Arts the other in the parking ramp. \r\n\r\nWe see hurricane damaged trees, signs, houses. Long lines for gas, McDonalds drive up only. We are heading north. 9A 86°F already. Tache is sleeping beside me in the back seat with Rémy. Called Bernard and Sandra. Claude and Joho frantic to find René and P. René talked to Robert in St Louis - we will be staying at the Renaissance in St Louis. Just stopped at a McDonalds, unable to provide a plain burger. Back on the road. Memphis. Fuel light on. 12 gallons in. Eating melting Krunch and Butterfingers. Animals doing very well. Salad for guineas tonite. Shopped at Boomland on I55. Guys were interested in the conditions in NOLA. A friend, an MP, was going there on Wednesday. We told them to make sure he has a weapon.\r\n\r\nWe meet Robert, the General Manager at the Marriot Hotel in St Louis. We are quite a show getting out of the van with guinea pigs, dog, shot gun and very few belongs. We are escorted to the Presidential Suite where a banquet table of food, drinks and all is spread. (see photos). A special plate of beautifully arranged vegetables, carrots, celery and lettuce for the guineas. We are so tired. Take showers and meet Robert and his wife for dinner of soup and appetizers. Can\'t eat too much. Emotions running high. \r\n\r\nSunday 3 September 2005 Arrive Madison.\r\n\r\nP = Penny\r\nR = René\r\nR = Rémy\r\nC = Clara\r\n\r\nB = Betty\r\nD = Dick\r\n\r\nT = Tache, Jack Russell\r\n