HURRICANE KATRINA

New Orleans is such a great city to visit, I've been there so many times for the DEMA show and for Mardi Gras. So so sad to see such a great city destroyed. I have so many friends in New Orleans, Slidel, Biloxi and Gulf Shores Alabama area. I hope everyone is in a safe place and that your familys, homes and businesses survive unscathed.

Doug

I echo your thoughts. I'm stressed out as we wait to hear about the damage offshore from Katrina.

On another note, the waves down in surfside beach were freaking huge yesterday. 3-5 feet overhead - the biggest I've ever surfed in TX.

Cheers

James

Here is a view out my window during the height of the storm as it passed over Miami.

At this time it was only a cat 1. The power of the storm was incredable. I cant immagine what it is going to be like in New Orleans.

Has anyone heard fo any reports of how the Spegal Grove did in Katrina. I know it was roled unright by Dennis, I just hope Katrina didn't go any damage. I havn't had a chance o dive it since Dennis

Jeff Van Etten

Pensacola, FL.

if what i went through in cayman with ivan is anything to go by you won't hear anything for a while ... but they are screwed ... luckily or hopefully they will have a much larger infrastructure to help rebuild than we did ...but remember they are underwater naturally .. so they will have to pump all the storm surge out !!

good luck guys .. wich you all the best.

My parents have 8-10 of water in their neighborhood in Ocean Springs, MS, which is East of Biloxi, as of noon today. People are in their attics calling to be rescued. Now I can't get through to see what's going on.....

I'm headed over there as soon as possible to help with the clean up, which I am sure will be unbelievable. I'm sure that the entire coast will be not only devastated, but stranded as well - as everyone's vehicles will all have been flooded too.

They will probably not have power/water for weeks. Not to mention the hazards of cleaning up...which in my old neighborhood includes alot of angry, displaced poisonous snakes and alligators.

I will hate to see my beautiful hometown destroyed - I am dreading the trip - but also going out of my mind wanting to know how they are and how much damage they've sustained.

I just got a call from my best friend that evacuated New Orleans on Saturday. He's in Baton Rouge and reports that there's no electricity and that they're pretty starved for info. It'll probably be Wednesday or Thursday before they let people back in NO.

New Orleans itself has once again dodged the bullet in that the none of the doomsday scenarios came true. Though the damage in the city is pretty extensive, its not enough to keep the city down. There isn't a Lake New Orleans yet, since there are still some parts of the city above water.

I moved out of New Orleans last year about a month before Ivan came ashore. Ivan was supposed to be "the Big One" and Georges was supposed to be "the Big One" back in 1998. Sadly, Katrina may have not been "the Big One" either, but I hope it was big enough for the politicians to realize that they need to put some serious effort into coastal restoration in Louisiana or we may one day have Lake New Orleans.

James, I heard a report that there are two unmanned platforms in the Gulf that have broken free of their moorings. I can't remember where I saw it. I also got a "through the grapevine" report that Thunderhorse platform recorded a wave in excess of 100ft during this storm. I'm not sure if that's true or not, but its what I was told.

Deepwater drilling rigs seem to break loose in every hurricane now-adays. There are no un-manned moored deepwater platforms - so I'm assuming you meant drilling rigs. Yes, there are a few that they are working to get under control today.

The Shell Mars TLP also sustained extensive damage, with its drilling rig knocked over and off its skid beams.

Cheers

James