Hurrican Katrina - Not sure what to do

[tirnanog]

if you want to come to Houston, I have extra stalls available and big pastures. Your welcome to stay with us. I don't know if it's feasable but you are welcome.

[Bopper]

Thanks for all of the information. One problem that we will have (this whole area) is that because we have had near drought conditions off and on for 3 years now many trees are weak so we expect to be without power for about 2 weeks. We are filling up everything with water and just hoping for the best. As long as the storm stays east of us we are better off because the western side is less damaging.

Good luck to everyone in the path especially those in the New Orleans area. If they take a direct hit it could take months to recover.

Bopper

[Cashela]

Bopper, I really think you need to take yourself and your animals to safety. This isn't something to fool around with.

I will be praying for you and your horses.

[RHF_cSi]

WISH ALL OF US LUCK HERE IN BILOXI MS!!!! I pray that my wonderful stable Roundhill Farm is okay and i wish beyond wish the military would let me and my husband and animals evacuate!!! I just hope to God that this storm is quick because it is a CAT 5 now and will cause catastophic damage....I just hope my buddy Secor makes it through this horrible hurricane and to all of you in New Orleans GET OUT OF THERE IT WILL FLOOD!!! Love you all prayers and good thoughts for everyone

Jingles wouldn't hurt either but i think the all mighty Jingle may not be enough.........

[Kate66]

I can also offer some pasture space, with large run-ins, for a few horses if anyone wants to make it over to the Houston area. If you are in the NO area and want to evacuate please PT me with a phone number where I can contact you....but just pack up and start heading over here. I could also accomodate at least one person, possibly two.

[carolprudm]

Bopper, RHF, good luck and PLEASE PLEASE get out if you possibly can.

[CindyGen]

I have empty stalls and plenty of pasture space in the Durham, NC area

[missgrey]

the storm is NOT messing around, You really need to leave!

[Zydeco Farm]

Hi guys, you may find this link to a weather forum in New Orleans intersting and quite sobering. If you click on the individual links on the post, you can see anticipated impact from this monster storm. I think the track it plots is pretty close to the current track by the National Weather Service. I'm located about 50 miles north of New Orleans and will be moving my horses to a concrete block barn this afternoon. Planning on driving about 25 miles further north for the peak of the storm armed with rope and chain saws so that we can get back in quickly.

http://www.wwltv.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=1657

I'll be praying. Good luck to all and post when you can!

Terri

[shakeytails]

Please evacuate! I have an empty house and 5 stall barn in KY about an hour south of Louisville if anybody needs a place to stay. redbriar @ alltel.net or PT for a phone #.

edited to add- It's about an 11 hr drive from Baton Rouge. Your dogs and other critters are welcome as well and we have plenty of hay and/or pasture!

[MistyBlue]

Prayers and well wishes for all of you in this storm's path. I've been watching it online and it looks terrifyingly large and strong. Please evacuate if it's at all possible. Sustained 160 mph winds will not be survivable by any loose horses, and most barns won't survive that kind of wind either.
Please update us on your conditions afterwards as soon as possible.

[FlightCheck]

Adding to the list of "please get out"...

If your power is only out for 2 weeks, you will be Very Lucky.

When I had the farm, my concrete block barn was "hurricane proof" - certified to 165mph (just like the house). I would NOT have stayed if a Cat 5 was coming - and we rode out several small hurricanes/tropical storms in it.

But if you are DETERMINED to stay, I echo what everyone else has said, PLUS:

*know how to get in contact with your vet
*if you can put your feed in am/pm ziplocks, it will help
*fill up the 50gallon drums with lots of water
*remember, you may not be able to get OUT anywhere if the trees/debris block your roads...
*I'm sure you have batteries and candles and gas for the gas grill, right? And a hand can opener...

**WARNING*** RANT AHEAD***

AND - as a former police officer and wife of a deputy who almost got killed rescuing people who REFUSED TO EVACUATE in the Fires of ''98...

Don't expect help to come out during the storm -or for anyone else to risk THEIR life for yours afterwards....I know that sounds harsh, but nothing enrages me more than people who refuse to evacuate and then expect help when it is "worse than they thought"....

We'll be thinking of you...with good thoughts and prayers......

[Eleanor]

Why would you put yourself and your horses in damger?

Be smart and evacuate!

[Zydeco Farm]

Hey Flight Check, I can identify. My hubby is with state police and he left me yesterday morning. Not sure when I will get to see him again. He commutes and works well west of the anticipated path, so I'll be less worried about him then he will be about me.

And to all posters, I'd like to make another observation from one who is choosing to stay near home. It is with fear and trepidation that I have made this decision. Many of us do not have the means to evacuate multiple horses, so we do what we can to make the best of a bad situation with our first goal to keep human life safe followed closely by concern for our horses. This is a VERY stressful time for those of us in harm's way. Positive thought and suggestions are really appreciated.

[carosello]

OMG people take care! As a northerner I just cant wrap my mine around wanting to stay. Different strokes I guess. Please be careful. I just remember seeing pictures of all the hovoc the last few years...dogs left in dog runs who have drowned. Animals loose & injured(including those from the zoo). People unable to get power & water and it was HOT. Last year we used our fleet to truck generators to FL but it was a while before they could even get there because there was no fuel and the roads were blocked.

[pmc]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by FlightCheck:

Don't expect help to come out during the storm -or for anyone else to risk THEIR life for yours afterwards....I know that sounds harsh, but nothing enrages me more than people who refuse to evacuate and then expect help when it is "worse than they thought"....

</div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Excellent point, Flight Check, and one that can't be emphasized enough!

Some may argue that rescue personnel should take the danger of performing their duties as part of the job, AND THEY DO!!

The difference here is that the people that will need to be rescued had plenty of warning about impending disaster, and, for whatever reason, did not get themselves out of harm's way. This is a totally different scenario than in the case of a tornado or earthquake, for example, where there is little or no warning, and therefore, no opportunity to evacuate.

For God's sake - GET OUT!!!! Even if this means doing the best you can for your horses and then getting *yourself* to safety. We all love our horses, but you'll be of no use to them if you don't make it through the storm because you stayed to ride it out with them.

[floridajumper]

Last year our vet came out and gave us LOADS of meds before the storm. We had them on I believe ace during the storm to keep them calm.they stayed indoors. Don't forget to have first aid supplies on hand. Your vet might not be able to get to you after the storm. You will probably have no phone service. After last year and now haveing gone thru this.... I would evacuate.... It's not too late.

[SLW]

Probably too late but if possible get as much sterno as you can for heating up food/coffee etc. Along w/ bottled water, sterno tends to be scarce when bad storms are forecast.

Will keep all of you in harms way in my thoughts for a safe tomorrow.

[vineyridge]

Besides water, the two essentials for living out a catastrophe are a generator that can run your well and a good quality, gasoline chain saw.

Can't survive the aftermath without them.

I, too, recommend evacuation. Even in Vicksburg, Ms, which is about 150-200 miles north of the coast and right on the river, they are forecasting winds in excess of 70 mph.

[carolprudm]

For those of you planning to sit it out to protect your horses and property, if it really gets bad just what do you think you will be able to do. I've been in 3 bad hurricanes, a direct hit from Carol as a child and "brushes" from Agnes and David. When the power goes out the trees start falling and the water starts rising there is not a D^$%@# thing you can do. In Agnes one of the local strip malls burned to the water line.
I have 6 horses, dogs cats sheep and goats.
And a 2 horse trailer. It's a horrible delema.