Gustav

Marc and I left Covington on Saturday afternoon and headed North to Huntsville. We left on Saturday to avoid the contraflow traffic, and after hearing reports from friends we're glad we left when we did. We have our 3 dogs and 2 cats at mom and dad's house. Everyone seems to be settling in okay. Mainly I've been glued to the television and the internet today to get updates on our Parish. We live in St. Tammany Parish which is across Lake Pontchatrain from New Orleans. So far I know we have lost power (no big suprise there), but that's about all I know about our specific neighborhood. It looks like we're getting bands of tropical storm strength winds, and rain as well as threats of tornados.

Marc went to Birmingham for the day where his company has an office. He is in charge of payroll for everyone in his company which is a large environmental clean up company and has branches in about 5 states. Mondays are payroll days--holidays or not and hurricanes or not, so he's trying to get everyone paid. Some of the other accounting department employees are working out of their Jackson, MS office, so he is trying to coordinate with them. He says it's going to be a long day.

We have several employees that stayed in St. Tammany and Tangipahoa Parishes that I hope to get some updates from in the next 24 hours, but power is out across most of the region and cell phone service is bad. We are having some trouble making phone calls to other evacuees; I really don't understand how all of that cell coverage works, but we can send text messages.

Marc's dad and sister are in Carriere, MS where Marc's brother Gino and his family just moved. We hope to hear from them sometime soon as well.

I will send another message out soon to keep everyone posted on our whereabouts. I know we'll try to head back as soon as it's safe and we have power.

Wendi