An Update on New Orleans From JT

My cousin JT, a resident of New Orleans, wrote to let us know he was OK. Here he is in his own words:

The Orleans levee break is on the 17th street canal. For out of townersthis is the area behind "The Dock" bar right on the lakefront on thewesternmost edge of Orleans Parish. For Loyola people... picture drivingto the end of city park and taking a left on robert e. lee headingtoward Metairie...Bonnebel east to 17thstreet canal was dry according to [omitted] last night so i dohave hope for...old metairie. Uptown was fairly drybut had heavy tree damage, live oaks down all over according to somereports I heard from some friends who stayed around the Riverbend area.I heard the west bank is in fairly good shape.

[A friend]'s house had huge trees down...sigeps willremember the hay barn, its tin was peeled back and flew away. A pecantree fell all over the back of the house while we were in it and missedtaking out a bedroom and car by inches. The huge tree on the south sideof their property went down; the stump was the size of a big churchdoor. The 4 hours of the most intense winds and rain was easily the mostterriying experience of our lives. [Another friend's] house is badly damaged thoughfrom a tree strike, we were on his roof last yesterday tarping it andyou can see where a torando ripped right off of a hill and over hishouse. When you all see the photos you will be stunned that they lived.I spoke to [my friend] late last night and they are going to lock it down andhead to houston. [Another friend] will stay behind for now at his father in laws;they have a mobile home and enough generator gas to last for at least aweek.

DO NOT COME INTO SE LOUISIANA RIGHT NOW...I know everyone wants to helpbut the infrastructure is destroyed. I mean GONE...I saw it myself inFolsom...no water, no power, no cell phones. EVERY power line headingtoward covington was down. It is ungodly hot and there is no way to getcool. All the schools have heavy damage. New Orleans has totallycollapsed.

You can donate to Hurricane Katrina relief here.