BlogHer - Hurricane Gustav: New Orleans mayor orders evacuation as social networks offer help - Comments

Hurricane Helpers

JTGoldberg — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 11:09:48 -0500

We can't control the weather, unfortunately, so those of us who live along the South Atlantic and Gulf Coasts learn to prepare. As a designer, I've had the dubious privilege of working on homes being rebuilt after hurricanes and tornados destroyed them. If that work dried up completely, I'd be a slightly less busy professional, but a much happier person!

Here are some tips that I've learned -- and am still learning -- from living and working in Florida.

http://jgkitchens.blogspot.com/2008/08/hurricane-helpers.html

I hope they're helpful to you and your family this season.

JTG
Tampa

Jamie Goldberg, AKBD
jamie@jgkitchens.com
http://jgkitchens.blogspot.com/

"Pack like your aren't coming back"

lulumom — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 23:39:31 -0500

I posted twice today about the emerging social networking tools that brought information to so many individuals last week in Denver. It is almost noise because of the sheer number of posters, commenters, Twitterers, bloggers, etc. but clearly we are all part of a breakthrough in dispensing/consuming information. Facts. Fast. Often.

The New York Times called upon witnesses in New Orleans for citizen journalism, asking for posts of images, videos, but the real stories seem to come from individuals sharing their thoughts and feelings. We were moved today by a person called Sloane.
She was advised to "pack like you aren't coming back."

Blessings.

LuluMom

What has shocked me...

Crunchy Carpets — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 13:18:44 -0500

Was how little media there has been about Gustav and NOLA...

Granted I havent' been glued to the tv..but our Canadian news has barely mentioned it...and the first I heard about evacs was on Twitter...all too much politics...and no focus on lives

Look for me at http://crunchycarpets.com or check out the ladies at www.wetcoastwomen.com

Excellent, thanks Tacoma Mama!

Lisa Stone — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 11:01:19 -0500

Lisa Stone
BlogHer Co-founder
Surfette

BlogHer is non-partisan but our bloggers aren't! Follow our coverage of the 2008 political conventions

Yay! Thank you Nordette :)

Lisa Stone — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 11:00:58 -0500

Been thinking about you and your family.

Lisa Stone
BlogHer Co-founder
Surfette

BlogHer is non-partisan but our bloggers aren't! Follow our coverage of the 2008 political conventions

Laura, I also wonder whether this might be a final straw...

Lisa Stone — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 11:00:13 -0500

and yet at the same time, I imagine there are also a number of people staying whether the evacuation is "mandatory" or not. I have to defer to true NOLAns...

Have you read Nordette's beautiful post, Hurricane Katrina's Third Anniversary and Tales of Lingering Storm Phobia?

Lisa Stone
BlogHer Co-founder
Surfette

BlogHer is non-partisan but our bloggers aren't! Follow our coverage of the 2008 political conventions

Safe in Memphis

Nordette — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 10:33:04 -0500

I appreciate the shout out, Lisa. My family and I have arrived safely in Memphis.

Thank you.

Nordette is a Contributing Editor with BlogHer.com whose personal blog is hosted on another site at this link.

Nola.com seems to be a good resource, too.

Tacomamama — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 09:29:58 -0500

Nola.com, or follow Nolanews on twitter

Tacoma Mama

Will they come back?

gringainteguz — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 09:21:45 -0500

Most everyone that I know from South Louisiana has left town, or has intentions of doing so. But this is the question I am considering -Will they come back? The geographical displacement that occurred after Katrina rivaled the displacements of people leaving their homes during the social upheaval of the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl exodus in the 1930s. Overnight, Baton Rouge became the most populated city in the state, and she has not lost that distinction. This quote caught my eye from the New Orleans local paper, "If it hits the city anywhere near how [Katrina] hit, no one's going to come back," Wilma Crochet told The Times-Picayune newspaper.

Laurie, a gringa in Honduras,

laurieishere.blogspot.com

Update: I heard from Nordette

Lisa Stone — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 01:03:03 -0500

She's evacuated and safe. :)

Lisa Stone
BlogHer Co-founder
Surfette

BlogHer is non-partisan but our bloggers aren't! Follow our coverage of the 2008 political conventions

Hurricane Gustav: New Orleans mayor orders evacuation as social networks offer help

Lisa Stone — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 00:15:25 -0500

New Orleans Mayor C. Ray Nagin has ordered the evacuation of his city, reports The New York Times - and this time it's mandatory. According to Weather.com's breaking news page, Gustav looks bigger and badder than Katrina, and nearly 20-foot waves have already been spotted in the Caribbean.

In response, social networking companies like Ning and Cerado are developing sites, wikis and widgets to help people affected find news, resources and each other. I recommend starting with Cerado's Hurricane Gustav widget for iPhone, mobile device or Web site/blog, which allows you to list yourself and indicate whether you are offering shelter, looking for someone or are an evacuee. The widget's resources tab also answers the following questions asap:

CNN Coverage of Gustav
Gustav Wiki
Gustav08 on Ning
Gustav podcasts from NOAA
How do I add a resource?
How do I find an evacuee?
How do I let people know where I've evacuated to?

Are you affected or do you know people in Gulf states who are at risk? Please let us know how they are and which social media tools, if any, are most helpful. BlogHer will work to get the word out with you.

If you're in one of the Gulf States, our thoughts are with you -- we invite you to check in and share how you are, whether you're evacuated and, if so, how it goes. Please let us know if these tools we've recommended help, or anything else this community can do.

A special shout out to Contributing Editor Nordette, our NOLA resident: We're thinking of you and can't wait to hear how you are. In fact, I think BlogHer Gringainteguz says it best in her post "I love NOLA." Here's proof:

In "Gameover," BlogHer Lettynola wrote of preparing for a Sunday evacuation that has clearly come earlier:

"Today we started tying down patio furniture, clearing out the fridge, pulling in topiaries, pulling in the "New Orleans Renaissance" yard flag (ironic), washing cloths to pack, washing the dishes up, putting things up high away from possible flooding, taking photos for insurance, taping windows (in case they shatter they won't blow through your home) and basically stabilizing anything that could have "flying shrapnel" potential. We'll watch the 10 or 11 pm track and then head to bed again. Then wake and hope the track is even farther away..."

On a related note, Mary Katharine Ham reported earlier today that Hurricane Gustav's gathering strength led the Republication National Committee, previously scheduled to nominate Sen. John McCain for president during the week Sept. 1-4, to announce that prime-time speeches may be cancelled and delegates turned into "Red Cross-type volunteers."(See New York Post article.)

I announced earlier today BlogHer's plans to cover the RNC. We may amend our plan, depending upon the path of Hurricane Gustav.

Thanks for keeping us posted.