Convoys

Coker, Alabama

Weather: low 78 degrees, high 91 degrees, cloudy, windy

It was cloudy and windy all day because of Hurricane Gustav's influence on our weather. There was a sprinkle or two, but no rain that amounted to anything. It appears that New Orleans missed the really bad weather from the storm, but areas west of there were hit. Hopefully, it will not be too bad.

We went with Terri to pick up Thomas in Birmingham this evening. The traffic was not bad, probably because of the Labor Day holiday. What was interesting was the number of convoys of power company vehicles we saw headed south on I-59, apparently bound for the storm areas. We saw at least six convoys of those types of vehicles, and also saw three convoys of tree trimming equipment. In addition, we saw a large number of big generators being transported in that direction, as well as trucks loaded with cases of bottled water. On top of all that, we saw at least five large convoys of military vehicles and personnel headed the same direction. It appears that some valuable lessons were learned in the last couple of years on how to respond to emergencies. The response should be much better this time around. Now, if we can get people to help themselves, the recovery should be easier.

I have heard that many of the states and the federal government have adopted Florida's model for dealing with these types of emergencies. It doesn't matter where the model comes from, as long as it is timely and effective.

I hear there is another storm about to hit the gulf later this week. Let's hope if fizzles out.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - New Orleans, Louisiana: The Queen of the Mississippi

Not all who wander are lost.