Shoveling the Muck

Sorry for the lack of blogging lately. We're working our way back up Maslow's pyramid, and blogging is definitely not on one of the lower levels. So here's the family storm total so far. Everyone in the family is safe and accounted for.... everything else is just gravy. Dad's house appears to be one of the few standing in Waveland, but he did get water inside. We're heading down tomorrow to see what's salvageable. Everyone in Waveland has long depended on the the railroad tracks to protect them, because the tracks form a levee. The tracks did make a big difference, but weren't enough to keep out the water. Here's a link to the aerial view of Dad's neighborhood. His house is in the neighborhood in the top right of the picture. Scroll left and see what's left of the neighborhood on the beach side of the tracks. Nothing. Just across the tracks is the cul-de-sac where my cousin Mary Kay's house used to be. She and her daughter and my aunt and uncle along with 20 other people rode out the storm at her ex's house. Fortunately, the house was on the right side of the tracks, and stayed put. But they all had to climb into the attic to escape the water. Uncle Pete and Aunt Betty's house lost one wall of the house.... and from one of the aerial photos is appears they also gained a sailboat in the backyard. Two other cousins had their houses wiped away, two others had water. (It's a big family)
I've been down to the Coast once, running fuel to our crews working there. Getting gas has been a nightmare, but appears to be getting better. Still, we'll be bringing extra fuel just to be safe.
It's all so sad. But it's not the first time the Coast has been walloped. It's just the biggest wallop ever. I know that people will rebuild, and maybe in ten or 20 years, things will even get prosperous again. But it's going to be a long climb. And I think this time, a lot of folks are going to decide that maybe the new start should happen somewhere else. Wish us luck.