My brother-in-law and niece left Metairie about noon today coming up to Tennessee to stay with my wife's parents.
He said it took him 3 hours to get across the causeway.
From noon, it took him till 7:30 PM to get to Meridian, MS...that still leaves a long night of driving to get to Tullahoma, TN.
Also, my cousins and uncle live in various places between New Orleans and Baton Rouge. I haven't been able to get in touch with any of them today, but hopefully they are all migrating to Baton Rouge. That is still close enough to probably get hammered, but maybe it will be okay in Baton Rouge. This one is so big, though, I'd have been happier if they all headed up to Nashville.
Spawn-off Tornadoes in Baton Rouge and the area are a really bad threat too.
My in-laws moved up close to us in Tennessee here about 2 years ago. I'm sure they are happy they moved now.
Their old house in New Orleans East, is between Pontchartrain and Lake Borgne. The counter-clockwise should storm surge Borgne waters over those houses and into Pontch, then into N.O. proper. I'm pretty sure the water will be over the roof of their old house.
This one really does look like it's of Biblical proportions. I really think this will finally wash N.O. off the map. I can't imagine it being habitable for a couple of months.
It's going to be like the fabled Atlantis. I can't help but think about the Tsunami and Pompeii and Vesuvius.
No matter how good the above-ground crypts, the dead are going to be washed out into the mix. If they aren't washed away completely, it won't be pretty. Should also be just a generally bad warm, swampy, bacterial, viral, mosquito breeding, West-Nile (and worse) festering soup.
I covet your prayers for my family, and for all the folks stuck in N.O. that are in the shelters of last resort.