The latest from Machelle. Apparently, she’s not leaving due to deteriorating safety conditions while attempting to leave New Orleans.

At this point Machelle remains in New Orleans with her friend Felicity and her entire family. The flooding never reached her apartment, and the house she’s staying in now is even further from the flooding. No electricity or running water are definitely complicating things, of course. They have also cleverly parked her car under a fallen tree in the yard to make it look unattractive to people who think a car with gas is a hot commodity.

The most immediate problem/fear for Machelle was the rioting and looting. She contemplated leaving the city today, but people were being carjacked trying to leave the city. Machelle felt it was much safer to wait for the troops to arrive and get that situation under control. She feels they are safe & “have plenty of guns in the house.” They seem to have the supplies they need for now.

Machelle also said that they were possibly going to be interviewed by ABC News radio. . . she was hoping to even make it on the evening news. I haven’t heard any more details about it yet.

When Machelle is a hot, hot celebrity, she can thank me for sending the ABC news producer her way.

In Waterworld-related news, flooding has crested and water is starting to recede, but what is not inspiring is this bit of news, also from the Times Picayune:

… water was still spreading through Uptown Wednesday morning, and was making its way over St. Charles Avenue towards the river. On Marengo Street, water was 3 to 10 feet high in stretches between Claiborne and St. Charles avenues and between Napoleon Avenue and Louisiana. Water lapped into the bottom floors of houses, and residents were being evacuated by boat on Marengo and surrounding streets. Along Prytania Street, the water was a foot high and still rising at 10:30 a.m. And while water was still running in Uptown faucets Tuesday night, the flow stopped Wednesday.

There goes the green “safe zone” from the previous post. Great, soon my neighborhood, the Lower Garden District, is going to be the one island jutting out of the Sea of New Orleans.

Nagin just opined on TV that our return to New Orleans may take 12 to 14 weeks. I’m not crazy about this outlook.

The Tulane University website hosts a very inspiring letter from president, Scott Cowen:

The uptown campus is covered with debris from fallen trees and shrubs, making it almost impossible to drive or even walk on campus. We have no power in any of the buildings other than a few where we control the power source.

In addition, we don’t know when our employees will be able to return to the city, much less to the university.

It is difficult to describe what this situation feels like for those involved. It is surreal and unfathomable; yet, there is light at the end of the tunnel. Our focus is on the light and not the darkness.

My only hope is that the tunnel doesn’t lengthen as more levees are breached and flooding continues.

Airport News: CNN TV reports that New Orleans Armstrong International Airport is open for incoming flights bearing emergency supplies.

Amy writes:

“I just talked with Machelle. She’s doing fine, but she woke up this morning to no running water. She said the water is rising and people are going crazy, but her building is still dry and safe because the police are living there, etc. However, at this point she is considering leaving, and she’s going to talk with some friends who are still there. She’s getting tired but is still perfectly fine.”

A sad note from my friend, Shannon, who owns a home in Slidell, north of Lake Pontchartrain: “I just found out I lost everything and since I moved out of my house before I [evacuated] I am not covered.”

Hopeful Quote Of The Day: “If we can clean up after Mardi Gras, we can clean up after this.”

Keep those prayers coming, people.

READ THIS BLOG! neworleans.metblogs.com has an outstanding NO elevation graphic (courtesy of the Washington Post of all papers) and some funny-informative takes on what’s going on.

Fox News is saying the entire city will be covered in 15 feet of water. That is simply bullshit. Maybe in small parts of Lakeview or New Orleans East that will be the case, but not anywhere else. If you’re uptown, downtown, bywater, warehouse district.. don’t write off your posessions just yet. It’s still going to suck, bad, but don’t listen to the sensationalist reports of 12 feet of water over the entire city.

Regardless, with no power, running water, sanitation facilites, crime control and friends for company, even a mildly-flooded city is no place to return to. On second thought, maybe I’ll go back and become a Smoker. Yaaarrrrr!!

Through a friend and colleague, Kavita, I now have some word of Shell operations after Hurricane Katrina. The company is understandably quite scattered and disorganized at the present time, but Shell emergency personnel and Human Resources wish that you check in with them via phone or in person at the Houston Woodcreek office ASAP.

The toll-free number is (866) 745-5489. Shell hurricane updates here.

The unofficial word right now is that it may be a month or so before we can return to work at One Shell Square in downtown New Orleans. Until then, space will be made on a critical-need basis in the Houston offices so that we continue to work.

Mars Tension Leg Platform In Gulf of Mexico – Destroyed Topside

West Delta 143 and the Mars TLP have sustained severe damages, as well as a number of drilling platforms. More importantly, no Shell personnel have been hurt as far as the company knows. So, I urge you to check in through phone or in person at your earliest convenience.

If you wish to stay in contact with me, please do not hesitate to email. We WILL see each other in New Orleans and soon. Until then, my best to you.

New rule: I refuse to believe any media coverage of Katrina’s effect on New Orleans until I read it in the Times Picayune. That, too, I will cross-check with their previous posts. Since pictures speak a thousand words in such a circumstance, it is worth it for evacuees and concerned parties to keep abreast with the T-P photo galleries.

In one segment of CNN’s Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer this evening, two different reporters stated that the French Quarter is dry and the water is rising in the Quarter, respectively.

Patrick, another evacuee, and I concur that there is something fishy about “the news saying the water is rising, but then one of the senators from LA said that many areas of the city are dry.” So, where is the rising water going?

Additionally, these big news companies sensationalize and don’t realize that it frustrates evacuees who just want simple facts instead of played-out footage. In other words, give us new and relevant CONTENT or stop fluttering.

“Shopping For Free” At The Tchoupitoulas St. WalMart

The picture above shows looting at the Lower Garden District’s (most hated) SprawlMart. Nice to know that these fine folk are taking away large electronics (clearer in other pictures) which are essential to post-hurricane survival like food, water, basic clothing and personal hygiene products, never mind that they require, ahem, power. Notice that there is not a drop of water in the parking lot. The Lower Garden District appears to have a long way to go before it is flooded.

Can anyone confirm that the two breaches in the Florida Street levee constitute the third levee breach so far?

Machelle, recently emerged from her hurricane shelter in the Lower Garden District, wanders the city all the way to the French Quarter (August 30 14:22). For those of you looking for neighborhood updates, my house is on the 1400 block of Magazine and Dave lives on St. Mary by the Half Moon.

Dave & Maitri, your homes are fine.

Dave – I went through your window and stole all of your caribou & we’re going to finish off everything else in your fridge your neighbor Lawrence is keeping a steady eye on your condo. We gave him some caribou.

Steve – It’s dry at Toulouse & Burgundy, but about a foot at Rampart.

Fahy’s was open earlier but now is closed.

The water is not rising & the levee did not break downtown.

Everybody’s looting, but just stores not houses.

My home and Fahy’s are safe so far. With these two places out of harm’s way, I can do anything!

The governor has just asked remaining residents to leave immediately. The I-10 twin spans are damaged and cannot be used as a path of return. CNN‘s John Zarella reports that water is rising downtown and on Canal St., but Bourbon St. is largely dry. Either this is a very new development or it’s really not that bad. Again, the frustration lies in receiving second-hand information.

More as news trickles in.

My best friend, Machelle, is safe after deciding to stay back in New Orleans for Hurricane Katrina! This is great news indeed, because I’ve been saying that if the hurricane didn’t get her, I will.

Mac’s sister writes:

Machelle is going to check on your place & Dave’s place today. Her part of town isn’t bad & her apartment is just fine. At Felicity’s place a tree broke a couple of things but her place is fine. Morgan’s place is fine. Machelle will give you an update later. Let Dave know.

Relief floods Evacuation Central like the waters of Lake Pontchartrain, but I hope she stays safe until we get back. Now that the hurricane menaces the Northeast and the aftermath pervades, the human element has resurfaced in the form of looters and people who are ok until the legal system is stymied itself. New Orleans is now under martial law to curb this element as well as to keep out eager evacuees. Like I said, if anyone’s going to get Machelle, it’s not going to be a stinking hurricane or a two-bit criminal, it’s going to be me.

I love you, Machelle.

On a sad note, the brave reporters of the Times Picayune are evacuating to Houma due to rising flood waters from the Lake Pontchartrain levee breach.

This is exactly what I was afraid of – the storm will pass, but our levees will not hold. All of Lakeview, City Park, Mid-City is home to a torrent of water that threatens the CBD. My friends who live and own property in these areas must be wrecks; I’m certain they are wise enough to have left. For reference, this set of neighborhoods sits in the deepest part of the bowl that is the city of New Orleans.

A large section of the vital 17th Street Canal levee … gave way late Monday morning … after Katrina’s fiercest winds were well north. The breach sent a churning sea of water from Lake Pontchartrain coursing across Lakeview and into Mid-City, Carrollton, Gentilly, City Park and neighborhoods farther south and east.

… the water was still rising in the city, and nobody was willing to predict when it would stop … the American Red Cross was mobilizing for what regional officials were calling the largest recovery operation in the organization’s history.

Police officers, firefighters and private citizens, hampered by a lack of even rudimentary communication capabilities, continued a desperate and impromptu boat-borne rescue operation across Lakeview well after dark.

As a frequent visitor of the places listed below, I cannot fathom the destruction and terror there right now. This cannot be happening.

… residents … were stranded between the flooded neighborhood on their right, and the flooded City Park on their left … pleasure boats were stacked on top of each other like cordwood in the municipal marina and yacht harbor. The Robert E. Lee shopping center was under 7 feet of water.

It is rumored that “the total projected cost for this, likely the worst natural disaster in US history (financially speaking), will be something around the cost of four months of the war in Iraq.”

With officials asking remaining residents to leave the city if they still can, it doesn’t look like we evacuees are going home any time soon. If you’re involved in forming a volunteer effort back home starting next week, please email me.