Saw your question about the situation in N. O. I am here and the city is taking this very seriously. About 1/2 of the city has or is evacuating. There was a run on gas last night and today and the interstates were crammed with cars leaving all day. Now the traffic is clearing up so it is getting easier to get out but there are still a lot of people hitting the road. Most stores have closed but you can still get supplies at local gas tations, etc. All national chain stores have closed. The people that are staying are breathing easier now because the storm looks to be going more to the east. I know someone who evacuated from Dauphin Island to here. We are currently expecting winds to 50mph by evening tomorrow and then possibly to hurricane force (max) by midnight Thurs to 6am Thurs (roughly). The city is quiet by our standards but the bars are full (hey its the Big Easy). They are telling us here that the window to leave the city will probably close by around noon tomorrow. Hope this helps. Good Luck to all.