New to posting on this site (although I have been a non-registered user for a while now), but wanted to say that even if there are no official evacuations anyone in Katrina's path that doesn't heed the warning is going to get a close-up of the gates of hell. I experienced Camille from the Tampa area in '69 and it was scary enough long distance. Does anyone remember the news story about the woman who was at a "hurricane party" in her 4th floor apartment and was swept out to sea by the storm surge? She was one of the lucky ones and lived to talk about her experience! Riding this one out is just foolish! If Katrina remains a 5 when making landfall, it will be only the 5th Atlantic Cat 5 to make landfall since record keeping began (and the 4th to hit US soil).