My friend Patrick lives some number of miles due north of where Katrina and Rita was so devastating.
His wife and son and he volunteered right there in the parishes during the aftermath. Here’s some really good advice he’s sharing around the interwebs:
Ok, we all know about Gustav heading this way.
Now would be a good time to make contact with your friends and family along the coast. If they’re there, encourage them to evacuate. If they (or you) do, keep this in mind:
Set up arrangements to stay somewhere until everything settles down.
Carry enough cash for food, lodging and gas. Be careful: the closer to the coast, the likelihood of finding gas decreases. Don’t get caught on “E” at a station that ran out of gas a few minutes before. Also, ATM’s may not work.
Carry a few blankets and gallon jugs of water with you. Also, carry food that won’t spoil easily; you may not be able to stop for food along the way.
Toilet supplies and meds (bring the bottle with the label from the pharmacy; if you run out, it will be easier to get refills) Also, if nature calls while on the road, carry at least one roll of toilet paper with you. That way, you’ll ALWAYS have at least one roll with you, even if the “facilities” do not.
Important papers (marriage license, birth certificate, insurance policies, deeds, etc.) Put them in a place only you know about. You may need them. And, you don’t want them to come up damaged or missing.
Portable radio with extra batteries. If you’re close to NOLA, you can pick up WWL-AM easily (870 AM) but at night you can pick it up pretty much anywhere. During Katrina, they were basically a lifeline between NOLA and the rest of the world, and probably will be now as well. Their info is basically real-time (even better than CNN or FNC) and the on-air staff know the area well.
Check about contraflow. Contraflow is using interstate highways to evacuate. a certain area. In short, all traffic goes in one way for a specified length of highway. So far, sections of I-55 and I-59 near the MS/LA line are used for contraflow. MHP and MDOT will mark the sections clearly. If you have questions, don’t be afraid to ask. You certainly don’t want to be the only northbound driver on a southbound piece of interstate!