Here we go again

This week has been busy at work with all of us gearing up for Hurricane Gustav. This will be my first experience with hurricane preparedness working with the state, and if it happens like they're predicting, it sure will be a whopper.

I really can't imagine going through what we went through with Katrina all over again. That was three years ago this Friday, and even up in Vicksburg we felt her wrath. Scary times. Maybe this guy won't be as bad, but I guess you can never be too prepared for something like this. I know my parents are stocking up in Hattiesburg, and all of my friends down on the Coast seem to be playing the waiting game to see what the storm's next movement proves to be. It's really an awful feeling.

Lucky me will get to spend my Labor Day weekend on storm patrol at work. It's times like these when I really wonder why in the world I chose to go into the communications field in the first place. When Katrina came I was working at the newspaper and was literally out storm-chasing a few hours before the worst of the weather came through. We were out at Eagle Lake tracking down some "refugees" (that's what we called them before it became more politically correct to call them evacuees) and Brian the photographer and I were having to drive off the road to avoid falling trees. It was horrible. When we finally made it back to the paper, the whole office had shut down and gone home. Power was already out, and it was only like 2 in the afternoon. We spent the rest of the afternoon and evening hunkered down in Lauchlin's basement for our own hurricane party. Then the next four days were pure hell as we endured the sweltering August heat and lines at the gas stations. It was just awful. I know we didn't have it nearly as bad as a lot of people, obviously, but the fact that it was that bad THAT far inland was amazing. Fingers crossed this one won't replay the same way.

Anyways, if you don't hear from me for a few days, I'm probably stuck in my cubicle writing press releases about storm stuff and answering questions from reporters. I know you're jealous. In the meantime, I'll just say a little (or big) prayer that this storm will pass us right by. I don't think any of us are ready to go through what we went through three years ago. I don't think we'll ever be.