Gustav Update

Instead of planning class today, I thought I would write a little hurricane update for those of you who may be wondering. Saturday they issued a mandatory evacuation of most of costal Louisiana...including Lake Charles. So once again, my dad finished up some things at worked, prepared the house (as best as you can) and then left early Sunday morning. (My mom is already in Utah visiting my grandparents.) He said that the traffic was heavy for the first hour or two and then it was normal. He got to my brother's house in Denver Sunday evening. Carson was very excited that Grandpa Smith had come to play with him. Nathan and the boys had put up a tent in the backyard and slept in it Saturday night. When they called Carson told me that his mom told him that Grandpa wasn't going to sleep in the tent, he was going to sleep in the basement. But then he asked Grandpa and Grandpa said he would sleep in the tent. So Carson was very excited to have a new addition to the tent!!
Gustav made landfall just west of New Orleans and then travelled northwest. (I'm sure you've seen the maps!) Lake Charles got a lot of wind and rain and there are some trees down and debris, but it was on the tailend of the storm. Right now, the concern is the branch in Jennings which got hit a lot harder. The mandatory evacuation was lifted about 10:00 a.m Tuesday. Dad should be home sometime today and will be able to see the damage first hand.
Note: This is the third Smith Family hurricane evacuation. (Two of them dad has done solo!) Saturday night, when I was checking the progress of the hurricane while waiting for people to gather at my house, a girl from the ward said, "Why would you live where there are hurricanes?" One of my friends promptly responded, "Why do you live in California where there are earthquakes?" But if I thought they'd move by me I would push that question!!!