Update

The governor is speaking live--just heard her say over 200 people were picked up from rooftops, others are swimming to rescue boats. St. Bernard Parish (east of New Orleans) is, in her words, "devastated."

I'm guessing most folks have also seen video from the Mississippi Gulf Coast, which bore the brunt of the storm.

But I'll reiterate--just because this didn't obliterate New Orleans and the burbs doesn't mean they weren't hit HARD. My understanding is that evacuees won't be able to get back for at least a week, if not longer. As for those being sheltered, heaven knows what will happen. Even though the Superdome is damaged, people are still there...saw a report that said folks were starting to get impatient.

It might not have been THE nightmare, but it's still a really bad dream. A water main broke in the city, power is mostly off--directives to boil water aren't all that effective for those who have only electric appliances.

Local television has some aerial footage from what looks like Kenner--it's partly to totally submerged. Earlier, I read somewhere that for a week or so the area will be "an urban wilderness." Floodwaters might contain things like poisonous snakes, balls of fire ants, and other "amenities."

Something along Lake Ponchartrain is on fire, and boats look like they were tossed around like toys.

Here--the complaints are a bit more, um, I was going to say pedestrian, but Baton Rouge is a pedestrian's nightmare...anyway, the complaints revolve around lack of power and closed stores.

I'll post more when I find out more.