A letter from Louisiana

My dear wife has family scattered across much of southern Louisiana. We have been concerned and worried about all of them since Hurricane Katrina hit.

Most of the family is in the Lafayette area which is west and inland from New Orleans and was spared the full force of the hurricane. But we do have friends and family in the New Orleans area as well.

Late last night we got this letter from her cousin Bonnie. Fortunately it sounds like most of our family were smart enough to evacuate early. Those who didn't stayed behind to work at the Veteran's Hospital.

We got tropical storm winds here in Sunset, a bit of rain, and not much else but a mess of leaves and small branches all over the yard. We were well west of landfall so that's what saved us. We've been concerned about Dianne and Paul, though. She decided to stay in New Orleans with Paul who was on call at Veterans Hospital. She didn't have the heart to evacuate without him. Thanks be to God, they are okay and still at the hospital, but nobody knows yet about their house in Slidell. The local newscasters announced that hardly a home in Slidell is without some kind of structural damage. The interstate between New Orleans and Slidell is impassable, so no telling how long before anyone will be able to return to the area. One of the hardest hit areas was St. Bernard Parish. There's some pretty substantial suspicions that there will be numbers of fatalities. It's been heartwarming, though, to watch footage of the Coast Guard rescuing people from rooftops via helicopter. Such bravery and heroism. I don't know how much you've seen on TV, but New Orleans has been tragically struck. Tom's girlfriend Chrissy is from New Orleans; her family is almost certain that their homes are flooded. It could be weeks before they're allowed to return. Please continue to pray for everyone; it will be a long, long road to recovery, but thanks be to God that the city didn't take the direct hit that was expected. It would have been even worse.

... (personal stuff) ...

I'll try to keep you posted when I hear more from Dianne. Her son Paul and his family also live in New Orleans, but they are staying in Beaumont. They evacuated early as they have two young children.

My niece in Baton Rouge is a pediatrician; she is without power. She told me that they're expecting lots of injuries from the New Orleans area as they N.O. hospitals are almost too crippled to operate. Many have broken windows, etc.

The state needs lots of prayer.

God bless and thanks again for your concern.

Bonnie