Awaiting One Storm, Pictures From Another

As I sit here, Wilma is slowly coming our way. And yes, I know I don't live on the west coast of Florida. However, we're under a hurricane watch, followed by warning later on tonight. I don't have to work tomorrow too, which means this is a bigger deal than it might seem. Anyway, here are some photos from my trip to New Orleans.



The fourteen foot Budget truck that I had to help drive for nearly six of our fourteen hour drive back.



As we were leaving Florida and entering Alabama on I-10 west, you could see the trees starting to shift and lean. The closer we got to the city, the more damage there was.



This was on I-10 West going over Lake Pontchartrain. Those are some of the oil refineries that paint the Gulf Coast.



This is also from The Causeway over the lake. Those trees were big and leafy once.



In New Orleans, near Gentilly Street. This is the Louisa Street North exit off of Interstate 10. You can still see water on the ground a month after the storm.



A local business (I think it was a Goodyear Tire place). It fell victim to both, wind, water, and looters.



As you enter the gates of the New Orleans Seminary, this was a long patch of very green grass and some more big Oak Trees. Now it looks like mulch. And you were never ever allowed to drive or park your four-wheeler on it.



These are some cars that remained on campus during the storm. They were moved and covered by the waters of the canals and lakes that flooded the city.



In the playground of the preschool, these utility workers try to restore power to our fallen campus.



This is a shot of the parking lot against the train tracks, which are known as Gentilly Ridge. Theoretically, this is the highest point in the city. Those trees used to line up perfectly with the tracks.



Another shot further down of the downed trees on the west side of campus.



My dorm. If you look closely, you can see where the water got to. The first floor was covered by two or three feet of water. I wish I had a picture of the inside. It was dark and covered with mold.



This is the gym I spent everyday in this past summer. Water still remains on the ruined hardwood floor.



Sunshine Park, another spot where we took the kids much of the summer and where I spent some of my own personal time at. The pavilions were demolished and a very large tree almost landed on Michael and Leah's apartment.