Watching the coverage of Katrina and her impending Waves and feeling very nervous for the people of South Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. New Orleans looks plain nasty.

I want to believe it's hype but considering the thought of 11 ft. of water expected in people's living rooms - and that's the best situation, it doesn't look good for the 100,000 people who decided to stay put.

Breaking News at New Orleans.com is reporting the first 3 casualties - in a bus evacuating the elderly from a nursing home no less.

I read on a weather forum that some people are evacuating only to find once they get to a hotel that they aren't bending the policy on pets. Come on...it's not like it's a normal situation!

There's live feeds from a local New Orleans newstation here (at least while they have power).

Here's an eyewitness account of the strongest hurricane ever to hit the US in 1935. This is expected to be the second strongest.

I live in a city that's 3 feet under sea level and is kept dry through dykes (aka levees in the US) and pumping stations. Those stations failed the year I was in Grade 4 and I have memories of walking home in water that was over my boots when the school closed. I remember my brother's bed floating in his bedroom and the bridge we had over our ditch hopelessly floating down the street. And that was a small flood. I have never even seen reference to it again, yet I remember it very clearly.

Yuck. This does not look good. My heart goes out to those in the path. At least with earthquakes, it's over in a few minutes and then the cleanup begins. Hurricanes are like some sort of torture...you know it's on the way and you can't do a damned thing about it.