I’m a big fan–I have read your novel (Patriots) several times and consider it vital to every home library. I have extensive family in the south. I gave a copy of your book to my cousin T. in Pensacola. They have weathered the last two hurricanes and have come out on the financial up side-they specialize in commercial garage doors. They’ve made a killing after each storm. They have several generators and months of MRE’s for employees, family and neighbors. They used swimming pool water to flush toilets after Ivan.
I also have two cousins in central Mississippi. No word yet but they are both armed well and quite survival minded. One manages a Wal-Mart Supercenter-if it’s still there and stocked. I’ll get some intel on central Mississippi later today.
My father is in Birmingham and they are running out of diesel fuel. He is a long haul driver who has been summoned to Huntsville, Alabama because their power is down and a large food distribution center is out. They need him to get there ASAP so they can transfer frozen food to Nashville before it thaws and spoils. Power is out intermittently over most of Alabama and parts of North Georgia. Cell phones are also sporadic.
We have cousins in Louisiana who have evacuated to Kalifornia to be with family. One cousin is a school counselor-word is no school until after Thanksgiving, if they are lucky. One cousin returned home to Eastern Louisiana and the flood waters had receded but their Acura was gone-floated away. My great aunt’s small town is still under water-a total loss.
Just spoke to my cousin in Madison, Mississippi. Power is back on and phones are down. Cell phone on but some towers are down. Things getting back to normal pretty quickly- he called me from work. Most of the damage is downed trees and every ‘good ol boy’ with a chain saw got busy as soon as the storm passed. But the coast line is a completely different story. No access or economy for months.
As if you needed any more proof what you wrote in Patriots is correct, consider these snippets from Fox News:
New Orleans’ homeland security chief, Terry Ebbert, said looters were breaking into stores all over town and stealing guns.
He said there are gangs of armed men moving around the city. At one point, officers stranded on the roof of a hotel were
fired at by criminals on the street. The Times-Picayune newspaper reported that the gun section at a new Wal-Mart had been cleaned out by looters.
Authorities said an officer was shot in the head and a looter was wounded in a shootout. The officer was expected to
survive.
The Schumer has hit the fan in the South. – B.H. in Spokane