Well it has finally been made official. Hurricane Gustav was a category three and was making a bee line straight for New Orleans and surrounding areas. This will be the second time in less than five years that New Orleans was expecting a direct hit from a hurricane that was category three, but there will definitely be differences in this storm and the last one.
When hurricane Katrina hit three years ago so many of the Gulf Coast residents chose to remain at their homes and try to ride the storm out. This time many of those same people did not even have to be asked to leave even though they were required to this time. Over two million people have evacuated New Orleans alone. The eye of the storm is thought to be going to come straight over a town called Morgan City, Louisiana. Traffic was very slow moving as those that were evacuating tried to make it further inland to safer ground.
This time around precautions were taken much earlier than they were with hurricane Katrina. Buses and trains were made ready to evacuate those that had no way to get out on their own. People were asked to make sure they had cash on hand if any was available to them because the ATM machines along the Gulf coast area expected to be affected would probably not work because of power outages. People did as they were asked to and bought their supplies and left the towns in the storms path.
At this moment, New Orleans and other towns in this area are like ghost towns with no one, not even the police and fire departments moving about. Even though the eye of the storm will not go right over New Orleans, is still expected to cause some damage. The expected damage will come in the form of power outages, high tides, and inland flooding. The flash flooding is more likely to be because of very heavy rainfall and not from high tide. There is also the threat of tornadoes causing damage as well.
It is though that this storm will not be as bad as Katrina was, but it has been serious enough so far to make people have to leave their homes. This time is it hoped that when those evacuated people return home they will actually have a home to return. It is always best to remain prepared for the worst in these situations.
New Orleans, La. has been an important city for travel and trade since the day it was first settled by Native Americans. Even before the French explorers, fur trappers and traders arrived to its shores around 1690, those who had settled there before understood the importance of the area's advantageous location.
Therefore it is no surprise that early European explorers took a liking to the area and why French adventurer Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville quickly established the settlement of Nouvelle-Orleans in 1718.
The area's tumultuous history of French ownership and southern plantations with large slave populations invoke a richness of history resulting in an eclectic culture full of pride and customs that few other cities within the United States are able to claim. Where else can you experience French architecture while feasting on Southern fare and listening to the Rhythm and Blues?
The draw of New Orleans brings millions of tourists annually to its lively streets for the unparalleled experiences of Mardi Gras and New Year's Eve festivities. But the city's rich history and laidback way of life often attract new residents as well, those searching for a city with more to offer than just the latest retail conveniences and sky scraping towers.
In fact, if you value cultural offerings, there are few cities within America that will be able to satiate your thirst like that of New Orleans. The French Quarter, best known for Mardi Gras parades, is actually New Orleans's oldest neighborhood featuring antebellum sorts of architecture which combine styles of ?Creole,? ?American? and a mixture of the two. Masses of Creole townhomes and cottages set against the distinctive Spanish and French inspired public buildings and monuments create a spectacle that few others are privileged to see on a daily basis within their own neighborhoods.
Plentiful dining establishments blend the area's distinctive flavorings of Cajun and Southern fares. Known as the birthplace of Jazz and as a great contributor to the Rhythm and Blues musical movement, New Orleans's nightlife options are abundant and lively!
New Orleans's rich real estate offerings paired with its cultural flare give the city a distinctive blend of fun and peacefulness that few other cities can offer. While many come to New Orleans to visit they end up calling the area home.
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