I've got PGSD! (Post Gustav Stress Disorder)

Yesterday we received yet another tornado watch announcement on our storm radio. I listened to it then went back to what I was doing. About five minutes after that I heard this incredible roaring sound moving over the top of my house. I was about half way between my daughter and son. I screamed for my daughter and rushed to snatch up my son. I thought for sure a tornado was bearing down on us. As I reached my son something caught my eye out the window. It was one of those big ole black hawk helicopters. It had just flown over my house quite low I must say. I relaxed, then I yelled at my daughter for not running fast enough, then I fought off tears and tried to stop shaking.

This morning at 4:30 a.m. I was woke up by the sound of heavy rain and wind. I got up and checked out all the windows I could to see how much water had collected on the ground. The wind worried me because some branches in the trees have been broken but haven't fallen yet. I'm a bundle of nerves! Today the river outside my town is expected to crest. I think I'm safe where I am but the flood maps do have me on the edge of a flood zone. We'll see.

My husbands place of business was flooded. The winds blew over the new air conditioning units on the roof (the old ones were still fine) and when the rains kicked in on Tuesday it just poured in. The losses are significant. The water is being removed but it will be a long road back to business.

There are LONG lines for things like Gas and Ice. Without power gas stations can't open even if they do happen to have fuel. More and more stores and restaraunts are slowly coming back to life but there is a great need out there and people are getting testy.

Last time I heard 700,000 people in Louisiana are without power. Nearly 200,000 in Baton Rouge alone. Some parishes (counties) aren't expected to get power for 4-6 weeks at least! I know I got some praying folks out there, please keep Louisiana (and anyone affected in) in your prayers.
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We didn't expect this tree to come down. If you look close you can see that it sorta just twisted off. It fell just to the right of the tree and took out my neighbors back fence.




This is the trunk where it broke. It was a beefy tree.

I know the picture isn't good but I wasn't about to go outside at the time to get a better shot. That is the first tree to go down in our neighborhood. It was tall and skinny and it fell at an angle sparing us from any damage.

This is the stump that tree left behind.

It's a little hard to see but that pine tree is laying on the power lines across the street from my house. It's not what caused our power to go out, it happened after we lost our electricity. That tree is still laying on that power line today. The house in that picture doesn't have any power yet because it ripped out the lines to his house. You can bet I feel guilty in my air conditioned home with my lights on. We've offered up our showers, washing machines, and beds to them but so far they are roughing it. They may be in a hotel this evening.

I've been trying to upload a video clip I took of the storm but it's giving me fits so I'll try again later.
Here are other peoples pictures.