Rita Update for Algiers

I can’t believe this. I feel positively schizophrenic at the moment – focused on my own backyard, and fully aware of/integrated with Algiers. Decidedly odd…
Odder still (for me) – the situation there is apparently rather a lot worse than where I am. Certainly this is much different from the early Rita expectations.
From the email:

My cousin is staying in my home on Horace. Power out since midnight, 2″ rain and police patrolling so far.

And another:

Rita is on her way. Winds gusted to 48 mph this morning here in NO. It’s been raining pretty much on and off since last night. A tree across the street was just too wet and weak and fell over in the night. Heard things bouncing off the walls of our house and the house next door. Looked this morning, no damage, just a lot of noise. We’re currently under a tornado watch til 6PM and are being told that if we won’t leave, we need to write our social security numbers on our arms in Sharpie so they can identify us.

Lost power for most of the night last night, but it came on gratefully this morning about 6AM. Cable is gone again, so back to dialup. If the wind keeps increasing the power may go again, so wanted to let you all know that we’re fine.

So far (other than the obviously fragile power lines and trees), this sounds like a fairly normal storm, and Algiers has weathered many. I’m keeping my hopes up…

Update: 1:45pm Friday – Algiers – Since I can’t guarantee my ability to blog or check emails in the next 24 hours or so, I’ve set up a Rita forum for you. Feel free to update one another, either here in comments, or over there.