Upon making my decision to come to Louisiana I was well aware of it's reputation as a hurricane state but what I have experienced in the single month that I have been here has been far more than I had anticipated, to say the least. | "It is definitely going to get be a wet one but I can guarantee that the spirits of this already beaten region wont be dampened." | | Chris Ackerley in Louisiana |
In my last three blogs I have described to you the misery and destruction that Katrina has brought to this state but until last night I was preparing a final piece, that was to tell you of the clean up operation and the return to normality that was happening in the area. Little did I know that yet another category four hurricane was blowing this way. With the news that Rita had picked up momentum and was heading towards the Gulf Coast the already weather-beaten people of New Orleans were told to turn around and again, get back out. It seems that this hurricane is heading for Texas and the north of Louisiana but the width of the tropical storms that is accompanying it does pose a real threat to the weak levies that failed so miserably last time. If the makeshift levies do give way due to the storms that are coming, all of the hard work that went into pumping the water out of New Orleans last week will have been wasted. It seems such a kick in the teeth for these people, having lost everything to lose it all over again. It is evident that the US government and state officials have learned from their previous mistakes and are rapidly evacuating the to be effected regions of its needy and venerable. I have no doubts that this time, in his home state of Texas, President Bush will make it of the upmost importance to avoid the tragedies that occurred in New Orleans. Baton Rouge is set to receive some serious tropical storms this weekend and with the first home American Football game of the season everyone here has their ponchos and umbrellas ready. It is definitely going to get be a wet one but I can guarantee that the spirits of this already beaten region wont be dampened. | 
