Lady in Waiting by Catherine Marchand

Waiting by Ntieyko

Sunday, August 26, 2012

Hurricane Issac

For all those who live in Louisiana, and those who have family and friends here, I hope you read this carefully and share it with others.

There are many ways to stay connected during the course of the storm, thanks to social media. This blog has been put together, rather quickly from memory based on some of the media outlets I follow. These media outlets are key for me to get news and information in general, much less in the path of a hurricane. Please, if you are not connected to these resources, I ask that you take a minute and connect to some of them now. 

New Orleans residents and those concerned about the safety of the city, you can sign up for alets from the City of New Orleans at http://new.nola.gov/ready

If you prefer Facebook, I know many of you have your own preferences for news networks, (mine is WWL TV), so be sure to like that news or information page that you prefer, and monitor for any information as related to Issac. 

Here is a list of a few other Facebook pages you can follow for updates:

https://www.facebook.com/wwltv
https://www.facebook.com/wdsutv
https://www.facebook.com/wgno
https://www.facebook.com/usnoaagov
https://www.facebook.com/channel9BatonRouge
https://www.facebook.com/KLFYTV10
https://www.facebook.com/US.NationalWeatherServcie.LakeCharles.gov 
Again, these are just a few of the ones I prefer, and I find these to be the most informative for the entire Louisiana region. 

I personally prefer Twitter (www.twitter.com) to keep me informed. Twitter is just to me a simple way to stay on top of the traffic, road closures, and other events in the area regardless of a hurricane event that may be affecting our region. You are able to access the information no matter where you are from a smart phone or computer. For those that have evacuated, it makes it much easier to stay on top of the events and happenings back home after or during a storm. (Oh, how I would have loved to have had this during Hurricane Katrina!)

If you are not on Twitter, and you have a smart phone, why not sign up? Take a few minutes to set up a profile, even if you only plan to use it for storm related information and never use it again. It can be one thing you do to prepare, and help with the anxiety level that I am sure many may be feeling over the next few days. 

Here are some of the Twitter accounts I recommend:
@WWLAMFM
@NOAA
@MargaretOrr
@WWLTV
@WVUEFOX8
@KLFY
@WAFB
@BobbyJindal
@GOHSEP
@MayorLandrieu
@LADOTDEmergency
@BRTraffic 
@NOLA_Traffic
@NS_Traffic
@Shreveport_Traffic
@Houma_Traffic

For those in the New Orleans Metro with Entergy, you can sign up for their power status alerts for smartphone users. Or follow them @Entergy on Twitter. Entergy also has a free app for smartphones that can be downloaded here http://is.gd/svjK 

Also, be sure to check the app store for your smart phone for other free apps that can offer information and news. Many of your favorite news channels offer free apps to stay up to date on news and weather alerts. 

Again, these are not the only resources available, but just some of the ones I follow and they have been very helpful for me. 

For all of my Gulf Coast family, where ever this thing decides to land, I pray you are safe and take the necessary precautions for the next few days. There is nothing wrong with being prepared, and as the events of the past have proved, it is necessary to stay on top of situation. 

Be safe! 

LladynWaitn