The Public Life of a Public Librarian

- There are about 300 - 500 people left in the Quarter and all of them are doing fine.

- Most of the French Quarter is and has been dry all along. The highest the water came for them, even during the height of the storm, was up to the curbs.

- There has been no uncontrolled looting in the Quarter, and no roving groups of folks with guns in the Quarter. So they are safe and they have plenty of food and water.

- One of the most amazing things is that they are still getting deliveries of cold beer at the one and only bar in the Quarter which has remained open (Johnny White's). Lord only knows how they are getting it through.

- The police and the national guard and the military know that they are there. But with the situation in the rest of the City, they are very low priority for evacuation.

From a report by Robert Asprin still holding out in the Quarter due to a lack of car.

To Ballard's Drowned World and High Rise I will add Golding's Lord of the Flies.

God I hope its true the Regulars have arrived that area needs a central command structure and communication back bone badly.

The only thing worse than this for New Orleans would have been for the river to diverge, for the city this is the BIG ONE.

I am trying to not worry too much about Marcy and G at the Frenchman Hotel but its hard.

There is a good summary on Kathryn Cramer's blog here:

http://www.kathryncramer.com/kathryn_cramer/2005/08/new_orleans_lev.html

via boing boing

Not so much sinking as filling up with water.

If you want to help this is an option:

http://www.redcross.org/donate/donate.html