Van Santos

New Orleans, get ready to move! It looks like the storm is headed right for you. Here is the latest projected path for Hurricane Ike.

The Hurricane keeps switching between a Category 2 and 3 storm but a lot can happen between now and this up coming Thursday, when the storm is expect to be in the Gulf of Mexico.  When the storm passes over Cuba it may take some energy out of the storm.  Windsheer or a cold front may push the storm further south, toward texas, or the water temperature may not support the growth of the system.

I want to point out what JetBlue, the low-cost airline, is doing something that hasn’t been seen in the industry in ages - they are waiving fees for individuals affected by the storm.  Not only is it the right thing to do, in my opinion, it’s a nice marketing move as well.

More to come, no doubt.

Hurricane Gustav, which was a Category 3 storm just days ago, is showing signs of growth.  As the storm rolled through Cuba it grew to a Category prompting more than 240,000 people to be evacuated.  Experts are already predicting this storm has the potential to rival Hurricane Katrina .  Unlike 2005, government officials are taking proper steps to safeguard the population.

By Friday evening Ray Nagin, Mayor of New Orleans, ordered all vacationers out of the city by nightfall, the Nation Guard is in place to protect property, President Bush has already declared a state of emergency and a fleet of busses are already moving some 30,000 people out of the city for safer ground.  (source 1, source 2)

Hurricane Katrina was a disaster for a number of reasons – the destruction of property, the loss of life, the response of both local and federal government agencies has transformed a historic city into a partial ghost town.  Based on the actions taken by officials it looks like precautions are being made to prevent Katrina Part 2 from occurring.

Do you think someone has learned a lesson?

Update - Current Strom Track