After Isaac

Here in Lafayette, we fared well for Isaac, with just a bit of wind and rain, and were basically spared being on the west side of the storm. Unfortunately, our friends to the east and along the Gulf Coast are dealing with power outages, flooding and lots more today. And our friends to the north in Louisiana and Arkansas are bracing as Isaac heads their way. Isaac making landfall on the seventh anniversary of Hurricane Katrina was certainly an eerie coincidence, but it appears New Orleans will be OK this time. Biloxi, Gulfport and the other little towns along Mississippi’s coast may not be though.

We feel for those cities and towns who really just got back on their feet after Katrina and were still in the process of rebuilding in some cases. In 2010, we ran a story titled “Comeback Coast” about rebuilding along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. At the time, the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art was about to open in Biloxi, Gulfport was celebrating the opening of new businesses and a revitalized downtown, and communities like Bay St. Louis and Ocean Springs were thriving.

Now, most of those areas are under water and battered again. The Sun Herald has a look at Isaac’s damage in South Mississippi place by place, which reports no major injuries but says flooding is the main issue. We’ll be watching the situation, along with the possible failing of a dam along the Tangipahoa River this morning, and relaying information about how you can help those affected by Hurricane Isaac.

Thanks to all of you who expressed concern over the past few days and even offered to put us up if we had to evacuate. We know you’ll be just as generous to those who need your help in the wake of Isaac.

Update: To volunteer for hurricane relief in Louisiana, click here. Community Foundation of Acadiana in Lafayette has set up a hurricane fund. Click here to make a donation. 

Photo of flooding at the Hard Rock Cafe and Hotel in Biloxi tweeted August 29 by @WKRG_Lauren, a reporter for WKRG News 5 on the Gulf Coast.