IN HONOR OF THIS WEEK, A RECOUNTING OF EVACUATING NEW ORLEANS 3 YEARS AGO:
"HOW I GOT THE GAS TO GET TO TEXAS"
Once New Orleans flooded, and it was apparent returning was not an option I took out my atlas and eyed my quarter tank of gas. We had ridden out the storm in Chattawa, MS at a convent; Renee's aunt is a nun. Like everyone in the region they too had lost power and were running out of food. Staying with my dad in Mandeville wasn't really an option. Again, no power or food. So we set out for Austin, TX. My mom lives just outside in Lakeway in a home way too big for her and Renee and I had lived in the city proper for years where we could assume our old lives, as it were.
Setting out Southbound back into LA to hit IH-10 West it was a Tuesday, the 30th. I had my wife and our two daughters - then 3 and 1 - and while it was a beautiful, sunny day the roads were abuzz with an air of mania. There was no electricity. Anywhere. No electricity to dispense gas. Sell food. A bit of a trigger effect scenario. We pushed on. As we drove across Baton Rouge - also with no electricity - my quarter tank was now on 'E.' I thought if we could cross the Mississippi River we might find services on the Westbank - and we did.
Exiting the interstate I could see West Baton Rouge still had power. Pulling up to the first filling station I found I hopped out to fuel up only to hear over the loudspeaker they'd just run out of gas. Unreal. Like solving the puzzle after the buzzer. Dismayed, I stood there motionless, thinking I would need to find indefinite accommodations in West Baton Rouge for my family, then I heard a voice.
"Hey, I just delivered to the station up the road, and they still had gas," it said. I looked over to see a man delivering beer. Yes, delivering beer. One of the worst events in the history of the region is unraveling, but beer is still being delivered. Again, unreal. I thanked him, shot up the road, and tanked up. We quickly set back out on the road bound for Austin, but not before a brief stopover in Houston. If it hadn't've been for the beer deliveryman's need to share what he knew I couldn't say what may've happened. I may've found that station, but then maybe too late. Just because they had gas didn't mean it was a limitless supply. Just 72 hours before I had laughed at all the people evacuating, waiting in line for gas at Magazine & Washington in New Orleans. My laughter had long since subsided.
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