More good news... i sent my friend Jill a text message asking about her mother who I was pretty sure had remained in Lakeview, one of the most flooded areas, and she replied "EVAC TO WA PARISH & HEARD FROM HER YEST... FINALLY".

This is how we communicate in South Lousiana now in little snippets of text that you may get instantly or that may arrive a day later. Sometimes if you're persistent and keep redialing a number repeatedly for minutes you actually get to talk to someone. And that's only if you're lucky enough to be in an area where you can charge your cellphone.