Reply #75: I'm trying to figure out where the heck Pine, LA, may be. I think

[Peace Patriot]

it might be in the vicinity of Ben Creek Wildlife Refuge/Bogalusa? I'm just thinking Pine might mean there are pine trees, forest = wildlife? Just guessing. Can't find it on any maps. Anybody got a clue?

From what I can gather Washington Parish would have been pretty directly in the storm's path. It's just north of New Orleans and Lake Pontchartrain (with Tammany Parish in between), with the Pearl River running down the eastern border of Washington Parish (parallel with Hwy 21) near Boglusa (Franklinton is some miles, maybe 50 mi. to the west--don't have any scale on the map I found on Wash. Parish). The eye of the storm passed over the mouth of the Pearl River which I presume drains into the Gulf near New Orleans.

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Here's a blog that was started for Tammany Parish where some of these locations are being discussed, and people are trying to find people there. They mentioned that Hwy 25 (which runs through Franklinton) was quite blockaded with downed trees (but I don't know which part of Hwy 25--not familiar enough with the places they are mentioning).

http://www.nola.com/forums/sttamtownhall/

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Brainshrub, if you can come up with the name of the friend that Sarah was left with, or a family name, I'll put them on that blog. If I don't hear from you, I'll put Sarah's name there anyway. (But local people are more likely to know the friend/family she's with--they might not recognize her name at all, if she doesn't visit there often.)

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Some more general info.:

http://www.nola.com/weblogs/nola/

Shelter Information:
Red Cross- 1(866)-GET-INFO (438-4636)
Special-Needs Shelter Information
Triage Phone Numbers:
Alexandria: 800-841-5778 Shreveport: 800-841-5776
Baton Rouge: 800-349-1372 Monroe: 866-280-7287
Houma/Thibodaux: 800-228-9409 Slidell/Hammond: 866-280-7724
Lafayette: 800-901-3210 Lake Charles: 866-280-2711

Emergency Shelter Information Points:
Tourist Welcome Center, US 65 & 84, 1401 Carter St. (US 84), Vidalia, LA
Tourist Welcome Center, TA Truck Stop, Tallulah Exit (Hwy 65 & I 20)
Paragon Casino, 711 Paragon Place, Marksville LA
Sammy's Truck Stop, I-49, Exit 53, 3601 LA 115W, Bunkie, LA
Med Express Office, 7525 US 71, Alexandria, LA
P.E. Gym, LSU- Shreveport, One University Place, Shreveport, LA
Pickering High School, 180 Lebleu Rd., Leesville, LA
Mowad Civic Center, 5th & 10th St., 1 Block off US 165, Oakdale, LA