Baton Rouge Beatdown - Gustav Breaks Red Stick

To see all of the after-effects of Hurricane Gustav first hand, I know I am very fortunate to come through it relatively unscathed compared to so many that are so very close. I did lose the backyard fence, which was totaled on all sides by winds strong enough to snap the metal posts and/or pull up the concrete they were planted in, but my home suffered zero structural damage.
A short drive around Baton Rouge, however, shows house after house, yard after yard, and businesses all over town with signs of property damage or trees downed, now lying chopped up in sections waiting by the street for removal service to take them to happy suburbia wasteland.

These pix I took driving around the other day, not long after the storm. I have scores of images like these, but I thought these said the most. This storm, in my estimation and experience, was definitely worse than Katrina, and even Andrew, as far as impact on Baton Rouge specifically. The flooding of New Orleans after Katrina made that storm seem so much worse collectively, but Gustav's impact on Baton Rouge from where I'm standing makes it without a doubt the baddest of the bunch. Perhaps it's time I should start considering relocation. The natural disasters are getting worse and more frequent around here. It's been a long time coming I had been gone.

Hasta luego, amigos.