A letter

Below is a copy of an email I received  from Sam of Dock Lines 

To my good friends here in J-land,  

 Both sides of my family are from Louisiana although I have never lived in that state.  My father was a pilot in the Air Force and we moved every three years.   Mom's side of the family is the Southern Louisiana half of the family with most of our relatives living in and around Franklinton, La.  Franklinton is about 75 or 80 miles north of New Orleans.  My father's kin all live in the northeastern part of the state in Winfield, Louisiana.   My sister moved to Slidell several years ago after remarrying.  They have/had a beautiful home just northwest of Slidell on the Pearl River.  A nice sprawling house with a boat dock, swimming pool and big yard.  They keep their forty foot Carver Yacht at a Yacht Club on Lake Ponchartrain.  All of Jan's husband's family live in New Orleans.  Jan and Dave, her husband both work in New Orleans.   There is one saving grace to all of this.  Jan is a Lt.Col. in the Army Reserve and is assigned to active duty at Ft. Polk, Louisiana which is five hours north of New Orleans.  Dave went to stay in Franklinton at my first cousin's house so he was not in the area when the storm hit.  Dave and everyone in Franklinton are okay and alive.  We are waiting until tonight to hear if ANY of Jan and David's house is left or if the boat is still there.  I'll find out at that time if Dave's family is okay or not.   I may have to go and help down there.  I can haul a generator or whatever else they need in my pickup truck and help them get things cleaned up.  If the house is leveled, there will be no need to go.  I'll keep everyone posted.  In the meantime, if you have room for one more family in your prayers, please add mine to the list.  

Sincerely, Sam  

Here is an update I received this morning...    

I know that my closest family members are safe this morning and have shelter, what I don't know is if my sister has anything left of her house.  The last report I recieved last night on the condition of Slidell is that the entire town is under water and that the water in some neighborhoods is up over the roofs.  But they are alive!  I am so thankful!  

Sam  

Hundreds of people are dead and many more may be found dead. Many people have suffered the loss of everything they have, they need our help. Please do what you can.