The devastation down south is just unimaginable.
I was just thinking about all the boat racers I know who are from the Louisiana/Mississippi Gulf coast area, and really have been worrying that they are all ok. So I thought maybe we could do a roll call here - seeing if these folks have "checked in" with others letting them know they are fine.
Mike Tilton of Luling, LA: Safe & currently in Kankakee at the OPC Nationals. Status of building they own unknown & probably underwater. Won't be able to return home for weeks.
Here are just some of the other people I've been really concerned about. If anyone knows the status of these members of our boating family, please let us know that they are OK:
Byron Harris of French Settlement, LA: CHECKED IN - AT HOME BUT SAFE
Jay Price of New Orleans, LA:
Tony Terry of Ocean Springs, MS:
Phillip Bond (Crown Leisure Marine) of D'Iberville/St. Martin, MS:SAFE, but business suffered much damage
Wally Ross (Ross Propellers) of Biloxi, MS:
Max Toler of Baton Rouge, LA:
Milton Balser of Kenner, LA:
John Shewbrooks reports the following inboard racers escape unharmed:
Don Mashburn, Randy English, George English, Doug Beynon, Mike Allen.
Doug Beynon explains that “The Lafayette group made it through the storm unscathed, and feel like the luckiest people on earth compared to our neighbors to the east. This was a bad one - It will be years before life returns to any semblance of normal there; many small coastal towns literally do not exist anymore. I just heard from Ralph Baker, and he was on duty with the Red Cross in Pensacola but is now in Baton Rouge helping set up the Relief headquarters. He said they had a meeting this morning, and the gist of it was that they better get used to the fact that the New Orleans area will be evacuated for months. Most of Nicky Pellerin’s family rode the storm out here in Lafayette.” I hear that the Allen family (Judy, Billy, Mike, etc.) are safe in a campground."
God be with you all.
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