South - New Orleans Hotels - Evacauted?

I don't know that this is the right place to post this so moderators, if you need to move it, please do.

Perhaps someone in the vast flyertalk community has some information.

My uncle was at the Hotel Monteleon in New Orleans when Katrina hit. They were told to stay put at the hotel. We spoke to him after the storm and everything was relatively okay - there was no power and they were running out of food, but no one was hurt.

We think the hotel has been evacuated because it was mentioned on the news. We haven't heard from my uncle for over a day now.

Of course, I know everything is a total disaster down there and I know things are worse in Mississippi.

Does anyone know if the hotels have been evacuated? Is there any way to find out where they are evacuating people to?

Any information would be so helpful. In the scope of things, I know my uncle is very very lucky, we just want to try to get him home.

From what I have heard from family, is that the hotels are not so much as being evacuated as the hotels themselves are kicking people out. Obviously, the squalor down there combined with no food, sewer, water or anything else makes life difficult. Many hotels have just been telling people to leave while they can. IMO, he has left the hotel and hopefully has made his way to higher ground and or a staging area/shelter. Hope everything turns out well and he phones in soon.

From what I have heard from family, is that the hotels are not so much as being evacuated as the hotels themselves are kicking people out. Obviously, the squalor down there combined with no food, sewer, water or anything else makes life difficult. Many hotels have just been telling people to leave while they can. IMO, he has left the hotel and hopefully has made his way to higher ground and or a staging area/shelter. Hope everything turns out well and he phones in soon.

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/9146348/ has some info about people using websites trying to find loved ones. I hope everything works out well for the OP's relative.

There were news reports of hotels being targetted by looters and cops either getting shot at or being stranded on rooftops and thus limited.

Good news to report! (But not too many details yet)


We finally got in touch with my uncle late last night when he was about 20 miles out of Houston. He made friends with other hotel guests (from England, Venezuela, and Munich) and some of those people had rented cars. Eventually the hotel was able to run a power line from their generator and start bringing cars up from the parking garage.

He "carpooled" in the English man's car and they drove to Houston, stopping in Baton Rouge to get something to eat. He flew home today from Houston.

We were all so worried about him.

He said that the roads near the hotel weren't flooded but he mentioned also that things at the hotel were getting pretty bad. Apparently even though the national guard and sheriff's dept. had officers there trying to keep order, a large group people had taken over the lobby . . .

I look forward to speaking with him tomorrow when he is better rested.

Thank you for your kind thoughts over the last days.

Good news he made it home.

Thank goodness he's ok and on his way home.