HOME    WORLD    U.S.    POLITICS    CRIME    ENTERTAINMENT    HEALTH    TECH    TRAVEL    LIVING
September 1, 2008
Gustav arrives with a howl
Posted: 10:29 AM ET
Share this on:
Share | Permalink | 5 Comments

Don Lemon
CNN Anchor

It's 9am here. The winds are howling.

I'm on the 10th floor of the East Jefferson Parish Emergency Command Center.

I'm in parish president Aaron Broussard's office napping on his couch. But my phone won't stop ringing... Mayor Ray Nagin's office is calling...

They need a number to our control room to get the mayor on the air. I give it to them. Time to wake up. 2 hours of sleep is all I'll get today. I've gotten a total of 4 since Saturday.

But there is a storm bearing down. And I have to shoot video and anchor a 4 hour show in a few hours. I'll sleep later.

5 Comments
More about: Don Lemon •  Hurricane Gustav
5 Comments
Cindy   September 1st, 2008 10:32 am ET

Don,
Good luck to ya dude! I hope minimal sleep doesn't make ya cranky! LOL Please stay safe and see ya on air in a few.

Cindy...Ga.

Angel   September 1st, 2008 10:44 am ET

I have been looking at the news all night, and watching Hurricane Gustav approach and finally hit land. i was wondering, were the prisoners in the local jails and prisons, evacuated too, especially since the city, called a mandatory evacuation?

Don   September 1st, 2008 10:49 am ET

When do you plan to cover the areas being affected by Gustav other than New Orleans. Other areas are in greater damage. Same thing happened with Katrina. New Orleans received majority of the coverage. All affected areas should receive equal or greater coverage, especially when New Orleans isn't directly affected from Gustav.

Julie San Diego, CA   September 1st, 2008 11:22 am ET

Thanks for working so hard. It was absolutely wonderful to click on the tv this morning and see that Gustav was downgraded to a Category 2. For New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, this might be the drill from now on – get out of town because you live in a fine area, but it's just not safe during certain times of the year. If you think about it, that's standard operating procedure for the people that live in the Florida Keys, but they've got fewer people, by far, to evacuate.

Thanks for being out there, doing the job, keeping people informed and helping to ensure that we don't ever have another tragedy like Katrina again.

Hurricanes will always be with us; the way in which we prepare, and respond to them will determine whether we've got good news or bad news to report. Maybe you guys and gals in the media don't see it, but the way that you approach your jobs (getting info out vs. "drama") is a key factor in the safety of the people affected by these storms.

Looks like Nagin and crew are getting it right this time.

You guys have always done a great job.

It's so nice to wake up to good news.

Demi   September 1st, 2008 11:55 am ET

Wao. Gustav finally landed and downgraded to cat2. Thank God. But what an irony, Pastor Dobson wanted this to happen about a week ago to take the shine out of Democratic convention. I can not but marvel at God's humor.

Comments have been closed for this article

subscribe RSS Icon
About this blog

A behind the scenes look at “Anderson Cooper 360°” and the stories it covers, written by Anderson Cooper, the AC360° staff and a network of contributors. Insight you can’t find anywhere else.

We search the news each day to show you what’s on our radar and what we’re planning for the show each night.

For more details, read our tips on how to win 360° approval for comments.

Send your instant feedback to Anderson Cooper 360°.

Featured Contributors
Candy Crowley
Candy Crowley is CNN's senior political correspondent and an AC360° contributor
David Gergen
David Gergen is CNN's senior political analyst and former presidential advisor
Roland S. Martin
Roland S. Martin is a nationally award-winning journalist and AC360° contributor
CNN Comment Policy: CNN encourages you to add a comment to this discussion. You may not post any unlawful, threatening, defamatory, obscene, pornographic or other material that would violate the law. All comments should be relevant to the topic and remain respectful of other authors and commenters. You are solely responsible for your own comments, the consequences of posting those comments, and the consequences of any reliance by you on the comments of others. By submitting your comment, you hereby give CNN the right, but not the obligation, to post, air, edit, exhibit, telecast, cablecast, webcast, re-use, publish, reproduce, use, license, print, distribute or otherwise use your comment(s) and accompanying personal identifying and other information you provide via all forms of media now known or hereafter devised, worldwide, in perpetuity. CNN Privacy Statement.
Home  |  World  |  U.S.  |  Politics  |  Justice  |  Entertainment  |  Health  |  Tech  |  Travel  |  Opinion  |  Living  |  Business  |  Sports  |  Time.com
Podcasts  |  Blogs  |  CNN Mobile  |  Preferences  |  Email Alerts  |  CNN Radio  |  CNN Shop  |  Site Map
© 2009 Cable News Network LP, LLLP. A Time Warner Company. All Rights Reserved.
Powered by WordPress.com VIP