My house is a clapboard number dating from 1935 near downtown Hattiesburg. It is built off the ground on little brick stilts. You will not hear me say as I've heard from so many others, "I'll be fine, this house has stood right here near-abouts 100 years," because a storm like this does not hit Hattiesburg once in a century. This house has never experienced what I expect we're going to get.

Having said that, I do think that we will be ok, though the house may take a hit. There's a little square hallway that has no windows and is central to the house. It shares each wall with an inner wall to another room. The plan is to get myself, my boyfriend and my mother into the hall and line it with mattresses and pillows. The hall is about 8x8. (I'm glad I'll be with folks I like.) I also have a fall-back plan which I cannot reveal at this time as it may be frowned upon by some powers-that-be.

It is very blustery now, though no rain yet. We're under a tornado watch until 2 am. I am trying to see if Kelty-kitten is acting strangely, but shit, how can you tell? The damn animal is a walking (running, leaping, cavorting) ball of strange.

I have a roving reporter in Natchez who will be updating me on the situation there. Should be interesting--she and her extended family, including her cat, just showed up at a relative's house unannounced. An allergic-to-cats relative. (Hey, I'll turn this into a cat blog yet.)

Jennifer, my intrepid girl-reporter, says that Natchez is nuts. The Walmart is wall-to-wall hysterics from out of town. She says it is raining a bit there. More as she reports in.

Later, Taters.