Seven years ago to the day, on August 26, 2005, weather blogger Charles Fenwick wrote a disturbing post about Hurricane Katrina's march toward New Orleans. That storm -- and the wreckage it generated -- changed the city and our nation forever.
New Orleans is again on alert, closely watching Tropical Storm Isaac as it moved Sunday into the Gulf of Mexico.
"I know the anxiety level is high," New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu told CNN. "The storm is somewhat uncertain. Out of an abundance of caution we will begin to take these precautions as quickly as we can."
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal declared a state of emergency Sunday, and the New Orleans Saints and interim coach Joe Vitt have taken note. The Saints tweeted on Sunday: "Vitt said he recommended to the players they evacuate their families today due to the storm. Gave the players tomorrow off."
Of lesser importance, the Saints play their final preseason game against the Tennessee Titans on Thursday.
If necessary, the team is prepared to leave New Orleans on Monday and stay in Cincinnati before traveling to Nashville for the game.
A reporter asked Vitt if the Saints are more prepared to deal with Isaac based on the recent past. He spoke for his team, and his city:
"No question," Vitt told the team's official site. "That's the way this team is built. That's the way this organization's built. I think that it really just shadows the resiliency of our community. This community faces these types of things it seems every year. We stand beside our community, encourage them to take shelter and everybody can be safe in this thing."
Follow Marc Sessler on Twitter @MarcSesslerNFL.
