The water is from a breech in the 17th Street Canal levee which separates Orleans and Jefferson Parishes. I believe the extra water in N.O. is from the pumping efforts in Jefferson. Jefferson pumped into Lake Pontchartrain, which went into the 17th street canal which went into Lakeview.

I did assist in one rescue while surveying my office from a distance I was summoned to help get an old lady off the roof of her house. My boat a party (fishing) barge was too large to go in the back way and a small flat boat got to her first.

'Right now I don't have the looting etc., which has made the news, I am sitting here with a 5 ft moat and armed to the hilt. If I get out I will be at the mercy of maybe being picked up after days of waiting without necessities and without any say so where I may be relocated ...Therefore I am waiting and planning to survey, pack and remove what I can, so my family will have some clothes and items other than what they left town a few days ago with.'

— Donald A. "Donny" Sauviac, Jr.
New Orleans
Again, my wife and kids want me to leave but I really can't risk that for the past few days I have had numerous offers from police, fire and volunteers in here in boats but there are too many things I am attempting to save by carrying out when the chaos settles for now I'm fine. My boat does not allow me to get over railroad tracks or under the flooded underpasses. If I left now I would have to abandon the boat and contents. I am searching for an alternate route, probably going to mid city, Gentilly or further then getting into Lake Pontchartrain and then going to the Bonnable Boat launch in Metairie.

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Unfortunately I would be on ground level without all of the items I have here and would still be without car, electric, running water and probably few neighbors to assist. I might also be precluded from returning to my N.O. home. Right now I don't have the looting etc., which has made the news, I am sitting here with a 5 ft moat and armed to the hilt. If I get out I will be at the mercy of maybe being picked up after days of waiting without necessities and without any say so where I may be relocated -- probably in the opposite direction of my wife and kids and certainly away from the multiple properties I am trying to protect.

Therefore I am waiting and planning to survey, pack and remove what I can, so my family will have some clothes and items other than what they left town a few days ago with. I have to survey my new satellite office in Houma as a possible temporary office relocation site. I think the damage there is also bad but my wife thinks otherwise I have had no contact there to make that determination at this time.

I have no idea of how long I can hold out but know it won't be more than 1 1/2 - 2 weeks more. My family will be in desperate need of assistance, which I am trying to coordinate from here by passing on info through my wife and brother. I love this house and neighborhood. ... I would like to get some info out to my friends nationwide that I am alive and holding up well.

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