Gut-Wrenching Storm Damage & The Tandem Community

[TandemGeek]

As I sit and watch the reports coming in from Enterprise, Alabama, and Americus, Georgia, I'm reminded once again of the devastation that Hurricane Katrina wrought on Fairhope, Alabama, and Bay Saint Louis, Mississippi. In fact, the magnitude of the damage and disruption in Bay Saint Louis was brought back into focus as I listened to a story about the ferry boat that is still carrying traffic across the Bay as work to rebuild the bridge washed away by the storm surge still is not complete.

The connection to these places is past tandem rallies:
- The 2005 & 2006 Alabama Tandem Weekends in Enterprise, and planned again this year.
- The 2006 Georgia Tandem Rally in Americus, Georgia
- The 2002 Southern Tandem Rally in Bay Saint Louis, Mississippi
- The 1998 Alabama Tandem Weekend in Fairhope, Alabama

With that in mind, we hope and pray that our tandem friends who live or who have family and friends in these areas have been spared direct personal tragedy, even thought it's hard to imagine that their lives have not been impacted or disrupted in some way. Moreover, we are thankful for having had an opportunity to visit, explore, and to enjoy many of these places and have fond memories of these lovely places and the time we spent there.

[zonatandem]

Have ridden the Southern Tandem Rally in Lousianna in 1997 and agree it's a unique place to ride with fabulous Cajun hospitality and food.
Seems like Mother Nature has not been kind the past few years to those great southern states with goverment inaction being rather evident.
Our sincere hope is that things will get better soon for all you folks down south.
Rudy and Kay/zonatandem

[stormchaser]

Oh the stories I could tell about government inaction. Guys it would really be great to organize a rally in Bay St Loius. Their economy has been so devastated and any bit of tourism would help. I hear about people going to New Orleans to volunteer a week of their time to help rebuild but I can tell you firsthand the Misissippi coast had it a lot worse and has not gotten the media attention it deserves.

I was just about to sign up for the Tandem Weekend in Enterprise when I was called back to Mississippi. Thanks for the reminder.