Obama sends Gustav appeals via text, e-mail

As Hurricane Gustav lashed the Louisiana coast, the Obama campaign sent text messages and e-mails to its vast fundraising and organizing lists urging donations to the Red Cross to help Gulf Coast residents.

The Hurricane, downgraded to a Category 1 storm from its earlier Cat 3 fury, battered the coast but appears to have fallen far short of the “storm of the century” warnings that led millions of Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi residents to flee inland in mandatory evacuations. Later in the day, Gustav further lost strength to a tropical storm.

Here’s the text message sent by the Obama campaign Monday:

Barack asks that you give to the Red Cross today: give $5 by texting GIVE to 24357 or give more by calling 1-800-435-7669 or at redcross.org/donate. Please fwd

And here’s the e-mail:

Today, the thoughts and prayers of all Americans are with those in the path of Hurricane Gustav — and many of you are asking what you can do to help.

We do not yet know what the impact of Hurricane Gustav will be, and we hope with all our hearts that the damage will not be as great as it was three years ago.

But we know there will be damage, and there is something you can do right now.

Your financial support will strengthen organizations like the American Red Cross that are evacuating Gulf Coast residents and planning to help communities get back on their feet.

Make a donation to support the American Red Cross today.

At times like this, it is our compassion and resilience that define who we are as a nation.

Please give whatever you can afford, even $10, to make sure the American Red Cross has the resources to help those in the path of this storm:

https://donate.barackobama.com/redcross

Thank you for your generosity, and I hope you will join Michelle and me in praying for the safety of those in the path of the storm and the first responders who are doing all they can to ensure the safety of their communities.

Barack

Via DemConWatch, one of the most thorough and least alarmist takes on Gustav can be found at Brendan Loy’s Weather Nerd. Here’s an early afternoon report:

As expected, New Orleans appears to have avoided any major flooding. The water level has subsided on the Industrial Canal after the dramatic live video of overtopping earlier this afternoon…. So, good news all around. New Orleans truly did dodge a bullet this time.

Things probably will not be so rosy in Houma and environs, where Gustav made a direct hit. But even there, the damage won’t be nearly as bad as it have been.

Also check out The Times-Picayune’s Hurricane Center for on-the-ground updates.