Question of plausibility in Small Rain.

[MalignD at aol.com]

Levine and the others left Fort Roach and headed southwest to De Ridder then 
south to Lake Charles. We know that Fort Roach is near Leesville, as they get 
the local Leesville radio station there.

If one looks at a map one will see that, indeed, De Ridder is southwest of 
Leesville and that not far south of Leesville is Fort Polk.  One may assume, 
then, that Fort Polk is the model for Fort Roach.

It's about twenty miles from Fort Polk to De Ridder, about forty from De 
Ridder to Lake Charles, twenty-five to thirty from Lake Charles to Creole, 
where 250 are dead or missing in the hurricane.

I think David Morris lives in Louisiana, so maybe he can answer:

Is it plausible that Levine et al would not know there was a hurricane of 
this magnitude, that no edge of the storm had reached Fort Roach.  Also, one 
assumes the local radio plays the news on the hour if not the half-hour.

It suits the story for them to be surprised, but it seems to me not likely 
that they would be ignorant of the storm.  Not in keeping with the Joycean 
eye for detail and accuracy TP focused on Gravity's Rainbow.

Nice, by the way, to see Paul Mackin back.