A Gustav update

I'm glad you made it through relatively unscathed. I'm surprised the NATCHEZ is still up there, haven't talked to anyone lately. Its always a tough decision as to whether to stay in NOLA or to head up to Bayou Goula, and unfortunately the decision has to be made before the final storm track is determined. This time it happened that the Baton Rouge area got hit harder than NOLA, but even with that fact, I'm sure being tucked behind the Towhead or tied up as far as you got was probably better than rattling around the docks in NOLA. You haven't lobbied the office enough to get onto the Tennessee or Cumberland yet, eh?

Gustav & The North Shore !

Bob ,
As always good to hear from you and equally good to know that you and your boat rode the storm out OK ! I believe for the most part New Orleans and the surrounding parishes did relatively OK as well despite the fact that the city fathers just the night before warned the cities residents that the area was about to receive a Catagory 5 storm and the " storm of the century " and that EVERYONE must flee for their lives . Fortunately , the storm took more of a northwesterly course and just side swiped the Greater New Orleans area . Unfortunately the communities of Morgan City , Berwick , Houma , Thibodeaux and Baton Rouge took the brunt of the storm and did not fare so well . I was also told by some harbor tug captains that also rode out the storm that an 8 foot storm surge also came up the river but evidently it was just not enough to really do any damage . I live on the " North Shore " of Lake Ponchetrain ( just north of New Orleans ) and this area also only took minor wind and rain damage . Now , having said that, these same south and easterly winds forced sea water not only into Lake Ponchetrain but then also into the adajacent rivers that feed into the lake as well . For me at least it is hard to really appreciate the force of these gail winds that can force this huge volume of water into these coastal lakes and bays and ultimately rivers . To really make matters worst my home is on the Tchefuncta River which empties into the lake Ponchetrain and with the rising of the lake and then the risiing of the River , the ground floor of my home was flooded with about two feet of water . Fortunately , this house like many on the river are elevated and the ground floor portion of the house is made and designed to take water . It will be a job to clean up the sediment that the river left behind but those are the chances you take when living on a river . In my opinion its a small price to pay for a river-home and I have no regrets making the decision to live there .
Smooth Sailing !
Ted Davisson
E=Bob Reynolds;12656]Rather than get on another "Gustav" thread, I decided to start a new one. I am on the Lower right now, and we have been running from Alliance, LA (mile 63, some 30 miles below NOLA) up to Chalmette, LA. Coincidentally, we have been without internet service for a week, not related to the storm, so I have been unable to post until today when our service was restored by remote control due to the wizardry of our tech support person in Vicksburg.

On Saturday Aug. 30th, we high-tailed it out of New Orleans to get away from Gustav. We decided to go up toward Baton Rouge, thinking we would escape the worst of Gustav's wrath. When we got to Plaquemine, LA (mile 212), we decided we had gone far enough and caught the only tree we could find. Gustav came ashore Monday, and by 2:00 pm Monday we had sustained winds of 80 mph with gusts to 101 mph and 6-foot seas in the Mississippi. The wind blew out one of our pilothouse windows (no injuries), but otherwise we came through fine.

We got underway downbound last night, and I was saddened and surprised to see the Steamer LUNGA POINT, a former DPC towboat, sunk and washed up on the bank at Plaquemine. The LUNGA POINT had been used for years at Baton Rouge to provide steam for a barge cleaning operation, and a few years ago was moved to a fleet office opposite Plaquemine as an office barge. I doubt the boat will be used again. There were also a number of barges, loaded and empty, washed up on the bank at 81 Mile Point above Donaldsonville, LA -- I mean high and dry. Fortunately, as Judy posted elsewhere, the Str. NATCHEZ was safely tucked up behind Bayou Goula Towhead and looked to be fine when I passed there about 7:00 last night.

All in all, an experience I do not care to repeat.

NATCHEZ vs. Gustav

Just got an email from Capt. Don Houghton. The NATCHEZ got back to Toulouse St. Thursday night. They did have 100 mph winds at Bayou Goula for several hours, but made it through intact. And Don's house is ok and even has electricity back today. My neighbor Ott, who stayed in town, said our power at the BK house was out only for 11 hours on Monday, and we had no damage of any kind. Another one down...

Lake Ponchetrain Is Back ..............

Greetings From New Orleans ,
Well fortunately , the winds have subsided , the seas have calmed , the eight foot storm surge that came up the Mississippi River has gone down and Lake Ponchetrain is now back in its banks . I've just hung up the phone with my friend Fred Carmichel whom is serving on the Str. Delta Queen and he tells me that they are presently receiving some rain evidently from the few remaining bands of Hurricane Gustov . In this case , where Hurricane Gustov took a north westerly tract and just wonder if taking the Str. Natchez was the right direction to go . Normally , it is and true , Bayou Goula Towhead does offer some protection but unfortunately , as the crow flies , Baton Rouge which got clobbered by Gustov is is literally only a few miles away . With a hurrican , the trick is to stay on the good or westerly side of the storm and in this case by going to the Bayou Goula Towhead , the Str. Natcchez actually went closer to the storm and literally to the bad or easterly side of the storm . In my opinion , if the space had been available , I believe that the Natchez would have been better off , safer and closer to the city if it ccouold have gone into the Chalmette Slip , which is just a few iles south of the city and would have been protected on three sides . Just food for thought ! What is on everyones mind now is what course is Hurrican Ike on now . Locally , we are now being told by the so called " expert weather " personel that Ike is still headed basically due west and will certainly strike Florida but after that even the " exxperts " are not so sure just where and when Ike may so choose to go . So as with many things , time will tell but for me at least this has been one summer to remember as far as the weather and high river goes .
Smoothe Sailing !
Ted Davisson

Ted Davisson;12660 wrote: Bob ,
As always good to hear from you and equally good to know that you and your boat rode the storm out OK ! I believe for the most part New Orleans and the surrounding parishes did relatively OK as well despite the fact that the city fathers just the night before warned the cities residents that the area was about to receive a Catagory 5 storm and the " storm of the century " and that EVERYONE must flee for their lives . Fortunately , the storm took more of a northwesterly course and just side swiped the Greater New Orleans area . Unfortunately the communities of Morgan City , Berwick , Houma , Thibodeaux and Baton Rouge took the brunt of the storm and did not fare so well . I was also told by some harbor tug captains that also rode out the storm that an 8 foot storm surge also came up the river but evidently it was just not enough to really do any damage . I live on the " North Shore " of Lake Ponchetrain ( just north of New Orleans ) and this area also only took minor wind and rain damage . Now , having said that, these same south and easterly winds forced sea water not only into Lake Ponchetrain but then also into the adajacent rivers that feed into the lake as well . For me at least it is hard to really appreciate the force of these gail winds that can force this huge volume of water into these coastal lakes and bays and ultimately rivers . To really make matters worst my home is on the Tchefuncta River which empties into the lake Ponchetrain and with the rising of the lake and then the risiing of the River , the ground floor of my home was flooded with about two feet of water . Fortunately , this house like many on the river are elevated and the ground floor portion of the house is made and designed to take water . It will be a job to clean up the sediment that the river left behind but those are the chances you take when living on a river . In my opinion its a small price to pay for a river-home and I have no regrets making the decision to live there .
Smooth Sailing !
Ted Davisson
E=Bob Reynolds;12656]Rather than get on another "Gustav" thread, I decided to start a new one. I am on the Lower right now, and we have been running from Alliance, LA (mile 63, some 30 miles below NOLA) up to Chalmette, LA. Coincidentally, we have been without internet service for a week, not related to the storm, so I have been unable to post until today when our service was restored by remote control due to the wizardry of our tech support person in Vicksburg.

On Saturday Aug. 30th, we high-tailed it out of New Orleans to get away from Gustav. We decided to go up toward Baton Rouge, thinking we would escape the worst of Gustav's wrath. When we got to Plaquemine, LA (mile 212), we decided we had gone far enough and caught the only tree we could find. Gustav came ashore Monday, and by 2:00 pm Monday we had sustained winds of 80 mph with gusts to 101 mph and 6-foot seas in the Mississippi. The wind blew out one of our pilothouse windows (no injuries), but otherwise we came through fine.

We got underway downbound last night, and I was saddened and surprised to see the Steamer LUNGA POINT, a former DPC towboat, sunk and washed up on the bank at Plaquemine. The LUNGA POINT had been used for years at Baton Rouge to provide steam for a barge cleaning operation, and a few years ago was moved to a fleet office opposite Plaquemine as an office barge. I doubt the boat will be used again. There were also a number of barges, loaded and empty, washed up on the bank at 81 Mile Point above Donaldsonville, LA -- I mean high and dry. Fortunately, as Judy posted elsewhere, the Str. NATCHEZ was safely tucked up behind Bayou Goula Towhead and looked to be fine when I passed there about 7:00 last night.

All in all, an experience I do not care to repeat.