Topic starter
26/08/2012 6:46 pm
The tracking of Isaac keeps moving westward for its landfall. Right now it would hit a bit east of New Orleans, but that would sure stir up Lake Pontchartrain. The flood gates on the lakefront at the ends of the canals are done, so that would keep the surging water out of the canals, which is what was the undoing during Katrina. I haven't talked to anyone on the NATCHEZ today, but at this point I suspect they aren't moving upriver yet. Generally they stay at Toulouse St. for a Category 1 or 2, which is what Isaac is projected to be. (Should they move upriver, they head for Bayou Goula, below Baton Rouge.) Landfall is projected for Wednesday August 29 - 7 years to the day from Katrina.
The one positive thing about this storm and its track is that it should bring much needed water to the Lower Mississippi River - its too late to help any crops, but it should raise the water levels enough to help out the navigation bottleneck areas around Greenville-Vicksburg.
Needless to say, I'll be watching the storm tracking and thinking of my friends and the NATCHEZ these next few days.
Topic starter
26/08/2012 10:50 pm
No decisions at 6PM Sunday
As of now, there have been no decisions made by either our river friends nor the NATCHEZ as to whether or not they evacuate. Monday morning will probably be the time. For those unfamiliar with hurricane effects, the northeast quadrant is the most damaging with the highest winds and rainfall. Southeast is second strongest, followed by the northwest then southwest. So in other words, if you look at the tracking of the eye, the most damage will be to the east of it.
27/08/2012 3:45 pm
Decisions, decisions
As of this morning, the projected track of the storm places Now Orleans in the bull's eye. Hopefully, it will be a weak hurricane at most, and just bring in a lot of much needed rain. It is shown tracking right up the Mississippi. I think it might jog just a little more to the west, but we'll see. Are you still in NOLA?
Topic starter
27/08/2012 5:34 pm
Monday noon...
Nope, I got home Friday night. Currently the projection is for a Category 1, 90 mph max right at NOLA. I haven't heard from anyone there, but I suspect everyone will stay put. Rain is much needed upriver, but NOLA has been saturated for over a month. I saw standing water for the first time all summer when I arrived there last Monday. One thing I haven't seen mentioned is the effect this could have on moving the salt water upriver to the city drinking water intakes. They have been building a barrier down at Belle Chasse, but if there is a storm surge, I don't know how that affects the salt water...at least with the river level so low, there's no danger of any storm surge going over the levees!
Topic starter
28/08/2012 12:02 am
Monday evening
Everybody I know is staying put - the NATCHEZ is hunkered down at Toulouse St., my neighbor Ott is at the BK House, and Doc has the hurricane shutters over his windows on Barracks St. Currently the prediction is a low Cat. 2, which means 100 mph winds. That's nothing to sneeze at, but not as bad as other storms they've weathered. I'll be monitoring various computer sites, but I try to stay away from the melodrama on The Weather Channel. Jim Cantore is in town, so you know they're hoping for the worst for him to report...
Topic starter
28/08/2012 5:46 pm
Tuesday noon
All is relatively quiet in the city. There has been a little rain, but nothing heavy yet. The current forecast is for 75mph winds when it hits landfall down at the mouth of the river. Hopefully the speeds will be diminished by the time it gets to town, but if not, 75 mph is good news. It looks like now the major problem is how much rain accumulates as it moves very slowly through the area.
Topic starter
29/08/2012 1:09 am
ABC on board the NATCHEZ
I didn't see it, but I got a report that ABC did their evening weather report from the deck of the NATCHEZ - did anyone see it? Isaac made landfall at 6:45 tonight just west of the mouth of the river. It still looks like 80-85 mph winds at worst for the city, with large amounts of rain.
29/08/2012 1:25 am
All of 13 mph and no rain 18 miles above St. Francisville at 8:25...
29/08/2012 2:12 am
Bob et al: best of luck down there. My steamers are in the barn but 100 mph could take barn and all!! Keep us posted if you can. Cap'n Walnut
Topic starter
29/08/2012 3:54 am
No 100 mph this time...
I tried watching the Weather Channel and Jim Cantore tonight, but couldn't take more than a half hour. Please don't take their worst case scenarios to heart! Al Roker was being blown over by winds measuring 36 mph!!! Cantore was wearing safety glasses to protect him from the driving rain which was invisible... HYPE HYPE HYPE
Topic starter
29/08/2012 3:16 pm
Wednesday morning
Capt. Steven Nicoulin posted a brief video on his Facebook page showing the awning on the wharf getting ripped up at the apex, but no other damage showing. Current reports show winds downriver a couple miles at 34-59 mph and the rainfall total since midnight of about an inch and a half - now that can vary greatly within the metro area of course. But please, please don't believe the Armegeddon that Jim Cantore is preaching. I saw him getting blown around on Canal St. this morning, while Al Roker and Stephanie were standing still easily just a block or two away from Catastrophe Jim. I've been going to the WWL-tv.com website for sensible information. Its no picnic down there, but it looks like things are relatively OK...
Topic starter
29/08/2012 9:45 pm
Wednesday afternoon
It is now down to a tropical storm with winds of 70mph tops. The strongest winds in NOLA recorded by WWL TV were 80 mph. Now it is down to 24-25 mph and it is still raining. Rainfall totals in the city are just under 8 inches, but that is from the beginning almost 24 hours ago. So while it sounds tremendous, it isn't considering the circumstances. All the pumps and drainage canals are working and in good shape. Pictures of city damage are mainly of individual trees which have come down due to wind/soggy ground, but no wholesale downing in any city area. Supposedly 85% of the city is without power, but my neighbor Ott's answering machine is working, so at least some areas of the FQ have power yet. Of course that's not a problem on the NATCHEZ, as she'll generate her own power. The stories you see of flooding are in outlying areas, particularly downriver from town. If Braithwaite sounds familiar to you, that is where the NATCHEZ was built back in 1974-5. There have been a few cases of looting, but the looters have been caught and will face mandatory prison terms. One thing that hasn't been addressed in the media is the presence of the Louisiana National Guard. They are doing what the National Guard originally was intended for - guarding our own country. And they have their waterborne equipment available for rescue work. This is a total contrast to Katrina, when the LA. units and boats were over in desert Iraq and NG troops from neighboring states had to be brought in who didn't have boats and other water rescue equipment. So once again, this has been a damaging storm, but it looks as if the city of New Orleans is going to have comparatively little cleanup and damage, with the major problem being power outages. While there is still the back half of the storm to pass through town, it looks like NOLA and the NATCHEZ will be up and running by the weekend at the latest. Hopefully Pat OBrien's will be open so Jim Cantore can go drown his sorrow and disappointment with a couple of libations called hurricanes.... check out this for live TV coverage, featuring longtime anchors Angela Hill and Eric Paulson on WWL TV:
New Orleans News, Local News, Breaking News, Weather | wwltv.com | Live Video
30/08/2012 3:28 pm
Judy: Thanks for cutting thru the hype for us. I remember calling a friend who worked for the local paper years ago. What's going on in the world? I asked. "OMG! It is absolutely terrible for us...couldn't be worse", was his answer. "What could possibly be that bad?" I asked. "Nothing! Absolutely nothing is going on...nobody cares to hear about that!!!" was his reply. Kinda sums up media attitude and accuracy. Cap'n Walnut
30/08/2012 4:23 pm
You might have a hard time convincing the people in Plaquemines Parrish that nothing is going on.
Topic starter
30/08/2012 7:41 pm
I was talking about the CITY of New Orleans
Sorry if you misinterpreted my postings. I thought I was pretty clear I was talking about the city itself. Braithwaithe, which I mentioned, is in Plaquemines Parish, as are other outlying areas I mentioned.
Once again, within the city of New Orleans there has been minimal damage, comparatively speaking. There is a large area with power outages, lots of individual trees have fallen over from their shallow root system, soggy ground, and 80 mph winds. The awning over the NATCHEZ's wharf is shredded, but the NATCHEZ is fine.
Today communities across the lake: Mandeville, Covington, Slidell in particular are being flooded from their swollen rivers. They were not hit by Katrina, but have suffered severe damage from this 'lesser' storm.
I was not disrespecting the communities which did suffer damage, I was merely reporting on the situation in the city of New Orleans, which was nothing like what Jim Cantore and his ilk were portraying on the Weather Channel.
Topic starter
30/08/2012 7:46 pm
Doc checked in
Just had a phone message from Doc. His place is fine. He walked over to the NATCHEZ yesterday to check things out and said he had difficulty walking up the levee into the wind, but he got there. Apparently he didn't have any power outage, nor did the Beauregard House...
The NATCHEZ will resume cruising on Saturday...
Topic starter
30/08/2012 9:38 pm
Live from the living room...
on Barracks Street. I just phoned CCH. It is still raining, but not heavily and the winds have subsided. He lost power for only 20 minutes yesterday. The 15% of the area that didn't lose electricity is the French Quarter, and for a good reason: the power lines are underground. According to Doc, years ago they experimented with putting the lines underground for visual effect(keeping the FQ looking old), but it was technically successful too. In more recent years, the tv cables have been put underground too.
30/08/2012 9:50 pm
News from St. Francisville / Bayou Sara
Heard from Anne Butler, who owns Butler-Greenwood Plantation at St. Francisville, that the power stayed on there and that NO big trees came down on the grounds. Anne also said that the Mississippi River was being affected by the surge all the way to Red River Landing. Let's hope it puts some good water back into the Mississip'!
31/08/2012 2:54 pm
The Not So Perfect Storm
Figured I'd get a "rise" out of you on that. Just wanted to be sure that people know you weren't talking about the storm in general. Other places are getting or have been hammered. A tornado somewhere destroyed a house that was rebuilt after Katrina. I'd move.
Topic starter
01/09/2012 4:45 pm
Postscript
The utility crews are slowly restoring power to the NOLA area while Isaac has weakened and arrived up here. We've been getting a nice gentle rain with 15mph winds since about 2 AM. It looks like we're in the rotating area so we could get a couple of inches of rain in the next 24 hours, which is badly needed. It was rather eerie yesterday to see the front with its dark clouds approaching the area and to know that was the remnant of the destructive storm on the Gulf Coast just 3 days ago.