eternal light Posted August 31, 2008 Share Posted August 31, 2008 By BECKY BOHRER, Associated Press Writer 10 minutes ago NEW ORLEANS - With Hurricane Gustav just a day away from a possible monster hit on New Orleans, the mayor Sunday pleaded with the last of its residents to get out, imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew on those who stay and warned looters they will be sent directly to prison. The Big Easy increasingly took on the eeriness of a ghost town as thousands heeded a mandatory evacuation order, and police and National Guard troops clamped down on the city to prevent the kind of lawlessness and chaos that followed Katrina three years ago. "Looters will go directly to jail. You will not get a pass this time," Mayor Ray Nagin said. "You will not have a temporary stay in the city. You will go directly to the Big House." Most were taking him seriously. The state changed traffic flow so all highway lanes led out of New Orleans, and cars were packed bumper-to-bumper. Stores and restaurants shut down, hotels closed and windows were boarded up. Some who planned to stay changed their mind at the last second, not willing to risk the worst. "I got scared at the last minute," said Ollie Hilson, 54, of Marrero, a town on the west bank of the Mississippi River. She was waiting for a bus in a gymnasium where the New Orleans Hornets practice. She had a single plastic grocery bag with a change of clothes and a few personal belongings, and waited with her two nieces and their four children, all under the age of 3. "I was worried about the kids. We just couldn't stay." Col. Mike Edmondson, state police commander, said he believed over 90 percent of the coastal Louisiana population had fled — the largest evacuation in state history. Nagin has used stark language to get his message across to residents, calling Gustav the "mother of all storms." Emergency officials have repeatedly warned that those who stay are on their own, and there will be no shelter of refuge like in Katrina, when thousands waited helplessly for rescue in a squalid Superdome. Though his threats were dire, it was unmistakable that Gustav posed a major threat to partially rebuilt New Orleans. The storm has already killed more than 80 people on its path through the Caribbean. And there are fears about how much the levees, which breached during Katrina, can take. Large areas of southeast Louisiana, including sections in the greater New Orleans area, that are protected by levees face being flooding by several feet of water, according to Gustav surge models. Gustav appears likely to overwhelm the system of levees west of the city that have for decades been under-funded and neglected even as the population has grown. The corps has stockpiled steel pilings, sandbags and metal baskets filled with sand in the event that emergency repairs are needed to fill in breaches. Heavy duty helicopters capable of dropping sandbags are on standby. Barreling toward the Gulf Coast with frightening strength and size, Gustav was wavering between a Category 3 and 4 hurricane with winds extending out 50 miles and tropical storm force winds as far as 200 miles. The comparisons to Katrina come easily. Both are extraordinarily large storms. At times Katrina, one of the five deadliest U.S. storms, stretched its tropical storm-force winds out about 200 miles from its center. Hurricane force winds extended about 90 miles. Both Gustav and Katrina intensified rapidly in the Gulf of Mexico, but Katrina intensified after making landfall in Florida while Gustav hit Cuba first. Forecasters say Gustav also is moving more quickly than Katrina. President Bush canceled his appearance at the Republican National Convention and will instead travel to Texas to meet with emergency response personnel preparing for Gustav. Federal authorities, faulted for a sluggish and inadequate response to Hurricane Katrina, planned to have an on-the-ground presence. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff was headed to the region Sunday and planned to stay for the duration of the storm. Bush said he hoped to travel to Louisiana when conditions permit. "The Army Corps of Engineers informs me that while the levees are stronger than they've ever been, people across the Gulf Coast, especially in New Orleans, need to understand that in a storm of this size there are serious risks of significant flooding," Bush said at FEMA headquarters. "My message to the people of the Gulf Coast is: This storm is dangerous." The storm could bring a storm surge of up to 20 feet to the coast and rainfall totals of up to 15 inches. At 2 p.m. EDT Sunday, the National Hurricane Center said Gustav was a Category 3 storm centered about 270 miles southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River and moving northwest near 17 mph. It had top sustained winds of around 115 mph. It had weakened slightly, but forecasters expected some reintensification by Monday. A hurricane warning was in effect for more than 500 miles of the Gulf Coast from Cameron, La., near the Texas border to the Alabama-Florida state line. Alabama Gov. Bob Riley issued a mandatory evacuation order for some coastal areas of Mobile and Baldwin counties. Residents in flood-prone southeast Texas fled, too. Sabine Pass a port city most recently battered three years ago by Hurricane Rita, was among the first communities ordered to leave. Port Arthur, Texas, a refinery town of about 57,000 also badly damaged during Rita, was virtually abandoned. In New Orleans, the last bus carrying residents without a way to leave on their own would depart at 3 p.m. Sunday. Clouds were already rolling in, and the skies were beginning to darken. Rain could begin falling as early as Sunday night. Melissa Lee, who lives in Pearl River, a town near the boundary of Mississippi and Louisiana, was driving away to as far as she could make it Sunday. Before she left, she heard neighbors chopping down trees with chain saws, trying to ensure the tall pines that surrounded their homes wouldn't come crashing down. "I sent my son out with a camera and said, `Go take pictures of our backyard. Because it's going to look different when we get back.'" http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/gustav_gulf_coast It is getting closer to New Orleans. Winds are at 115 mph. weather.com/newscenter/hurricanecentral/2008/gustav Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Electrophile Posted August 31, 2008 Share Posted August 31, 2008 The thing that scares me most about this storm is that the eye is expected to pass west of NOLA, which means they'll get the east side of the storm......which is the worst. Most rain, most wind, worst storm surge. Which means it would be worse really, than taking a direct hit. A friend of mine who lives just north of New Orleans evacuated this morning. She packed up her car with essentials, things that cannot be replaced if lost/damaged and her pets and started driving up to Arkansas where she has family. My thoughts and prayers to everyone on the Gulf Coast right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cryingbluerain Posted August 31, 2008 Share Posted August 31, 2008 Nagin just said looters will go straight to prison. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dzldoc Posted September 1, 2008 Share Posted September 1, 2008 The first squall line has arrived. Showtime! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eternal light Posted September 1, 2008 Share Posted September 1, 2008 The first squall line has arrived. Showtime! Squally showers will increasingly brush the Gulf Coast from the western Florida peninsula and far southeastern Louisiana through this evening. Stronger outer bands of squally showers should move into the Florida panhandle, southern Alabama, southern Mississippi and more of the Louisiana coast tonight. The threat of tornadoes increases overnight in those areas as well. http://www.weather.com/newscenter/hurrican...cane_tracker%5c Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pickenpieces Posted September 1, 2008 Share Posted September 1, 2008 At least Gustav didnt intensify like it could have in that warm central Gulf water. I thought for sure it would after leaving Cuba. Those 115mph winds look less fierce than the 150mph that it was earlier. Now maybe N.O. will get lucky and the storm will drift further west to less populace zones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chetta2323 Posted September 1, 2008 Share Posted September 1, 2008 hey everybody from the louisiana area stay safe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beatbo Posted September 1, 2008 Share Posted September 1, 2008 The first squall line has arrived. Showtime! i was moving equipment to high ground at my paents and got totally drenched in 5 seconds. very calm on my end now...i just got home from the beach. we'll see.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zepyep Posted September 1, 2008 Share Posted September 1, 2008 Hi all. To all our friends,I hope you will be safe,... KB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pickenpieces Posted September 1, 2008 Share Posted September 1, 2008 An EYE has just formed again in Gustav. This has not been present all day. It could mean its strengthening. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pickenpieces Posted September 1, 2008 Share Posted September 1, 2008 Heres another showing the new EYE. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lake of Shadows Posted September 1, 2008 Share Posted September 1, 2008 Thoughts, prayers, and good wishes to everyone in ol' Gustav's path... and to those who are affected in other ways. Thank you all for checking in and letting us know how you're doing. I'm glad to see evacuations are being done earlier and that some sort of provision is being made to shelter people's pets. I know of people who are getting horses evacuated, as well as the more common contingent of dogs, cats, etc. I wouldn't want to leave my animals behind either although I realize for some folks there really wasn't a choice. Anyway, I hope things go better this time around. Y'all take care! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dzldoc Posted September 1, 2008 Share Posted September 1, 2008 Still have power as of 0500 hrs CDT lights starting to flicker. Saw a couple transformers blow around the area. The wind is whistling, steady rain. Reports of eye getting better formed and possible intensification. Looks like it will make landfall just to the SW of my location. Not much water in the streets and haven't seen any wall of water comming yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dzldoc Posted September 1, 2008 Share Posted September 1, 2008 update 0650hrs power out now sending this by cell phone winds too rough to go outside Will be switching to generator power soon. Steady rain and wind with higher gusts Report back later if cell towers stay up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beatbo Posted September 1, 2008 Share Posted September 1, 2008 update 0650hrs power out now sending this by cell phone winds too rough to go outside Will be switching to generator power soon. Steady rain and wind with higher gusts Report back later if cell towers stay up we're dodging a bullet here in biloxi, doc..... hopefully, the levee's will hold where you are at and you'll get power soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZeppFanForever Posted September 1, 2008 Share Posted September 1, 2008 update 0650hrs power out now sending this by cell phone winds too rough to go outside Will be switching to generator power soon. Steady rain and wind with higher gusts Report back later if cell towers stay up How's it going "Dzldoc?" God help you during Gustav! If you're ever here in San Antonio, Texas, let me know here on the Forum. ROCK ON! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dzldoc Posted September 1, 2008 Share Posted September 1, 2008 update:0820hrs winds are roaring! Roof still intact If the Harvey flood gate holds up we should ok don't see Barataria bay comming up the street yet Reports that Grand Isle about 70 no south of here totally submerged! God help them if anyone stayed behind! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pickenpieces Posted September 1, 2008 Share Posted September 1, 2008 Hold onto your hat dzldoc!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Bill Posted September 1, 2008 Share Posted September 1, 2008 dzldoc, are you in a mandatory evac area? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beatbo Posted September 1, 2008 Share Posted September 1, 2008 dzldoc, are you in a mandatory evac area? he can't see the forum....he's sending posts via his cell phone. if he's below the lake ponchatrain line, he should have evacuated. sounds like he might be a little west of the city....which ain't good. eye making landfall now......slowly. lots of tornados over here in mississippi. wind has really ramped up but only 17,000 have lost power so far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Bill Posted September 1, 2008 Share Posted September 1, 2008 he can't see the forum....he's sending posts via his cell phone. if he's below the lake ponchatrain line, he should have evacuated. sounds like he might be a little west of the city....which ain't good. eye making landfall now......slowly. lots of tornados over here in mississippi. wind has really ramped up but only 17,000 have lost power so far. Thanks beatbo, Is the location he posted below lake Pontchartrain? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZeppFanForever Posted September 1, 2008 Share Posted September 1, 2008 Thanks beatbo, Is the location he posted below lake Pontchartrain? How's it going all? Man, Dzldoc is going to get it bad. The news is calling Hurricane Gustav the hurricane of the century. I just heard here on the news in San Antonio, Texas that Hurricane Gustav is going to be a Catagory 5 when it hits New Orleans at full force. The winds are expected to reach as high as 160 mph. Dzldoc is going to be in a lot of trouble if he is still in New Orleans. God help him. ROCK ON! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Bill Posted September 1, 2008 Share Posted September 1, 2008 Gustav is currently a cat 2 storm. I hope everyone is ok. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eternal light Posted September 1, 2008 Share Posted September 1, 2008 feedthechildren.org ^Larry Jones is requesting donations for hurricane relief. Category 2 Gustav Slamming Louisiana Tim Ballisty, Meteorologist, The Weather Channel 11:55 a.m. ET 9/1/2008 Hurricane Gustav is bearing down on the Louisiana coast. It has weakened to a Category 2 hurricane with winds of 110 mph but that doesn't change too much in terms of impacts affecting southern Louisiana. As of 10 a.m. CDT, Gustav made landfall near Cocodrie, Louisiana. It was centered about 70 miles southwest of New Orleans and about 100 miles southeast of Lafayette, Louisiana. It is moving to the northwest at 15 mph and it will continue in this direction all day today moving into western Louisiana by tonight. The northern half of Gustav is now spinning over southeastern Louisiana. In fact, the northern half of Gustav's eyewall is scraping along the marshy coast of southern Louisiana passing south of Houma and eventually south of Morgan City. Spiraling rain bands will continue to push onshore this morning and will produce tropical storm-force sustained winds (occasionally sustained hurricane-force winds) and easily gust over hurricane force. The very dangerous water-level rise will continue to grow higher and higher this morning with a 8 to 12 foot surge in the vicinity of landfall. Remember, don't only focus on the landfall location. Tropical storm-force winds extend 200+ miles from the center and hurricane-force winds extend 70 miles from the center. Wind, surge, and rain impacts will be far reaching. After landfall, the focus will shift from winds and surge to flooding rains and isolated tornadoes. Tropical Storm Hanna was centered about 40 miles north of the Southeast Bahamas as of 11 am ET. Maximum sustained winds have yet again increased to 60 mph. A hurricane watch has been posted for a portion of the Bahamas. Hanna will slide southwest today before making a turn toward the northwest some time on Tuesday. This will take it on a course that will move it over the southeastern and central Bahamas during the next few days. Tropical Storm Hanna has already begun to churn the ocean waters off the Southeast coast. On Sunday afternoon, numerous rescues by lifeguards were carried out along the North Carolina coast and lifeguards along the Georgia coast reported several rip currents. Please be mindful of the dangerous surf during this holiday weekend. Though Gustav is still on people's minds, coastal residents of Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina should all monitor the track and development of Hanna. By Friday, it may be nearing the Southeast U.S. coast. Elsewhere in the Atlantic Basin, a tropical wave and broad low pressure area has been deemed Tropical Depression 9. It is located halfway between the Lesser Antilles and Africa. Thunderstorm activity has remained with the depression over several hours now. It may become a tropical storm by later today. It will initially head west-northwest then west over the course of this week. It is forecast to become a hurricane later this week. There is another tropical wave that has just emerged from the African Coast that has potential for development in the next couple of days. http://www.weather.com/newscenter/hurrican...date/index.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beatbo Posted September 1, 2008 Share Posted September 1, 2008 Thanks beatbo, Is the location he posted below lake Pontchartrain? oh, yeah.....he's down in the shit. i think that he's east enough to miss some of the heavier action....just depends on how the levees hold Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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