Hurricane Gustav makes landfall
Hurricane Gustav came ashore just west of Grand Island, LA as a Cat 2 storm with 110 mph winds.
First Video of Gustav on Louisiana coast (The Weather Channel)
Gustav skirted along the coast for a short while this morning before finally coming ashore at 10 am Central Time. It appears that Gustav's drift slightly to the west spared New Orleans the worst effects although the city was hit hard. We need to keep in mind that tropical storm force winds extend as far as 200 miles from the center of the storm. We cannot forget that everyone breathed a sign of relief after Katrina passed New Orleans just to be surprised when the levees broke the following day. Until the storm is completely past we must remain vigilant.
Gustav is expected to decrease in intensity and to slow down significantly becoming a tropical depression by the time he crosses into east Texas sometime tomorrow or Wednesday. Gustav will be a major rainmaker and inland flooding is likely.
It is interesting the difference good leadership and planning make. All reports prasied the efforts of the governments involved (city, state and federal) in making sure that evacuations were carried out and curfews enforced. Residents from southeast Texas to Alabama were evacuated and the cities, counties and parishes were essentially deserted except for police, national guard and news reporters. Regardless of the end effects of this storm, no one can claim indfference on the part of officials.
First Video of Gustav on Louisiana coast (The Weather Channel)
Gustav skirted along the coast for a short while this morning before finally coming ashore at 10 am Central Time. It appears that Gustav's drift slightly to the west spared New Orleans the worst effects although the city was hit hard. We need to keep in mind that tropical storm force winds extend as far as 200 miles from the center of the storm. We cannot forget that everyone breathed a sign of relief after Katrina passed New Orleans just to be surprised when the levees broke the following day. Until the storm is completely past we must remain vigilant.
Gustav is expected to decrease in intensity and to slow down significantly becoming a tropical depression by the time he crosses into east Texas sometime tomorrow or Wednesday. Gustav will be a major rainmaker and inland flooding is likely.
It is interesting the difference good leadership and planning make. All reports prasied the efforts of the governments involved (city, state and federal) in making sure that evacuations were carried out and curfews enforced. Residents from southeast Texas to Alabama were evacuated and the cities, counties and parishes were essentially deserted except for police, national guard and news reporters. Regardless of the end effects of this storm, no one can claim indfference on the part of officials.
posted by KWR | 10:39 AM
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