Steve
(Senior Storm Chaser)
Thu Oct 03 2002 07:55 PM
Everything's winding down...

They put us under a tornado watch until 10:00pm as some of the final bands are rotating around the eastern side of the storm. It's still gusting above 30 in the city as it has been most of the day. There is only one more potential of a flooding, training band, and that's over the northern Gulf.

As to dynogel, ABC 26 put up a closeup map of the water temperatures over the Gulf (don't know where they got the map). Anyway, the blowup to 4 and downgrade to 2 happened over water temperatures varying by 10 or more degrees. Obviously, the hot pocket that it hit yesterday am quickly increased the intensity. However, when the storm (last night) crossed some of the cooler pockets, it petered out. Then, just before landfall, it hit another warm pocket and tightened up a bit, but didn't have any real pressure falls or wind increases.

Overall, most of the state escaped pretty easily with some exceptions. They were hit pretty hard in Iberville Parish with winds felling trees and damaging roofs. St. Mary Parish had many downed oak trees. And lower Terrebonne (as reported above) is stuck under tidal flooding after a levee broke in 4 places near Montegut - inundating Montegut and Dulac (way down 'dere). Grand Isle suffered the usual damage and remains under water. In lower Lafourche and Jefferson, all of LA Hwy. 1 south of Golden Meadow remains closed as the water is 4-5' deep around Grand Isle, Port Fourchon et al. The city escaped any serious damage with the exception of a few damaged cars and rooftops from falling trees. There is some flooding in western Slidell (east of Lake Pontchartrain) and several camps have been damaged. Some of the same subdivisions that flooded when the winds switched to SW after Isidore have water flowing through them again.

Lili wasn't too bad. I'm greatful for the 1 1/2 days I got off of work and the beer, coffee and snacks I had during its duration. I'm going to crash early tonight to catch up on the sleep I lost yesterday. I'm also greatful that there really aren't any reports of injuries or fatalities from the storm in LA, though that obviously could change. My family is fine, and I had a great time with my kids watching the feeder bands roll in throughout the morning and hopefully imparting to them some of the appreciation that I have for mother nature.

I think we all need a pat on the back - amateurs and pros. We have the best hurricane forum I've ever found on the web. Extra special thanks to the "C" brothers for all their time, effort, and expense!

Steve



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