|
||
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
September 25, 2002 The gathering storm By Blake M. Petit The past few days have provided one of the greatest examples in recent years of the uncertainty that comes with living along the Gulf Coast during hurricane season. People from Texas to Florida have been patiently watching Hurricane-then Tropical Storm Isidore as it pounds the Yucatan Peninsula, achingly aware that the forecast calls for the storm to turn northward. At press time, the most recent forecast places Isidore just to the west of New Orleans by 1 a.m. Thursday -- nearly the worst possible track for St. Charles Parish. According to Jason Tastet with the St. Charles Parish Department of Emergency Preparedness, there are two possibilities if Isidore were to hit Louisiana. If the storm has not gained back much of the strength it had before it entered Mexico and only hits as a category one hurricane, the concern will be lessened. There would be no mandatory evacuation in St. Charles Parish except for possibly a few low-lying areas. The most recent forecasts are along these lines. In a situation like this there will be shelters established at Eual J. Landry Middle School in Hahnville and Harry Hurst Middle School in Destrehan. If the storm is stronger -- a category two or three hurricane, then a mandatory evacuation would be more likely. The Emergency Operations Center would be activated and start communication with all parish agencies, the Red Cross and other agencies. “Our function [at the EOC] is to coordinate activities of all the agencies that are working together to protect the people,” Tastet said. The EOC would also work to “make sure [the residents] heed advisories, pay attention and get out early.” A category one storm has winds from 75 to 95 miles per hour and a four-to-five foot storm surge. In a category two storm winds reach up to 110 MPH with an eight-foot storm surge and a category three storm has winds up to 130 MPH and a 12-foot surge. Should an evacuation be mandated, the following actions are encouraged: • Leave the area early. Pick up a hurricane map and listen to the radio to identify an evacuation route. If an evacuation is called for, instructions will be broadcast on 870 am. • Before you leave, get your vehicles away from trees, telephone poles, carports, unstable garages and other objects under stress from the wind. • Clear away any wood, furniture or anything else that could be picked up in your yard and become a projectile in high winds. • Pack important documents such as insurance papers and vehicle registration in a waterproof bag and bring them with you. • Fill your evacuation vehicle with gas as soon as possible to avoid long lines. Bring along a flashlight and extra batteries, a first-aid kid, cash, credit cards and food. • Beware of live wires. Do not, under any circumstances, drive over a downed electrical line. • Do not travel down a submerged street -- underlying currents could carry your vehicle away. If your vehicle stalls in water, immediately abandon it -- floodwaters can rise several feet in a matter of minutes. By press time Isidore had caused up to four deaths in Mexico and one in the United States -- a German tourist who drowned off the coast of Florida in turbulent waters stirred up by the distant storm. For updates on the status of St. Charles Parish, go to www.stcharlesgov.net for hurricane news. Blake M. Petit can be reached at BlakeP@heraldguide.com or at 758-2795, ext. 215.
|
||||
|
|
|
|
