(Aug. 27) MOBILE, Alabama — The news is full of the coronavirus and Kabul, but meanwhile, in other disasters…
This, folks, is how things work with Gulf Coast hurricanes. Just two nights ago, weather forecasters were saying a tropical system near the Caribbean looked headed to south Texas, three full states away from us, and probably would remain a mild tropical storm. Twelve hours later, the track and predicted intensity changed, far eastward to Louisiana or even Mississippi, with the storm projected to be a strong Category 2 Hurricane, or even Category 3. And instead of dawdling, it was moving fast. We’re talking Sunday morning landfall.
And I was supposed to be driving two hours west to New Orleans this weekend to see some friends and see a Saints’ game.
And I was supposed to be driving two hours west to New Orleans this weekend to see some friends and see a Saints’ game.
As Scooby-Doo would say, ruh-roh!
The news kept worsening. Now, this thing could be a monster. “Hurricane Ida could be close to Cat 4, dump 20 inches of rain in southeast Louisiana,” says the headline on the NOLA.com breaking-news email. The forecast “cone” extends eastward almost to the Alabama state line.
Therefore, spring, or maybe stumble, into a semblance of action. Put the Saints’ tickets up for sale on the cheap on Seat Geek. (As if!) Cancel three different plans in the Crescent City. Call the relatives on the Mississippi Coast to say, hey, we have a spare bedroom if they need to evacuate. Call the in-laws to offer help battening down the hatches for the house right on Mobile Bay, in case the track shifts even further eastward. Call the neighbors who don’t have a generator: “Hey, if your freezer goes out, we have space in ours!”… [The full column is here.]
