The video from our coastal parishes has been tough to watch…all of our hearts ache. I know we’ll come back and be a stronger community, but it will take time. We were prepared for this storm, and in spite of all the destruction and surge Rita brought, we have had no reports of fatalities in Acadiana directly associated with this storm. Hopefully it stays that way in the post-storm period.
Carbon monoxide was deadly here after Hurricane Lili, and has proven the same after Katrina and Rita. We reported on Monday about 5 fatalities in SE Texas. Please remind friends and families about generator safety. Generators need to be in a very well ventilated area. Garages, carports and covered patios trap CO, so get them out away from your home, as far as the cords will let you go…and don’t plug them directly into your house.
In the “good news†department:
Finally, after the 2nd hottest August on record, and one of the hotter Septembers, we anticipate a nice front to give us a break from the heat and humidity. Dry northerly winds will aid the drying process across region and will make it easier for those of us working without artificial air conditioning. Unfortunately, this respite will be short-lived, with humidity and tropical moisture returning by early next week.
In the “what’s next†department:
As for the tropics, the area of disturbed weather in the Caribbean is in a climatologically favored area for development. Upper level winds have been hostile for development but are expected to ease. With weak surface low pressure already in the vicinity, it is probably a matter of a couple days before we see development and perhaps “Stanâ€. It is too early to speculate where this will go in the long term…but initially the Southern Gulf by late weekend/early next week will be a good bet.
Rob Perillo