What's with hurricane season?

[casimira]

I think so Kimby. Seems like that's the one that would have been after Beta. I haven't checked in with StormCast yet this a.m.

[casimira]

TS Gamma swacked the Yucatan Peninsula pretty good last night and is now back out into the Gulf. It is not expected to do too much but then, they have said that before.
In the meantime, there's another one out there also not expected to do too much but, once again, they never really get it right so I do stay vigilant best I can.
In 2012 Hurricane Sandy AKA Superstorm Sandy didn't form up until late October and travelled up the NE Atlantic corridor and during the first week of November reeked total havoc along that coastline. NYC virtually shut down for almost 24 hours with flooded subways and the like.
We were scheduled to attend a wedding in NYC at that time and along with most of the other guests scheduled to attend had to cancel. The couple did indeed get married though, with a few family members and friends who were already there. They got married in formal wedding garb at Katz's Deli in lower Manhattan, one of the only businesses that were open at the time.

[kerouac2]

It looks like TS Delta will be showing up shortly.

[kerouac2]

At the moment it is still TD-26 but its proposed route is once again unfortunate.

[casimira]

It's now DELTA and it's early projections don't look good but it is till too soon to tell at this point. I really did think we had these sandbags retired for the year.

[casimira]

I follow and am a member and supporter of STORMCAST which is a locally based weather forum mostly dedicated to Gulf storms but does follow the Atlantic and other major metereological events.
Their recent posts on there of the last 30 minutes have made my anxiety go up 20 notches.

[Kimby]

Casimira, what’s your handle on that forum? I visit it, too.

[casimira]

Yes, I know because I'm the one who turned you on to it. I have seen you post one or two times re Sanibel.
I am NOLABEE on there. I donate a few dollars annually because they do need the money for their equipment to monitor the storms etc.
I rarely if ever post on there except to maybe express my gratitude to them for their efforts in keeping people informed.
They're a good group of people and I like that they keep it "clean" of political sentiment etc. Just the facts Ma'am.
I believe that Bixa is the one who informed me of them but they were using a different name then but, even if you google Gulf Coast weather they pop up.
They are a Proboards forum as well.
I have difficulty with alot of the graphics and charts but they will explain them if you inquire.

[casimira]

Delta is now a Hurricane, Cat 2 with a close to 3 status.
As of early this a.m. he or she has projections sending it straight for SE Louisiana with 100 mph wins 1 a.m. on Sunday.
Even a Tropical Storm status this huge would do considerable damage.
All manner of chatter about evacuating, but, as of this post the Mayor has made no statements.
We have a tentative plan in place. Our current vehicle is not road worthy enough for an extended road trip. Likely will go to Prattville, Alabama in a van with our friend/helper/surrogate son to his mothers farm. He doesn't have any pets but is willing to accommodate ours if need be. We know his mother and she is lovely. His father passed away 2 years ago from a sudden heart attack at a much too young age.

[casimira]

On second thought it looks like going East would not be prudent so, we are brainstorming about places we could go that would take us further West. Its all uncertain right now and I'm kind of a basket case at this point in trying to figure out where and what we will do.

[Kimby]

Just what you don’t need right now is more angst. And Hurricane “Season” still has a month left to go, too.

I really feel for those in these storms’ paths. I’ve never been in this situation, physically, but my Sanibel house has TWICE. Charley and Irma. It’s like waiting for a time bomb to go off.

Fingers crossed for you, casi. Stay safe and good luck.

[cheerypeabrain]

Yes, hope everything goes well Casimira. Good luck.

[casimira]

Thank you for the well wishes good people. It means a lot. 
I'm one of those people who get really "anxotic at times like these.
This is the sixth time this hurricane season that NOLA has been in the "cone". It is a record for this to occur.
Earlier in the week NOLA looked like we were going to get a direct hit as a Cat 3 with the storm coming in right at the mouth of the Mississippi River. That would be as bad as it could get aside from being a Cat 4 or 5. (or another manmade disaster like Katrina in 05)

Delta is due to make landfall SW of here with a category yet to be really definitively determined. A minimal Cat 2 but likely a 3 with winds up to 120 or more MPH and very serious storm surge and rain accompanying the winds. Coastal areas will get it bad. The same almost exact location that Hurricane Laura hit 6 weeks ago and many people have not been able to get back to their homes and recovering from that disaster (Cameron, Lake Charles, and inland, Alexandria and a whole lot of small towns). Many of the homes have no roofs and are covered with tarps that will be torn to shreds. There is a lot of debris lying around that will cause damage as projectiles from the hurricane force winds.
And, after landfall, the high probability of tornadoes on the Eastern side of the storm which includes Lafayette and even Baton Rouge.
Where it goes after landfall, aside from Alexandria, its likely to make an easterly NE "hook" or turn, but where, I'm not sure at this point in time. It could likely go up to the NE Atlantic corridor on into Canada or even swing back down here
In NOLA, we will have some Tropical Storm like conditions later in the afternoon. Currently, it is gusting quite a bit but it kinda feels good as the temperatures otherwise would be hot and very humid as the dew point is quite high naturally.
So, we are staying put here at home. We still have a ton of provisions, canned goods and bottled water, coffee of course, and pet food from the previous near hits. I'm a wee bit worried about some local street flooding and we're prepared for that just as we were for the "others" with our sandbag collection that we have amassed.
Our wifi provider Cox aka COCKS is for crap to begin with, so, I wouldn't be at all surprised if we lost wifi at some point.
All in all we are feeling very relieved and oh so grateful to the weather gods for sparing us once again. At the same time my heart goes out to the folks West of us for having to go through this ordeal once again after barely being able to recover from "Laura".

[kerouac2]

TS Epsilon has now appeared, but so far the only place that needs to worry a bit about it is Bermuda.

[kerouac2]

Hurricane Epsilon is definitely on the way to Bermuda. It's funny how nobody ever cares about hurricanes in Bermuda. Of course, this is not a very intense one anyway, so they won't get their shorts blown off.

[kerouac2]

Tropical storm Zeta has formed, and it looks like those damned things just can't get enough of Louisiana this year. Verdict around the middle of next week.

[casimira]

What do they name them after they've exhausted the Greek alphabet ?

[bixaorellana]

Flopsy; Mopsy; Cottontail; Sneezy; Bashful; Sleepy; Happy; Grumpy; Doc; Dopey; Morpheus; Freret; Comus; Endymion; Oak

[casimira]

  How about TCHOUPITOULAS?

In all seriousness, this one has me very concerned. Everyone has "hurricane fatigue" because of all the near hits and misses this season.
This is the SEVENTH one that NOLA has been in the "cone" for a direct hit. With that, comes complacency and that is very worrisome.
We almost put all the sandbags away this past weekend but put it off because we wanted to celebrate our wedding anniversary as opposed to doing back breaking labor.

[bixaorellana]

Oct 27, 2020 14:43:00 GMT casimira said:

Everyone has "hurricane fatigue" because of all the near hits and misses this season.

One of my cousins in New Orleans posted on FB that she "wants to unsubscribe from the Hurricane of the Week Club".

Oct 27, 2020 14:43:00 GMT casimira said:

we wanted to celebrate our wedding anniversary as opposed to doing back breaking labor.

That's nice. Many people consider marriage backbreaking labor.

[casimira]

Your cousin is "spot on" with that declaration.
At least we don't have to stock up on provisions save a few items. We have so many left from all the previous storms.


 regarding that take on long term marriages!

[Kimby]

Fingers crossed for you and T, casi.

Good luck tomorrow!

[kerouac2]

Clearly a direct hit on New Orleans this time. Hold on, casimira!

[Kimby]

Ladndfall at Cocodrie, as a strong Cat 2, I hear.

[bixaorellana]

Power out for over 80% of NO residents, with more than 200 trees down. Really bad for other parts of the Gulf:
The storm unleashed wind gusts over 100 mph in both coastal Louisiana and Mississippi and the high winds cut power to over 800,000 customers in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama.
Coastal Mississippi was also subject to a storm surge that raised water levels 9 feet above normally dry land at the coast resulting in severe inundation.

source: Washington Post -- full article:

SPOILER: Click to show

{Spoiler}By
Andrew Freedman,
Matthew Cappucci,
Paulina Villegas and
Jason Samenow
Oct. 28, 2020 at 9:45 p.m. CST
As the latest overachieving storm in an unforgiving and record-setting season, Hurricane Zeta roared ashore southeast Louisiana Wednesday afternoon. The powerful Category 2 hurricane, which struck near Cocodrie, La., intensified right up until landfall, defying earlier forecasts for a substantially weaker storm.

Shortly after crossing the coast, Zeta slammed into New Orleans, its eye moving directly over the city, cutting power to more than 80 percent of its residents. City officials said more than 200 trees were down across the city and that one man, electrocuted by downed power lines, died, according to the Associated Press.

The storm unleashed wind gusts over 100 mph in both coastal Louisiana and Mississippi and the high winds cut power to over 800,000 customers in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama.

Coastal Mississippi was also subject to a storm surge that raised water levels 9 feet above normally dry land at the coast resulting in severe inundation.

Zeta is now poised to race through central Alabama, northern Georgia, and the Mid-Atlantic, covering 1,250 miles through Thursday evening. Damaging winds could stretch into interior parts of Georgia, where gusts to 50 mph are forecast in Atlanta.

Torrential rain is expected all along its path, with widespread amounts of 2 to 4 inches and locally up to half a foot. Some flooding is likely.

[bixaorellana]

This is right around the corner from Casimira's house ~

[mickthecactus]

Oh gosh! I hope she's ok.

[onlyMark]

It appears to be a rather amateur and literal version of the Transformers franchise.

[bixaorellana]

Mick, as of 7 am today, about 115,600 households were without power in Orleans Parish where Casimira lives. I have been checking via facebook on friends & family in Louisiana. I've heard back from one person in New Orleans, saying he was okay. A neighbor of Casimira reports that they (assuming "they" means the immediate area) are stuck with cellular internet for the time being. I'm thinking she is okay, but doesn't have electricity.

www.nola.com/news/hurricane/article_9f9f5ee2-19ec-11eb-92ea-3f037e54a46c.html

[casimira]

It was pretty hairy I have to say. 
I have never experienced winds like that ever and, I have lived here since 1978. Prior to that, I lived in a coastal hurricane prone area.
We lost power @ 5:00 pm Wednesday and it went downhill from there well into the night.
At one point as the eye was passing over and all was calm, a few of our neighbors and us took a brief stroll.
We saw that car with the transformer on the roof that Bixa posted . The owner had just parked the car 30 minutes prior to there from around the corner thinking it would be safer than were she had it parked under some trees. Wrong...
That telephone pole snapped from it's base like a matchstick!

Our electric power was restored @ 6pm last evening and wifi was back up by early a.m. today.
We really lucked out because we have neighbors and businesses just around the corner still without power. The same goes for thousands of households and businesses throughout the metro area.

The garden looks like a warzone but no major downed trees or fences.

And, for the record, I can now say that I have seen a lemon fly! Who knew they could do that? (maybe Mark has)

Thanks for the kind words good people.