After leaving FOX 8 and driving to my home in Metairie it was obvious that recovery will be in days and not weeks. the main issue is power, but I'm staying at my son's home tonight in Metairie & power came back on about 8 PM. There are few power poles down in Orleans & Jefferson so restoring power should come rather quickly. I haven't heard a thing about Lafitte but was told the surge at Grand Isle was about 10' and the damage to the island was minor. It's a different story in LaFourche & Terrebonne parishes where wind damage was more extensive since they were closer to the eye of the storm.
So when can you come home? Not tomorrow since that's the day power will be restored to most areas. St. Tammany had 78% of homes without power & Washington Parish was 100% without Power. I believe some parishes will allow a return on Wednesday with full return for everyone on Thursday. When I know more I'll let you know. Keep checking FOX 8live.com for the latest. The Mississippi Gulf coast also lost power & water was up onto Highway 90. The Long Beach Yacht harbor suffered major damage once again with a large sailboat up on the Highway. Water was over the seawall in Mandeville, but it was much less than in Katrina. All in all, this storm proved that the levees do work. Is there more work for the Corps of Engineers to do? Absolutely! But we are getting close to where you can feel confident that most hurricanes will not flood us out and we can come back home to live. Worry about Ike caveman? I'm still trying to forget all the hysteria written about Gustav. Appreciate your comments.
10 comments:
Bob,
Thank you so much for your updates! It's nice to see that a metorologist can be cautious but optimistic, as you are. So many other meteorologists seem to feed off of the "panic factor" by predicting the very worst that could happen. That doesn't help anything, in my opinion. When I'm already in a panic, the last thing I need to hear is a metorologist on tv saying that a storm "could be" a Cat 5, when it is not 100% likely. So, anyway, thank you for telling it like it is and being comforting at the same time and by looking on the "bright side". I've watched you since I was a little kid.
-Marielle
Bob, I truly appreciate your ability to cut through all the nonsense and to tell the public how it is, good or bad.
It looks like the National Hurricane Center nailed this one again, at least as far as the track is concerned.
Bob
Thanks so much for educating us about Hurricanes ! As I sat and watched Gustav approaching our coast, the only thing I could think about was the eye of the storm. Upon glancing at a few loops I realized ..... IT SIMPLY WAS NOT A WELL DEFINED EYE. Which meant that the storm was weakening as it approached our coast. Believe it or not thats something I learned as a kid watching you forecast Juan and Elena. As a matter of fact Juan sat on the mouth of the Miss for hours before deciding to make landfall. No one panicked we all sat there prepared for the worst. You wanna know why , we didnt have the big boys broadcasting. It was you Dan, Margaret and Nash. Nowadays the news is so dramatized almost as if to stir fear and terror amongst us. If I had to listen to the Cnn's and all the national broadcasters( who report news not necessarily know hurricanes) by now I would have had several heart attacks along with a few nervous breakdowns since the whole thing started Wednesday. Bob, you do your job well and for so many of us its an honor to have you as our meteorologist in the NOLA area..............
Thanks Bob. You are amazing and I appreciate you continuing to refuse to HYPE the storm. Can I assume that you have some sort of code? When you say that "prepared" people can stay, does that mean that you are pretty comfortable that the storm is going to weaken and/or effect the city minimally? Hell, I'd rather be one of those "prepared" people than spend 20 hours going 300 miles. I have a solid brick house 4 blocks from the river. I think I'll get a generator or invest $10K in a gas generator system and just avoid the hastle. If the National Guard and the NO Police will protect me from the thugs, I'd just as soon stay put through a CAT 1-3.
Bob,
Greetings from Scranton,Pa. though I was very far from the fray I thouroughly enjoyed your astute coverage of Gustave...I'm 51years young and have always been fascinated with the weather. Personally, I experienced Hurricane Agnes in our area back in 1972. What a weird storm it was. And the Susquehanna River here was to say the least "voracious!" Keep up the fantastic work you do. I feel as though I was a New Orleanite for the past few days. And I am glad things worked out down there with the levees. Take good care-Bob Merc
Bob,
I've always been a great fan.
You were kind to my son who is very small, showing him by example that height is not important. From now on, I will listen only to you, as you were right on the money. I look forward to your info on Ike. My family is tired and ready to come home ASAP.
Janet
Bob, you rock!
Thanks for all that you do...
At my home in Abita Springs, we got 7.96 inches of rain, 5.96 of which fell after 8 pm last night. Pressure got down to 744 mb as per my home weather station. Lots of trees down on HWY 36 last night, going home from Slidell. Over all, not bad at all on the Northshore.
Hope all of yours were safe and sound....
Stormzz
Bob,
I, like most of the populous of New Orleans, have grown up watching you deliver honest, candid and responsible weather reporting. It is always a pleasure to know that there are still some professionals who never lose sight of the people and communities that they serve.
Thanks for all you have done during Gustav to keep us not only entertained and updated on TV, but also taking your personal time to update your blog. It is truly appreciated.
Cheers,
-Andy
744 mb! highly doubt that...
Hey Bob,
One more thing I neglected to mention in my first comment...I watch your thesis as it were(man, I sound like John Snell now!)about global warming that you did in 2007 at Loyola U New Orleans College of Law and you hit the nail on the head! The government is pushing REAL HARD for a Co2 kind of tariff...the thing that worries me is that it is to fund a private agenda.I especially enjoyed the pictures you showed about where these so-called "atmospheric sensors" were placed and your take on how man could possibly be involved in the other planets experiencing their own global-warming and how it could be OUR fault. Not only as I averred to in my first post are you a great meterologist...you are a great speaker as well. Even though I am in Pa. I will link your blog at mine. I do a live sports-talk internet radio show since 2005...I am crippled from the affects of rheumatoid-arthritis...but I have a nice studio from home I broadcast from. Perhaps some day I can have you on as a guest if you like sports. Best regards, Bob Merc spasportsshift@hotmail.com
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