Tag Archives: Waveland

Powerful Hurricane Ida Hits Southeast Louisiana

Powerful Hurricane Ida hit southeast Louisiana on Sunday. At 2:00 p.m. EDT on Sunday the center of Hurricane Ida was located at latitude 29.2°N and longitude 90.3°W which put it about 35 miles (55 km) southeast of Houma, Louisiana. Ida was moving toward the northwest at 13 m.p.h. (20 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 150 m.p.h. (240 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 180 m.p.h. (290 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 930 mb.

A Hurricane Warning was in effect for the portion of the coast from Intracoastal City, Louisiana to the Mouth of the Pearl River. The Hurricane Warning included New Orleans, Lake Pontchartrain and Lake Maurepas. Tropical Storm Warnings were in effect for the portions of the coast from Cameron, Louisiana to Intracoastal City and from the Mouth of the Pearl River to the Alabama/Florida Line.

According to the National Hurricane Center the center of Hurricane Ida made landfall near Port Fourchon, Louisiana. That location was about 60 miles (95 km) south of New Orleans, about 15 miles southwest of Grand Isle, and about 45 miles southeast of Houma. Ida rapidly intensified to Category 4 on the Saffir-Simpson Scale as it approached the coast. The maximum sustained wind speed was 150 m.p.h. (240 km/h) at the time of landfall. The Hurricane Intensity Index (HII) for Hurricane Ida was 31.5. The Hurricane Size Index (HSI) was 15.3 and the Hurricane Wind Intensity Size Index (HWISI) was 46.8. Hurricane Ida was as intense as Hurricane Laura was in 2020. Ida was a little smaller than Laura was.

A weather station at Southwest Pass with an anemometer 125 feet (38 meters) above the station measured a sustained wind speed of 105 m.p.h. (169 km/h) and a wind gust of 121 m.p.h. (195 km/h). A weather station at Pilot’s Station with an anemometer 20 meters above the surface measured a sustained wind speed of 106 m.p.h. (170 km/h) and a wind gust of 128 m.p.h. (205 km/h). Southeasterly winds blowing around the eastern side of Hurricane Ida were pushing water toward the coast. Gauges at Shell Beach, Louisiana and the Waveland Mississippi Yacht Club both measured water level rises of approximately 7 feet (2 meters). Widespread power outages were reported around New Orleans.

Hurricane Ida will move slowly inland during the rest of Sunday. Ida will weaken gradually because it will be moving over a relatively flat surface that includes marshes and bayous. The center of Hurricane Ida will be near Houma, Louisiana in a few hours. Strong southeasterly winds will continue to push water toward the coast and the storm surge will continue until Hurricane Ida moves farther inland and weakens. A Storm Surge Warning is in effect for the portion of the coast from Intracoastal City, Louisiana to the Alabama/Florida border. The Storm Surge Warning includes Lake Pontchartrain, Lake Maurepas, Lake Borgne and Mobile Bay. Ida will pass near Baton Rouge on Sunday night. Hurricane Ida could produce hurricane force wind gusts near New Orleans and Baton Rouge. More widespread power outages could occur over southeast Louisiana. Ida will move northeast over Mississippi on Monday. It will drop locally heavy rain over eastern Louisiana, Mississippi, western Alabama and southwestern Tennessee. Flash Flood Watches have been issued for those locations.

Tropical Storm Cristobal Causes Storm Surge on Gulf Coast

Tropical Storm Cristobal caused a storm surge on the Gulf Coast on Sunday.  At 11:00 p.m. EDT on Sunday the center of Tropical Storm Cristobal was located at latitude 30.3°N and longitude 90.2°W which put it about 20 miles (30 km) north-northwest of New Orleans, Louisiana.  Cristobal was moving toward the north-northwest at 10 m.p.h. (16 km/h).  The maximum sustained wind speed was 45 m.p.h. (75 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 60 m.p.h. (95 km/h).  The minimum surface pressure was 993 mb.

A Tropical Storm Warning remained in effect for the portion of the coast from Morgan City, Louisiana to the Okaloosa/Walton County Line in Florida.

The large circulation around Tropical Storm Cristobal blew water toward the northern coast of the Gulf of Mexico on Sunday.  The wind produced a rise in the water level from northwest Florida to southeast Louisiana.  The highest storm surges occurred along the coast of Mississippi and southeast Louisiana.  The water level reached 7.47 feet (2.28 m) at the Waveland Yacht Club in Mississippi.  The storm surge was 7.62 feet (2.32 m) at Shell Beach in Louisiana.  The storm surge covered coastal roads in Grand Isle, Louisiana and Biloxi, Mississippi.

The broad center of Tropical Storm Cristobal passed across the Lower Mississippi River delta on Sunday afternoon before it moved over New Orleans.  Cristobal began to weaken slowly as it moved inland.  Winds to tropical storm force were still occurring in the southeastern part of the circulation which was still over the Gulf of Mexico.  Most of the rain was falling in bands on the northern side of Tropical Storm Cristobal.  Locally heavy rain fell over Northwest Florida, Southwest Alabama, Southern Mississippi and Southeastern Louisiana.

Tropical Storm Cristobal will move around the western end of a subtropical high pressure system over the western Atlantic Ocean.  The high will steer Cristobal toward the north during the next several days.  On its anticipated track Tropical Storm Cristobal will move over Louisiana and Arkansas on Monday.  Cristobal will continue to weaken slowly as it moves farther inland.  Tropical Storm Cristobal will drop locally heavy rain over parts of Mississippi, eastern Louisiana, Arkansas and Missouri.  Flood Watches have been issued for some of those areas.