The power went out just as I was getting organized to write tonight’s News. If it comes back on before midnight I’ll take care of business. If not, I’ll do something tomorrow morning or whenever we get power again. Anyway, it’d be more stuff on Ida.
Stay safe.
And we’re back. A transformer blew last night but the good folks at Tombigbee Electric were on the spot. I just happened to have already gone to sleep, but what are you going to do. We got a lot of wind and plenty of rain, but best I can tell, that’s the worst Northeast Mississippi took as Ida passed over us.
The southern part of the state saw worse, with some flash flooding, some storm surges, and some bridges and roads washed away. That seems to be the same story Alabama and Georgia are reporting. A few deaths due to the washed-out roads and falling trees, but relatively tame, thank goodness. Folks in Pascagoula required rescue from rapidly rising waters. The Category 4 has downgraded to a tropical depression, which still presents a danger for folks up the East Coast. If that includes you, hope you paid attention.
Louisiana, unfortunately, got the shit kicked out of it. The storm was considered not quite as powerful as Katrina but it did hang around longer than would be desired, as it was a very slow-moving storm. Again, thankfully, initial death reports are low but there is the worry that could rise as people start picking through the mess. Before we get too deep into it, here’s a good Twitter thread about places to give/get help and here’s an excellent webpage for the same.
Unlike Katrina, the levees held so New Orleans was saved from the devastation that the previous storm brought. That being said, it was bad enough. One of the main transformers fell into the Mississippi River due to the wind and brought with it eight transmission lines. That knocked out power for over a million people across Louisiana and Mississippi, including the entire city of New Orleans. I’ve been there during the brief power outage after Hurricane Isaac and, believe you me, that’s creepy as hell.
Worse, it’s going to be a while before they can get the lights back on. The local power concern, Entergy, says they have to assess the damage before they can start and as of right now, people are still trapped in their homes because of the debris. Indeed, Emergency Medical Service was suspended during the storm due to the wind danger. It will be a couple of days, then, before power crews can even begin to work on getting everyone back online. Indeed, it’s just too early to tell, but unless I had good reason to be there, I’d spend a couple of days outside of New Orleans at least until they get things cleaned up.
The storm affected areas upriver worse, including a town called LaPlace. It’s not quite 45 minutes on I-10 and was spared the worst the last couple of storms. Not this time, as rapid flooding put a lot of lives in danger and made the Cajun Navy work for it. People would head for their attics due to flooding only for the waters to get so high that was dangerous. More than a few people had to be cut out of their homes before evacuation.
The big worries officials had concerned how the effects of the storm would have on the already stressed medical system. Both Mississippi and Louisiana are in dire straights due to the latest COVID surge, with Mississippi having the highest spread in the country and a governor that doesn’t give a shit about us. We’ve seemingly dodged a bullet, but Louisiana has a ways to go before they can even start seeing how bad off they are. A number of hospitals lost power or were damaged by the high winds – or both – and experts expect a noticeable surge caused by rescue and relief efforts.
But right now, it’s simply too big a clutter to really get a grasp on things. Hurricanes are nothing new to South Louisiana, of course. They’re a tough bunch, but they’ll always take a little hand when it’s offered.
Dear Y'all 