WEATHER ALERT
Brazil’s Rio Grande do Sul faces economic woes after floods, and an unclear path to rebuilding
Read full article: Brazil’s Rio Grande do Sul faces economic woes after floods, and an unclear path to rebuildingFlooding in Brazil’s Rio Grande do Sul state ravaged nearly everything needed for economic activity, from local shops to factories, farms and ranches.
Branford Marsalis is the new artistic director at New Orleans music center named for his father
Read full article: Branford Marsalis is the new artistic director at New Orleans music center named for his fatherAward-winning musician Branford Marsalis is taking on a new job in his hometown of New Orleans.
Children of climate change come of age in 'Katrina Babies'
Read full article: Children of climate change come of age in 'Katrina Babies'A new documentary, “Katrina Babies,” looks at how a generation of New Orleans residents coming of age after Hurricane Katrina, are reconciling with the catastrophic storm that transformed their lives.
Brad Pitt foundation reaches settlement over Louisiana homes
Read full article: Brad Pitt foundation reaches settlement over Louisiana homesBrad Pitt’s Make It Right Foundation and homeowners of the houses built by the program, in an area of New Orleans hit hard by Hurricane Katrina have reached a more than $20 million settlement.
Jacksonville will play host to Saints-Packers game on Sept. 12
Read full article: Jacksonville will play host to Saints-Packers game on Sept. 12The New Orleans Saints are marching into Jacksonville for their season opener against the Packers after being displaced by Hurricane Ida, and the River City is ready.
New Orleans levees pass Ida's test while some suburbs flood
Read full article: New Orleans levees pass Ida's test while some suburbs floodThe levees, floodwalls and floodgates that protect New Orleans held up against Hurricane Ida’s fury, but costly upgrades to the city's flood protection system couldn't spare some neighboring communities from the rising water.
‘The biggest concern is flooding’: New Orleans family flees from Hurricane Ida
Read full article: ‘The biggest concern is flooding’: New Orleans family flees from Hurricane IdaSome people who evacuated New Orleans ahead of Hurricane Ida fear that when they return home, nothing will be as they remembered it.
Hurricane Ida makes landfall in Louisiana on same date Katrina did 16 years earlier
Read full article: Hurricane Ida makes landfall in Louisiana on same date Katrina did 16 years earlierCategory 4 Hurricane Ida made landfall in Louisiana on Sunday -- the same calendar date, Aug. 29, as Category 3 Katrina did 16 years ago.
Louisiana residents scramble to prepare as potentially devastating hurricane approaches
Read full article: Louisiana residents scramble to prepare as potentially devastating hurricane approachesHurricane Ida struck Cuba on Friday and threatened to slam into Louisiana with devastating force over the weekend, prompting evacuations in New Orleans and across the coastal region.
Grief, anger, disbelief: Trump voters face Biden's victory
Read full article: Grief, anger, disbelief: Trump voters face Biden's victoryStill, any fragment of possibility is enough for some Trump supporters to reject reality, feel aggrieved and rebuff Biden's calls for unity. Several Trump supporters interviewed by The Associated Press in recent days were rankled by widespread celebrations of Biden's win in liberal cities. They saw hypocrisy in the public, outdoor gatherings after Democrats condemned Trump supporters for attending big rallies — some were held indoors — during the coronavirus pandemic. Piotrowski, like many Trump supporters, wants to see Trump’s legal challenges continue. Unlike many Trump supporters, Michelle Sassouni wasn't shocked by the outcome of the election or the aftermath.
'Sigh of relief': Sally spares a Mississippi gator ranch
Read full article: 'Sigh of relief': Sally spares a Mississippi gator ranch– As rain and wind from Sally starting reaching the Gulf Coast, the manager of a Mississippi alligator ranch was just hoping he wouldn’t have to deal with a repeat of what happened during Hurricane Katrina. That’s when about 250 alligators escaped their enclosures as storm surge pushed water over the grounds. “I’m thinking a sigh of relief somewhat,” said manager Tim Parker, who took over Gulf Coast Gator Ranch & Tours after Katrina. As the hurricane moved east of Mississippi, the surge forecast was reduced to no more than 4 feet (1.2 meters). Parker’s farm has alligators up to 14 feet long, roaming and swimming through ponds, sand dunes and tall marsh grass.
Fierce storm surge feared as Laura bears down on Gulf Coast
Read full article: Fierce storm surge feared as Laura bears down on Gulf CoastA girl wades towards her flooded home the day after the passing of Tropical Storm Laura in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Monday, Aug. 24, 2020. Laura battered the Dominican Republic and Haiti on it's way to the U.S. Gulf Coast, where forecaster fear it could become a major hurricane. Now forecasters are turning their attention the Gulf Coast, where up to 11 feet (3.4 meters) of sea water storm surge could inundate the coastline from High Island in Texas to Morgan City, Louisiana, the hurricane center said. Hurricane Rita then struck southwest Louisiana that Sept. 24 as a Category 3 storm. We might have dodged a bullet with Marco, and obviously some people along the Gulf Coast are not going to be as blessed as us.___Martin reported from Marietta, Georgia.
How hurricanes can impact red tides
Read full article: How hurricanes can impact red tidesJACKSONVILLE, Fla. Red tides result in smelly fish kills that often show up in the summer through fall and can be especially irritating for people near affected areas. When hurricanes churn with red tide, outcomes can be mixed sometimes exacerbating red tide or ending it altogether. Gradients between salty and less saline lighter water can concentrate red tide when hurricanes dump rain. While some oceanographers suspect rain runoff laden with pollution or sewage may boost red tides, there is agreement that nutrients play a significant role in generating red tide outbreaks. Red tides are suppressed when deeper ocean currents push nutrients toward shore in spring to summer months, where fast growing microscopic plants can prevail over the slower growing red tide organisms.
Contract approved to start $450 million Superdome overhaul
Read full article: Contract approved to start $450 million Superdome overhaulNEW ORLEANS, LA – The state board that oversees Louisiana’s Superdome approved a contract Thursday for the first phase of a $450 million renovation of the 44-year-old New Orleans landmark that became a symbol of the city’s rebirth following Hurricane Katrina. The unanimous vote by the Louisiana Stadium and Exposition District was to approve a $53 million contract for initial work on the stadium upgrade. The Saints are to put up $150 million and the district is to pay $210 million. The dome has been the home of the New Orleans Saints since opening in 1975. John Bel Edwards' efforts for a new state contract with the Saints aimed at keeping the team in New Orleans through 2015.
How do hospitals prepare for hurricanes?
Read full article: How do hospitals prepare for hurricanes?Hospitals plan for catastrophic events, but there are always lessons to be learned. Planning is paramountEach hospital is required to have an emergency plan, usually approved by the hospital's accrediting body. One of the most difficult decisions facing a hospital's leadership team as it prepares to face a storm is the decision to evacuate some or all of the hospital's patients. Hospital staff prepare the hospital to weather a storm. In the aftermath of a disaster, hospitals may suffer power loss.
Barry makes landfall in Louisiana, then weakens back into a tropical storm
Read full article: Barry makes landfall in Louisiana, then weakens back into a tropical stormNEW ORLEANS - Barry made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane early Saturday afternoon along Louisiana's central coast, then immediately weakened back into a tropical storm, according to the National Hurricane Center. But it was the rainfall that always posed the greatest threat, regardless of whether the storm was a hurricane or a tropical storm. And a tropical storm warning was discontinued for anyone east of the mouth of the Mississippi River. Storm surge warnings along the coast extended from Intracoastal City, south of Lafayette, to Biloxi, Mississippi, and along Lake Pontchartrain. For the first time since their construction, all major floodgates on the Mississippi River are closed, he added.
7 things to know about Tropical Storm Barry
Read full article: 7 things to know about Tropical Storm BarryTropical Storm Barry is now threatening to blow ashore as a hurricane, packing drenching rains "that could test the flood-control improvements made in New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina 14 years ago," the Associated Press said Thursday. The tropical storm formed off the coast of Louisiana earlier in the day. This could be bad for the Mississippi River. The @nwslmrfc has lowered the forecast for the Mississippi River at New Orleans to 19ft. Mandatory evacuations were ordered for people living near the Mississippi River at Louisianas southeastern tip.
Why New Orleans is vulnerable to flooding: It's sinking
Read full article: Why New Orleans is vulnerable to flooding: It's sinkingSean Gardner/Getty Images(CNN) - New Orleans was built above sea level, but over time, it's been sinking. And from Hurricane Katrina in 2005 to threats of flooding this week, a few facts on -- and in -- the ground explain why the Big Easy is uniquely vulnerable to massive flooding. Settlers who got the best land were able to build only about 10 feet above sea level. By the 1930s, one-third of the city was below sea level, according to the New Orleans Times-Picayune. Scientists found that the ground in the area was sinking at a rate of 1 centimeter a year.
Birthday quiz: Voyaging forth
Read full article: Birthday quiz: Voyaging forthSinger Harry Connick Jr. testifies during a hearing on Hurricane Katrina relief before the Senate Finance Committee in October 2005. Distributed by LAKANA. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
On this day: August 29
Read full article: On this day: August 292005: Hurricane Katrina makes landfall as a Category 3 hurricane in southeast Louisiana. Katrina would go on to devastate much of the U.S. Gulf Coast from Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle, killing more than 1,836 and causing more than $80 billion in damage. The most significant number of deaths occurred in New Orleans, which flooded after the city's levee system catastrophically failed, in many cases hours after the storm had moved inland. Hide Caption