Louisiana’s Terrebonne Parish — jutting out into the Gulf of Mexico — has seen more than its share of hurricanes, but never two at the same time.
On Friday, the parish was in the forecast cones for Tropical Storm Laura and Tropical Depression 14.
Like some kind of cosmic joke of a Venn diagram, the two cones overlapped over the community of Chauvin, about 45 miles southwest of New Orleans. The forecast Friday morning had both storms at hurricane strength when they reach the coast.
"In my 14 years here, I've never seen anything like this," Terrebonne Parish Sheriff Tim Soignet told weather.com.
(MORE: When Was the Last Time Two Hurricanes Hit the Mainland at the Same Time?)
"I'm not going to say I'm not worried," Soignet said. "This isn't our first rodeo, but we can never take anything for granted. We have to be prepared for what's thrown at us."
Michelle Kurtz is the manager of the Piggly Wiggly grocery store in Chauvin. She said customers at the store Friday morning didn't seem too concerned about the two cones.
"We're so used to having hurricanes," Kurtz said, adding that the coronavirus pandemic has made it tougher to stock up on emergency supplies.
(MORE: Tropical Storm Laura May Threaten Florida, Gulf Coast Next Week)
She said she hoped to hear in a day or two that the cones had shifted.
That's highly likely, according to weather.com meteorologist Ari Sarsalari.
"Chauvin, Louisiana ... you're not going to get hit by two hurricanes at the same time. That would be impossible," Sarsalari said.
If two hurricanes were that close together, one would most likely take over the other, he explained.
The cones, Sarsalari said, show the full expanse of area the center of a hurricane could take. The odds of two hurricanes taking perfect tracks within their own cones so that they end up in the same place would be astronomical.
(MORE: Tropical Depression Fourteen Is a Threat to Texas, Louisiana Next Week)
But until Chauvin and Terrebonne Parish are completely clear of both cones, Sheriff Soignet said, preparations have to continue.
Locks are being closed on the waterways in a method aimed at emptying as much water as possible from the parish, he said. Sandbags are being distributed and high-water rescue vehicles are on standby.
"We're doing everything we can to be ready," Soignet said.
The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.
The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.
No comments:
Post a Comment