Ron Brackett
Mandatory evacuation orders have been issued for parts of Southeast Louisiana as Zeta takes aim at the Gulf Coast, threatening communities that have already come under threat several times this year.
Residents in Grand Isle, a tiny barrier island town two hours south of New Orleans, were once again told to leave their homes. It's the fifth time evacuations have been ordered there this year. Most of the 1,400 or so people who live year round in Grand Isle left on Tuesday afternoon, according to WVUE-TV.
Terrebonne Parish officials ordered residents south of the Morganza to the Gulf levee system to evacuate ahead of the storm. The order goes into effect at 10 a.m. Wednesday. Neighboring Lafourche Parish issued a similar order for all residents and businesses south of the Leon Theriot Floodgate and other low-lying areas in the parish.
Mississippi is also on alert. The state emergency management agency announced Tuesday that shelters would open in Jackson, Hancock, Pearl River and Stone counties. A voluntary evacuation was issued in low-lying areas of Hancock County.
(MORE: Zeta's Projected Path, Model Tracks and More)
Zeta could potentially be the fifth tropical system to make landfall in the state this hurricane season. It marks the seventh time the state has been in a forecast cone.
“We’ve done this six times before by my count, this will be number seven. It’s just as serious as when we started this this season with Cristobal," New Orlean's Emergency Management Director Collin Arnold told WVUE. "We have to keep our guard up. We have to stay weather aware.”
Schools are closed Wednesday in New Orleans and several other parishes. In some cases, learning will shift to virtual models put in place as part of the response to the coronavirus pandemic.5
Gov. John Bel Edwards has issued yet another state of emergency in advance of Zeta, which is forecast to be a hurricane when it makes landfall Wednesday.
A hurricane warning extends from Morgan City, Louisiana, to the Mississippi/Alabama border.
“While there is some uncertainty in Zeta’s track, it is likely that Louisiana will see some impacts from this storm, and the people of our state need to take it seriously. It’s easy to let your guard down late in the hurricane season, but that would be a huge mistake,” Gov. Edwards said in a statement.
The hurricane warning applies to New Orleans, which is also under a storm surge warning.
The city's Sewerage & Water Board said one of the four main turbines that power many of New Orleans' huge drainage pumps is not working. It won't be available to pump out water from Zeta.
"This means areas that normally flood during heavy rain events could take longer to drain, depending on rain intensity and coverage," the agency said in a statement.
Turbine 4 failed during a rainstorm in June and some neighborhoods saw floodwaters 3 feet deep, nola.com reported.
The board said it still has additional power available from five large diesel generators.
New Orleans has called for voluntary evacuations in areas outside the levee system, including Irish Bayou, Venetian Isles and Lake Catherine. Those people should leave beginning at 6 p.m. Tuesday.
(MORE: What Happens When Zeta and Winter Storm Billy Collide?)
Jefferson Parish issued a voluntary evacuation that takes effect at 4 p.m. Tuesday for the town of Jean Lafitte, Lower Lafitte, Crown Point and Barataria.
Plaquemines Parish has called for voluntary evacuations to begin at 8 a.m. Wednesday for the entire East Bank of the parish and the West Bank from Phillips 66 Alliance Refinery to Venice.
Many of the parishes in Southeast Louisiana were making sandbags available to residents.
The Lafourche Parish School Board said all schools and offices would be closed on Wednesday, but online learning will be offered if power doesn't go out.
“It’s getting a little old, they get tired of hearing these messages and me as the parish president saying the same thing but again this is the time to stay weather aware,” Lafourche Parish President Archie Chaisson told WVUE.
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.
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