Tropical storm Nate weakens but rain and floods will continue
A fast-moving hurricane called Nate caused flooding and power failures on the United States Gulf coast early yesterday after it made landfall near the town of Biloxi in Mississippi – the first hurricane to make landfall in the state since Katrina devastated the region 12 years ago.
The storm hit Mississippi as a Category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained winds near 140kph but weakened later to a tropical storm as it moved inland, the US national hurricane centre in Miami said.
More than 100,000 residents in Mississippi and Alabama were without power after the arrival of Nate but no deaths or injuries were reported early yesterday. Authorities were beginning to assess the storm’s effect but most areas in Nate’s path seem to have avoided major damage, including New Orleans.
Employees of the City of Biloxi were clearing debris on Highway 90, the main beachfront motorway, before dawn. Nate washed up sand and logs and even a large rubbish bin on to the four-lane motorway. Despite the debris, there was little visible damage to structures. A handful of businesses were reopening before dawn and the storm surge that washed across the road had receded by 6am.
The storm surge flooded the parking structure of the Golden Nugget casino in Biloxi but a city official said there were no immediate reports of flooding on the floors of any casinos.
“We are thankful because this looked like it was going to be a freight train barrelling through the city,” said Vincent Creel, a city spokesman.
Mississippi emergency management agency spokesman Greg Flynn said there were no immediate reports of storm-related deaths or injuries in the state. About 1,100 people spent the night in shelters. “Thankfully, right now we have no major damage reports,” he said.
Brian Adam, Hancock County’s emergency management agency’s director, said Nate’s storm surge flooded roads in low-lying areas but he had not heard any reports of flooded homes. “We turned out fairly good,” he said as he prepared to survey neighbourhoods. “Until we get out and actually get into some of the areas, we really won’t know.”
In Louisiana, fears that Nate would overwhelm the fragile pumping system of the city of New Orleans proved unfounded. The storm passed to the east of the city, sparing it of the most ferocious winds and storm surge. Mayor Mitch Landrieu on Saturday night lifted a curfew on the city known for all-night partying.
Nate has been steadily weakening since making first landfall in a sparsely populated area of Plaquemines Parish. Yesterday morning, it was about 155 kilometres west-south-west of Montgomery, Alabama, with maximum sustained winds of 75kph. Although the national hurricane centre in Miami said Nate was “rapidly weakening”, the misery associated with heavy rain was likely to persist over a wide area.
Today, Nate was expected to bring up to 150 millimetres of rain to the deep south, eastern Tennessee Valley and southern Appalachians. The Ohio Valley and central Appalachians could also get heavy rain, the hurricane centre said.
Nate’s powerful winds have knocked out power to more than 100,000 customers in Mississippi and Alabama but it did not have the intensity that other storms – Harvey, Irma and Jose – had during this busy hurricane season. Nate was the first hurricane-strength storm to make landfall in Mississippi since Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005, reducing thousands of beachfront homes and businesses to slabs.
In Alabama, the storm’s rising water flooded homes and cars on the coast and inundated at least one major thoroughfare in downtown Mobile. Storm surge also flooded Water Street in downtown Mobile and a ground-level causeway across Mobile Bay. Alabama traffic cameras showed water still standing on both those routes before dawn yesterday.
We turned out fairly good. Until we get out and actually get into some of the areas, we really won’t know BRIAN ADAM Hancock County emergency management agency