Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Tropical Storm Nate drenches Central America
U.S. Gulf Coast states on high alert
Louisiana and Mississippi officials declared states of emergency, and Louisiana ordered some people to evacuate coastal areas and barrier islands ahead of its expected landfall in the U.S. tonight or early Sunday.
Tropical Storm Nate gained strength Friday as it sped toward Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula after drenching Central America in rain that was blamed for at least 21 deaths. Forecasters said Nate was likely to reach the U.S. Gulf Coast as a hurricane over the weekend.
Louisiana and Mississippi officials declared states of emergency, and Louisiana ordered some people to evacuate coastal areas and barrier islands ahead of its expected landfall in the U.S. tonight or early Sunday. Evacuations began at some offshore oil platforms in the Gulf.
Mississippi’s government said it would open 11 evacuation shelters in areas away from the immediate coast, with buses available for people who can’t drive.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center warned that Nate could raise sea levels by 4-7 feet from Morgan City, La., to the Alabama-Florida border. It already caused deadly flooding in much of Central America.
The storm had maximum sustained winds of 60 mph by Friday afternoon and was likely to strengthen over the northwestern Caribbean Sea before a possible strike on the Cancun region at the tip of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. It could hit the U.S. Gulf Coast near New Orleans.
Friday afternoon, the storm was about 80 miles east of the Mexican resort island of Cozumel and had accelerated its north-northwest movement to 21 mph.
In Nicaragua, Nate’s arrival followed two weeks of near-constant rain that left the ground saturated and rivers swollen. Authorities placed the whole country on alert, and warned of flooding and landslides.
Nicaragua’s vice president and spokesman, Rosario Murillo, said at least 11 people had died in that country because of the storm. On Thursday, she said 15 people had died but later revised that to say some of those were still counted as missing. She didn’t give details on all the deaths, but said two women and a man who worked for the Health Ministry were swept away by a flooded canal in the central municipality of Juigalpa.
Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigation Organism blamed the storm for seven deaths in that country and said 15 people were missing. Flooding drove 5,000 residents into emergency shelters.
In Honduras, there were three dead and three missing, according to Oscar Triminio, spokesman for the country’s firefighters.
Damage caused by the storm prompted Costa Rican officials to postpone a World Cup qualifying soccer match between that country and Honduras, which had been scheduled for Friday night.
In Louisiana, Gov. John Bel Edwards declared a state of emergency and mobilized 1,300 National Guard troops, with 15 headed to New Orleans to monitor the fragile pumping system there.
With forecasts projecting landfall in southeast Louisiana as a Category 1 hurricane, Edwards urged residents to prepare for rainfall, storm surge and severe winds — and to be where they intend to hunker down by “dark on Saturday.”
Louisiana’s governor said Nate is forecast to move quickly, rather than stall and drop tremendous amounts of rain on the state. State officials hope that means New Orleans won’t run into problems with its pumps being able to handle the water.
“That’s now a thought in everybody who lives in New Orleans,” said Devin Shearman, a manager at Katie’s restaurant and lounge, which flooded during a rainstorm Aug. 5. That storm was one of two that produced flash floods this summer that led to revelations about personnel and equipment problems at the New Orleans Sewerage and Water Board, the agency that runs the pumping system that drains the city.
After the Aug. 5 revelations, the agency’s executive director, Cedric Grant, resigned. New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu announced the appointment of a new six-member emergency team to run the agency, make immediate upgrades and recommend long-term changes.
As of Thursday, city officials said, 108 of 120 pumps and 26 power generators were in place to back up working turbines. Also, the city said efforts to clean thousands of street catch basins had been stepped up, with vacuum trucks dispatched to various areas to remove thick mud and debris.
Edwards warned, however, against underestimating the storm.
The National Hurricane Center issued a hurricane warning from Grand Isle, La., to the Alabama-Florida border.
Officials ordered the evacuation of part of coastal St. Bernard Parish east of New Orleans ahead of the storm. Earlier Thursday, a voluntary evacuation was called in the barrier island town of Grand Isle south of New Orleans.