What's your weather?

[mamselle]

The whole city is dark, electricity-wise.

I had a cousin living near Lake Ponchartraine a long time ago.

I visited them in c. 1993, after a bad storm had gone through and their basement had flooded.

They moved back to Ohio the next year.

At some point, insurers are going to stop covering replacement costs for people who persist in returning to storm-cycle targets and those areas are going to be depopulated, I suspect.

A cultural loss in many ways, you can't just transplant the French Quarter--but a human gain in others, perhaps.

All good thoughts to those involved in rescue and caregiving now, however. I wonder if mask and vax requirements will be maintained on FEMA sites since they'd be covered by national-emergency status oversight mandates. I can't imagine anyone really wanting a receiving area the size of the Houston Astrodome to have the potential for becoming a Covid hotspot as well.

M.

[apl68]

All good thoughts to those involved in rescue and caregiving now, however. I wonder if mask and vax requirements will be maintained on FEMA sites since they'd be covered by national-emergency status oversight mandates. I can't imagine anyone really wanting a receiving area the size of the Houston Astrodome to have the potential for becoming a Covid hotspot as well.

According to a staff member with friends in Louisiana, the state has been encouraging people to ride out the storm at home as much as possible, rather than cluster in shelters where super-spreading is likely to occur.  Which may mean more people having to be rescued from flooded houses.  Evacuees have been bused to other cities, some out-of-state, for safekeeping, rather than trying to shelter in New Orleans.  Probably as good as solution as possible, considering New Orleans' manifest inability to provide even minimally-humane group shelters.

[apl68]

We ended up dodging the storms entirely here.  We just had moderate winds and a modest amount of rain.  My nieces down in Louisiana came through safely, though they will likely be without power for some time to come.  One just had a baby.  Her father (my brother) out of state somehow found an available motel room in an area some hours away that had power and has arranged to have her and the baby moved there for now.

One of our staff members has several utility workers in her family who are now in the disaster area trying to restore services.  It's an immense job, and conditions are still very dangerous.  There are fears that Louisiana's disastrous COVID situation will grow still worse, and will spread to neighboring states (Which are also already in bad shape).

[hmaria1609]

What's left of Ida is coming here to the metro Baltimore/DC area:
https://wtop.com/weather/2021/08/storms-expected-late-tuesday-as-remnants-of-ida-touches-down-in-dc-region/
Posted on WTOP Radio online (8/31/21)

[hmaria1609]

Update: flash flooding warnings and heavy overnight rain in the metro Baltimore/DC region
https://wtop.com/weather-news/2021/09/remnants-of-ida-bring-heavy-rain-flood-risk-to-dc-region/
Posted on WTOP Radio (9/1/21)

[Langue_doc]

Flash flood warnings have now been downgraded to watches. Thunderstorms for this evening and tonight. The rain that was forecast for this morning seems to have wandered off in another direction.

[apl68]

Evacuees in all available motel rooms locally.  I doubt there are many rooms available anywhere this side of Missouri.  After Katrina, our community had so many evacuees in dire circumstances that we mobilized a local relief effort that assisted about 200 of them in various ways.  At the moment the evacuees we have now seem not to need that assistance.  We'll see whether that changes in the days and weeks to come, depending on how long it takes to pull things in Louisiana together enough for people to go home.  The situation is nowhere near as dire in many ways as it was 16 years ago, of course, but it's still very bad.  It sounds like the power grid is going to have to be all but rebuilt in some places.  It could take weeks or months before some people get to go home.  I hope our local civic leaders are considering that a new local relief effort might still be necessary if our local evacuees start running short of funds.

[mamselle]

First it was gale warnings. Then it was just going to rain all day.

I don't think it's raining now, but I haven't looked out in a bit.

I don't think the weather really knows what it's doing today.

M.

[Langue_doc]

Flash flood warnings now and a tornado watch.

[ab_grp]

Hope you stay safe and dry, Langue_doc! That weather came up through my mom's area again.  More flooding and tornadoes.  I know things are even worse elsewhere.

Apl68, I had to reread that again... Katrina was 16 years ago! Of course, I knew it was in 2005.  I just hadn't realized so much time had passed.  I am sending all good wishes to the evacuees and everyone in the path of Ida.  I have found ways to contribute, but there is still much to deal with ahead, as you noted. 

[hmaria1609]

Update #2: The rain has moved out of the metro Baltimore/DC region but the risk of flash flooding remains:
https://wtop.com/weather-news/2021/09/remnants-of-ida-bring-heavy-rain-flood-risk-to-dc-region/
Also, it was confirmed 2 tornados touched down, one in Annapolis and one in Wicomico Co., MD.

Hope everyone is in a safe and dry place from this storm.

[Langue_doc]

I've been glued to the TV watching the aftermath of the flooding and tornado damages in NJ. I've also been following the damage in Louisiana where evacuees who are coming back have been told to bring everything they need including food.

Thanks for the good wishes ab_grp. Hope your relatives in PA are safe (was it you or cathwen?) as they've had floods and what looked like tornadoes as well. We are in Flood Zone A, so I stay indoors and hope that we don't have power outages. The thunder seems to have stopped, but it's still raining. I can't complain as people in Louisiana have to endure having their homes destroyed.

[mamselle]

It's still just raining here.

Thinking of all those for whom it's been very difficult, indeed.

Be safe.

M.

[Harlow2]

Philly area: Multiple tornadoes, in multiple places in both PA and NJ. Part of a neighborhood in now rubble with several collapsed houses. Historic flooding throughout the area with major Philly river still rising.  Clearest blue skies I've seen in a month this morning.

[ab_grp]

Harlow2, I saw some of the footage of the Mullica Hills, NJ tornado aftermath and one of a tornado moving swiftly into NJ by the Burlington-Bristol bridge.  How terrifying! My mom reports barely any rain or wind last night (and the lovely blue skies today), though the river will be flooding a few blocks away.  I hope those along the river and especially between it and the canal got out, as the river is supposed to continue to rise into the evening.  Looks like 676 is flooded in PA, and a lot of flooding in Princeton area in NJ.  Lots of unusually bad weather in a brief time period.  It's hard to keep up with all the damage reports.  Sending my continued good wishes to all in Ida's path.