Hurricane Lili Now A Category 4

TWC | 10-02-02 | my favorite headache

[2sheep]

Think of the names of states.  One or two words comes to mind to describe each, even if you haven't been there.  Consider:  Texas, Louisiana, Florida, Wisconsin, Arizona, etc.

When I think of Louisiana (and I've never been there), the first word that pops to mind is "Tabasco!"  Other words soon follow: Mardi Gras, moss, snakes...and lately, Hurricanes!

[Askel5]

Same here ... enough to wake me up but not keep me up.

Trust you got your popcorn and saying a prayer this thing only continues weakening.

Night, Uncle Sham.

[Diddle E. Squat]

HURRICANE LILI LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
430 AM CDT THU OCT 3 2002

...LILY WEAKENING...BUT STILL DANGEROUS...HEADED FOR THE SOUTH
CENTRAL LOUISIANA COAST...

...A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM EAST OF HIGH ISLAND
TEXAS TO THE MOUTH OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER...

...AREAS AFFECTED...
THIS STATEMENT APPLIES TO CAMERON...VERMILION...IBERIA...SAINT
MARY...CALCASIEU...JEFFERSON DAVIS...ACADIA...LAFAYETTE...UPPER AND
LOWER SAINT MARTIN...ALLEN...EVANGELINE...AND SAINT LANDRY PARISHES
IN SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA...RAPIDES AND AVOYELLES PARISHES IN CENTRAL
LOUISIANA...AS WELL AS...JEFFERSON...ORANGE...JASPER AND NEWTON
COUNTIES IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS.

...WATCHES AND WARNINGS...
A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR JEFFERSON AND ORANGE COUNTIES
IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS...AND CAMERON...VERMILION...IBERIA AND ST MARY
PARISHES IN SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH-CENTRAL LOUISIANA.

AN INLAND HURRICANE WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR ACADIA...
LAFAYETTE...AND SAINT MARTIN PARISHES.

AN INLAND TROPICAL STORM WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR ALLEN...
EVANGELINE...SAINT LANDRY...RAPIDES...AND AVOYELLES PARISHES.

A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH-CENTRAL
LOUISIANA TODAY.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 4 AM CDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE LILI WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE
28.8 NORTH...LONGITUDE 91.7 WEST OR ABOUT 120 MILES SOUTHEAST OF
CAMERON LOUISIANA...70 MILES SOUTHEAST OF INTRACOASTAL CITY
LOUISIANA...OR 70 MILES SOUTH OF MORGAN CITY LOUISIANA.

HURRICANE LILI IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHWEST NEAR 17 MPH...AND
A GRADUAL TURN TO THE NORTH IS EXPECTED THIS MORNING.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE 120 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
IN SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA...
MANDATORY EVACUATIONS ARE IN EFFECT FOR CAMERON...VERMILION...
IBERIA...SAINT MARY AND ACADIA PARISHES.

RECOMMENDED EVACUATIONS ARE IN EFFECT FOR CALCASIEU...JEFF DAVIS AND
SAINT MARTIN PARISHES.

FOR LAFAYETTE PARISH...EVACUATIONS ARE RECOMMENDED TO BE COMPLETED
FOR PEOPLE IN YOUNGSVILLE AND MILTON AREAS...AS WELL AS OTHER LOW-
LYING AREAS AND PEOPLE IN MOBILE HOMES.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
A STORM SURGE OF 10 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS IS LIKELY NEAR AND
TO THE EAST OF WHERE THE CENTER CROSSES THE COAST AROUND VERMILION
BAY.

THE NEXT HIGH TIDE WILL OCCUR AT SABINE PASS AT 1239 PM...AT
CAMERON AT 1253 PM...AND VERMILION BAY AT 1232 PM.

...WIND IMPACTS...
FOR VERMILION...IBERIA...AND SAINT MARY PARISHES...WIND GUSTS TO 90
MPH ARE POSSIBLE THROUGH NOON.

FOR ACADIA...LAFAYETTE...AND SAINT MARTIN PARISHES...WIND GUSTS TO
75 MPH WINDS ARE POSSIBLE THROUGH NOON.

FOR ALLEN...EVANGELINE...SAINT LANDRY...RAPIDES...AND AVOYELLES
PARISHES...WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH ARE POSSIBLE BETWEEN 10 AM AND 6 PM.

FOR ACADIA...LAFAYETTE...AND SAINT LANDRY PARISHES...WINDS GUSTS TO
40 MPH ARE EXPECTED BETWEEN 4 AM AND 6 AM.

AS LILI MOVES OVER LAND...PEOPLE IN THE PATH OF THE HURRICANE ARE
CAUTIONED NOT TO VENTURE OUTSIDE DURING THE RELATIVE CALM OF THE
EYE...BECAUSE WINDS WILL INCREASE SUDDENLY FROM THE OPPOSITE
DIRECTION.

...TORNADO IMPACTS...
A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHWEST...CENTRAL AND SOUTH
CENTRAL LOUISIANA UNTIL 10 AM...AS THE THREAT FOR TORNADOES
INCREASES.

...RAINFALL...
OUTER RAIN BANDS WILL MOVE ACROSS SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL
LOUISIANA THROUGH THE MORNING. RAIN TOTALS OF SIX INCHES WILL BE
POSSIBLE ACROSS PORTIONS OF VERMILION...IBERIA...SAINT MARY...
ACADIA...LAFAYETTE...SAINT MARTIN...EVANGELINE...SAINT LANDRY...
RAPIDES...AND AVOYELLES PARISHES TODAY.

...RIVERS...
MAJOR FLOODING IS EXPECTED ALONG THE VERMILION RIVER...WITH MINOR TO
MODERATE FLOODING ALONG THE CALCASIEU AND MERMENTAU RIVERS...BAYOU
NEZPIQUE...AND THE WHISKEY CHITTO CREEK.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT LOCAL STATEMENT ON HURRICANE LILI WILL BE ISSUED BY 630 AM.

[expatguy]

The latest doppler radar image judging from the eye of the storm seems to show the storm slowing down a bit

[Diddle E. Squat]

Good news, looks like the 4:30am report has dropped the storm surge forecast to 10 feet from 15-20 feet, if I read it correctly.

[2sheep]

I was serious about the salt question. I read a book years ago about a white woman captured in the 1600's or 1700's in Virginia by the Shawnee and taken to the area near Chicago. She escaped and walked home. She described elephant (mastadon) bones and salt pits in an area near the river. I've not seen another source for that info, nor can I figure how salt would be in New Iberia. Is it sea salt?

[DBtoo]

It looks like most of the storm is on shore already.

[expatguy]

A lot is off the image of the radar though

I guess Uncle Sham is without power now and so no more front line reports.

[newsperson999]

it tried to make a brief comeback..but too much dry air in the storm.. strong storms were trying to wrap around the eye again but the dry air killed it....and the cloud tops that were cooling on the south and east part have not expanded and the clouds on the west side of the storm continue to warm

[FireTrack]

I'm 100 miles north and had a brief flicker that took out my second phone line. Bell South just told me it would be Oct. 8th before they can send someone to restore service. Now I'm on a laptop and using primary phone line.

[expatguy]

Well I suppose that means you will have to take up where Uncle Sham left off

:-)

[DBtoo]

Oh heck. Where is Uncle Sham. Wait, he heard that boom and never reported back! I wonder how strong the winds were at his place? Hope he's okey. Maybe a tree fell over onto a power line.

[DBtoo]

On the last image you posted is does look like there is lots above the eye and on shore, and not much under the eye. But there is a lot not showing on that image?

[expatguy]

Lets all hope that Uncle Sham is okay - He was right in the path of this hurricane and reported up to the last minute.

His last words:

"Oh sh%$^&T! Just heard a loud bang. Time to investigate the premises."

[FireTrack]

LOL, Not much happening here (Hope it stays that way!) I'm in the central part of the state over 100 miles north of Uncle Sham but will keep you posted if it comes this way. The real danger is in an area 35 to 45 miles of the eye not counting tornados spawned from the storm.

[glorygirl]

Back. Prayer time for Uncle Sham. Let's hope he didn't wander too far around the premises!

[ET(end tyranny)]

Yeah, I hope he is okay. He didn't say 'inside or outside' premises. Since he posted about the loud bang, I was hoping it wasn't his power.

[FireTrack]

Probably a blown transformer...

[DBtoo]

Would you please report back to say you are okey even if it's a few days from now? I hope you are just having a power outage and that you and your family are safe. Thankyou for providing so much information on the goings on of the storm from New Iberia. I really hope you are okey.

[newsperson999]

alot of times a storm will slow down when it turns..that just happpened moving almost due north now...will have ot wait to see if it continues