Gustav Rakes Grand Isle and Moves Towards Houma as a Strong Category Two at Landfall

Official advisory before landfall from NHC..still waiting for official landfall statement from NHC!

"REPORTS FROM AIR FORCE RESERVE AND NOAA HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT
INDICATE THAT MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE DECREASED TO NEAR 110
MPH...175 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. THIS MAKES GUSTAV A CATEGORY
TWO HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGE
IN STRENGTH IS LIKELY BEFORE LANDFALL...WITH WEAKENING EXPECTED TO
BEGIN AFTER GUSTAV MOVES INLAND LATER TODAY.

HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 70 MILES...110 KM...FROM
THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 230
MILES...370 KM. THE NATIONAL OCEAN SERVICE STATION IN SHELL BEACH
LOUISIANA RECENTLY REPORTED A WIND GUST OF 64 MPH...104 KM/HR.

THE MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE JUST REPORTED BY AN AIR FORCE RESERVE
HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT IS 957 MB...28.26 INCHES.

AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS STORM SURGE OF 10 TO 14 FEET ABOVE NORMAL
TIDAL LEVELS IS EXPECTED NEAR AND TO THE EAST OF WHERE THE CENTER
OF GUSTAV CROSSES THE COAST."

I am going to post some links here for people to better understand the area where Gustav is about to ravage and that will be in the headlines tomorrow as battered by Gustav. The NHC and many websites online can do the graphics better than I can but I am hoping I can give some information and a feel for the area that Gustav is assaulting as he moves inland after landfall. These are real towns, real cities and historic beautiful places not just names on a map but places people live and people visit... as has Gustav.

So, trying to give info and a better picture of that beautiful part of Louisiana.

First before I do so I want to say the NHC did an amazing job of forecasting this storm. That cannot be understated and we should really be thankful for them and the job they do as they are there day and night, 24/7 doing their best to provide the best information they can with the earliest warning of possible landfall. Because the government of Louisiana had that info and each of the little bayou towns had it they were able to better prepare their population and try to get the word out about where, when and how strong Gustav would be when he hit. This sounds simplistic but we take it for granted, we take them for granted. They do an amazing job and they nailed this storm miles and miles out when it was south of Cuba... when it was falling apart over Haiti.

Thankfully, in the middle of an eye wall replacement cycle on the downward side of the cycle Gustav decreased in intensity by a mere five mph just prior to landfall and is coming in as a Category 2. Too close to land to finish the cycle which causes the inner eye to start to collapse and then the larger eye takes over and though the eye changed it's shape a drop and looked as it if it lunged a drop to the north and east the storm stayed on track. Thankfully... the eye wall replacement cycle did not finish and he was on the weaker side of the process. It's a strange process, you can read about it here.

http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/tcfaq/D8.html

It may not seem like it today but Louisiana got lucky and this could have been worse. Between dry air entrapped in the storm and the light shear but strong enough shear and probably millions of people praying Gustav did not hit as a Category 3. Hey, you can't say that prayers didn't help and I like to believe they did.

Grand Isle was the first to feel it's fury aside from the feeder bands far away to the right in places to the east.

http://www.grand-isle.com/

Anyone who ever had to read "The Awakening" by Kate Chopin knows the natural beauty described in the novel ..that takes place in Grand Isle.



http://www.amazon.com/Awakening-Kate-Chopin/dp/0380002450

Either way we have to see if the levee system holds both in New Orleans as well as in Morgan City. I am hoping it will. Hope springs eternal with me it seems.

Old article on the levee system there:

http://www.banner-tribune.com/News/mc%20levees.htm

http://www.topix.com/city/morgan-city-la/2008/09/post-katrina-
test-looms-for-fragile-levee-system

http://www.topix.com/city/morgan-city-la

New Iberia (a place I love.. not sure why but always have every time I've been there)

http://www.cityofnewiberia.com/

(just gets to me that part of the country.. low country)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Iberia,_Louisiana

The smallest reminder of how life in the form of Gustav can change the small ebb and flow of life that is important to many within this region. They Bayou Land Jamboree in Houma, La is cancelled. It's fundraiser and community event. Many such events for Labor Day have been cancelled not to mention the economic impact of the loss of the tourists from Labor Day will affect towns far from Gustav's eye but within the range of bad weather and squalls. Every dollar counts in these tough times economically we live in so when the weather gets better... make sure y'all come back and spread the money around and enjoy the beauty of the Bayou and the Gulf of Mexico's small coastline communities.

http://www.bayoulandjamboree.org/

As for me.. I am going off. Watching the drama unfold as I say goodbye to many members of my family who were here this weekend.

There is a beauty in getting together for family reunions such as Bar Mitzvahs, Weddings and such. You have to enjoy life while you can and it's worth the effort, worth the traveling with all it's inconveniences to make the attempt, to be together, to laugh, to love and simply share time with each other. Because there are things you cannot avoid such as hurricanes and earthquakes and tornadoes that rip apart your lives in the middle of the night. The silent, suddenness of bad weather cannot be avoided. We can be warned by the National Weather Service and the National Hurricane Center but we cannot stop it's brutal assault on our lives.

So...when you have a chance to love, to laugh and take 500 gazillion cellphone pictures of your family having fun at a party to post online at Facebook the next day. Go for it! Live Life! Embrace it!

And, when there is a hurricane... hide from the wind and run from the water and listen to the National Hurricane Center and be very thankful you have them in your lives. I am ;)

Mucho Besos and prayers.. Bobbi

Ps... bad weather will contain squalls with tornadoes far, far, far away from Houma so if you are anywhere from the panhandle of Florida to Houston, Texas and it's suburbs please hang tight, lay low and stay inside this Labor Day as this storm is humongous and has bad weather far from it's eye. Just relax... stay safe and be cautious!