Explain to Ida that Hurricane Season is OVER - Big Big Forums

Jolie Rouge · 11-05-2009, 12:21 AM

Tropical Storm Ida forms in southwest Caribbean
Posted by Mike Wilson - 2theadvocate.com staff
today at 6:35 p.m.

[IMG]http://media.2theadvocate.com/images/530*397/ts_ida_110409.jpg[/IMG]
Graphic/Weather Underground Tropical Storm Ida.

MANAGUA, Nicaragua (AP) — Tropical storm Ida formed in the southwestern Caribbean on Wednesday, quickly gaining muscle and prompting storm warnings for the coast of Nicaragua and two Colombian islands.

Nicaraguan authorities readied shelters, saying evacuations were likely in the coastal city of Bluefields and the towns of Laguna de Perlas, Cruz de Rio Grando and Kukra Hills.

"We're taking precautions for the storm, which we expect will hit our territory on Thursday," said Lt. Col. Reinaldo Carrion, the head of Civil Defense in Bluefields. "We are ready to act."

Maximum sustained winds increased to 66 mph (100 kph), according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami.

The ninth tropical storm of the season was centered about 65 miles (100 kilometers) east of Bluefields and moving northwest near 6 mph (9 kph).

A hurricane watch was in effect for the eastern coast of Nicaragua from Bluefields to the border with Honduras.

Storm warnings remained in effect for the entire eastern coast of Nicaragua and the Colombian islands of San Andres and Providencia.

http://www.2theadvocate.com/blogs/hurricaneblog

[b]TROPICAL STORM IDA
ADVISORY NUMBER 3
1000 PM EST WED NOV 04 2009

...IDA APPROACHING THE EAST COAST OF NICARAGUA...

A HURRICANE WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE EASTERN COAST OF NICARAGUA FROM BLUEFIELDS NORTHWARD TO THE HONDURAS/NICARAGUA BORDER.

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE ENTIRE EASTERN COAST OF NICARAGUA.

AT 10 PM EST...0300 UTC...THE GOVERNMENT OF COLOMBIA HAS DISCONTINUED THE TROPICAL STORM WARNING FOR THE ISLANDS OF SAN ANDRES AND PROVIDENCIA.

AT 1000 PM EST...0300 UTC...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM IDA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 12.5 NORTH...LONGITUDE 83.1 WEST OR ABOUT 60 MILES... 95 KM...NORTHEAST OF BLUEFIELDS NICARAGUA.

IDA IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 7 MPH...11 KM/HR...AND A GRADUAL TURN TO THE NORTH-NORTHWEST WITH A DECREASE IN FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT DAY OR TWO. ON THE FORECAST TRACK...IDA SHOULD MAKE LANDFALL ALONG THE EAST COAST OF NICARGUA EARLY THURSDAY.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 65 MPH...100 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. SOME STRENGTHENING IS POSSIBLE...AND IDA COULD APPROACH HURRICANE INTENSITY BEFORE MAKING LANDFALL.

TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 50 MILES...85 KM FROM THE CENTER.

ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 995 MB...29.38 INCHES.

IDA IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE TOTAL RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 5 TO 7 INCHES OVER SAN ANDRES ISLAND WITH MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF 12 INCHES POSSIBLE. RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 15 TO 20 INCHES ARE EXPECTED
OVER EASTERN NICARAGUA AND EASTERN HONDURAS WITH MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF 25 INCHES POSSIBLE. THESE RAINS COULD PRODUCE LIFE-THREATENING FLASH FLOOD AND MUD SLIDES.

A STORM SURGE COULD RAISE WATER LEVELS BY AS MUCH AS 3 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL ALONG THE EAST COAST OF NICARAGUA...WITH LARGE AND DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES...NEAR AND TO THE NORTH OF WHERE THE=
CENTER OF IDA MAKES LANDFALL.

...SUMMARY OF 1000 PM EST INFORMATION...
LOCATION...12.5N 83.1W
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...65 MPH
MOVEMENT...NORTHWEST OR 315 DEGREES AT 7 MPH
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...995 MB

AN INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 100 AM EST FOLLOWED BY THE NEXT COMPLETE ADVISORY AT 400 AM EST.

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh...l/050233.shtml

Jolie Rouge · 11-05-2009, 09:50 AM

Ida batters resort, strengthens into hurricane
Forecasters say Nicaragua, Honduras may face flash floods, mudslides
NBC News and news services
updated 6:53 a.m. CT, Thurs., Nov . 5, 2009

MANAGUA, Nicaragua - Ida strengthened into Category 1 hurricane as it approached the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua Thursday and was set to make landfall later in the day, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said.

Heavy rains dumped on Nicaragua's eastern coast. Ida also uprooted trees, knocked down power lines and forced the evacuation of 300 people from the popular resort of Corn Island.

Much of the island had lost its phone service, said Lt. Col. Reinaldo Carrion, the civil defense chief in Bluefields, the city nearest to the island.

At 7 a.m. local time, the center of Hurricane Ida was located about 60 miles north-northeast of Bluefields and about 85 miles south of Puerto Cabezas in Nicaragua.

The hurricane was moving toward the northwest at close to 7 mph and, after making landfall, will move across eastern Nicaragua and Honduras during the next couple of days, the center said.

The hurricane center warned of possible life-threatening flash flood and mudslides, saying storm could dump 15 to 20 inches of rain over eastern Nicaragua.

Ton Bos, owner of the Paraiso Beach Hotel on Corn Island, told the Associated Press on Wednesday that winds and rain were heavy, but he had seen worse. "There is a lot of rain, a lot of wind and some trees are coming down, but it's not a catastrophe," Bos said by cell phone. "I've been here four years and it's been worse than this."

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33620554/ns/weather/

Hurricane Ida set to make landfall
M. Ressler, Lead Meteorologist, The Weather Channel
Nov. 5, 2009 7:30 am ET

Now Hurricane Ida continues to strengthen as it approaches the Nicaraguan coast. As of 7:00 AM EST, Hurricane Ida was located about 60 miles north-northeast of Bluefields, Nicaragua with top winds of 75 mph. The current movement is off to the northwest around 7 mph.

Hurricane warning is in effect for the east coast of Nicaragua from Bluefields to Puerto Cabezas and then a hurricane watch extends northward to the Honduras border.

Tropical storm warnings remain in effect for portions of the coast of Nicaragua not covered by the hurricane warning.

The system is expected to stay in weak steering environment the next few days with a slow movement off to the northwest and north in the general direction of Nicaragua, next Honduras and then the Yucatan Channel.

Ida will weaken considerably over land to a tropical depression by Friday before re-emerging into the Caribbean Sea north of Honduras early Saturday.

Heavy rain will be a huge threat and will impact Nicaragua and Honduras. The heaviest amounts of 15 to 20 inches, with locally 25 inches are possible in eastern portions of Honduras and Nicaragua.

Life-threatening flooding and mudslides will be likely as a result. Be ready and take precautions if you live in a low lying area or flood plain.

On average, about one tropical storm develops every two years during the month of November and every three years a hurricane develops. The southwest Caribbean is the most favored location for this to occur.

The last season with a named storm in November was 2008 when Paloma developed and impacted the Cayman Islands and Cuba.

2009 Atlantic Basin Hurricane Season Summary

2009 will go into the record books as a very uneventful hurricane season, to this point anyway. The question "why has it been so quiet" always arises as a season like this one comes to an end, especially after a series of very active years. Hindsight is sometimes 20/20 so I will give my hindsight "opinion" of what happened. But the prediction of the occurrence of the following features is not at all easy to forecast or extrapolate before it happens! There are two primary reasons for the quiet season in my opinion;

1) The mid-latitude westerly winds were much farther south than normal and this southward displacement caused three upper level wind features across the Gulf Caribbean and Atlantic to also be shifted south. The diagram below shows the three upper level circulation features, only one is readily conducive to tropical cyclone formation (the Subequatorial Ridge) and it was displaced south of the typical genesis area and where tropical waves normally track.

The TUTT caused shear, and the Subtropical Ridge, although typically a region of light wind shear, caused sinking air. Neither of these circulations typically favors tropical cyclone formation, and they did not in 2009.

2) El Nino unfolded and became more prominent through summer and fall. The basic result was to increase west wind shear across the Caribbean Sea and southwest tropical Atlantic and also to cause anomalous sinking motion across the same area. Neither favored tropical cyclone development.

The combination of these two ingredients made for many atmospheric snares for the tropical cyclones that did develop and hence they were for the most part very short-lived. This combination also routinely formed snares that prevented tropical cyclone formation on many days during the peak of hurricane season.

The predictive skill of seasonal outlooks varies from one year to the next and this year is no exception. Bill Gray and Phil Klotzbach started with a forecast of 14 named storms in December, but that number shrank to 12 in April, 11 in June and 10 by August. The hurricane forecast was no different shrinking from 7 in December to 6 in April, 5 in June and finally to only 4 in August. The trend was correct but the initial forecast was well above what has occurred so far and time is running out.

The 2009 Atlantic Basin hurricane season, at least on paper, does not seem as quiet as it appeared to most of our viewers and coastal residents. There were 8 named storms (the average is 10), but only 2 became hurricanes (the average is 6). Both hurricanes became major hurricanes (the average is 2); Bill reached Category 4 intensity and Fred reached Category 3 intensity. The list of eight named storms and two tropical depressions is shown below.

Only Tropical Storm Claudette made landfall in the U.S. thus far (in the Florida Panhandle). There have been no U.S. hurricane strikes. 7 of the 10 tropical cyclones lasted less than four days and 5 of these lasted two days or less. Only Ana and Bill lasted more than 5 days; Bill being the only true "long-track" Atlantic hurricane of 2009 lasted about 9 days.

Tropical storm Grace formed in the NE Atlantic and goes into the record books as the farthest north tropical storm formation (without first being a subtropical storm). From the track map below it is obvious all named storms, except Claudette, have thus far formed in the Atlantic. Only Anna and Erika have briefly entered the NE Caribbean Sea. So based on tropical storm duration and track behavior it was a very quiet hurricane season for most land areas, including the U.S. This was the quietest hurricane season since 1997 (7 named storms and 3 hurricanes) and the second quietest in the 1995 to 2009 "active era" in terms of storms and hurricanes. It has not been since 1992 that the Atlantic Basin has had only 2 hurricanes in a season! There remains a small portion of hurricane season yet to come, so we say always be prepared just in case.

http://www.weather.com/newscenter/hu...ricane_tracker

Jolie Rouge · 11-06-2009, 12:23 AM

Ida hits Nicaragua as hurricane, then loses steam
By Filadelfo Aleman, Associated Press Writer
43 mins ago

MANAGUA, Nicaragua – Hurricane Ida swept onto Nicaragua's Atlantic coast Thursday, destroying homes, damaging schools and downing bridges before losing steam and becoming a tropical depression as it moved inland.

Ida's winds swirled at 75 mph (125 kph) when the storm struck land around sunrise in Tasbapauni, about 60 miles northeast of Bluefields, said meteorologist Dennis Feltgen of the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami.

The battering wrecked all but 20 of the 100 or so flimsy, wooden shacks in nearby Karawala, a fishing village near the mouth of the Rio Grande de Matagalpa, Nicaragua's National Civil Defense director, Mario Perez, said.

"There was major damage in the region's infrastructure, such as fallen bridges, damaged schools and government buildings, and electrical transmission towers and telephone service were knocked out," Perez said.

No deaths or injuries had been reported, but Perez said officials were still trying to get information from the sparsly populated, jungle-covered region.

The fast-developing storm grew into a tropical depression and then a hurricane within little more than a day, then lost power as it stalled over eastern Nicaragua. It weakened back into a depressiion by late Thursday, with winds slowing to 35 mph (55 kph).

Ida could dump as much as 20 inches (500 millimeters) of rain on the swampy mainland, with the risk of floods and mudslides, according to the Miami-based hurricane center.

More than 3,000 people were evacuated before the storm hit — 800 of those from homes on Corn Island and nearby Little Corn Island, where strong winds damaged about 45 homes, smashed boats, toppled trees and knocked out power. Residents were taken to the port authority building and concrete hotels.

About 2,500 people live on the two islands, which are popular tourist destinations.

Rowena Kandler, owner of the Sunrise Hotel on Corn Island, said many fruit trees on the hotel's 13-acre ranch were damaged.

"We don't have electricity or water," she said. "Everything is on the ground now. Thank God we're alive."

The hotel had two guests who rode out the storm Wednesday night, but Kandler said they left for the airport Thursday morning.

More than 1,000 people were evacuated in Bluefields, and the airport closed.

At the Oasis Hotel and Casino, a half block from the shore in Bluefields, receptionist Adelis Molina said winds were strong and guests from the United States, Italy and Guatemala were hunkering down inside.

Heavy rains and winds kept officials from evacuating about 80 people on Cayos Perla, but authorities said they planned to used speedboats to get them out.

The storm is expected to regain strength when it emerges over the Caribbean Sea on Saturday, the center said.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091106/...opical_weather

Jolie Rouge · 11-06-2009, 01:01 PM

Ida drenches Central America, might approach US
37 mins ago

MANAGUA, Nicaragua – Former Hurricane Ida drenched Central America as a tropical depression on Friday and forecasters said it had some chance of regaining force and heading toward the U.S.

Ida had winds of 75 mph (125 kph) when it hit the central Nicaraguan coast on Thursday, but it quickly lost force as it slogged inland and winds were down to about 35 mph (55 kph) Friday morning, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami.

The storm smashed scores of flimsy dwellings and forced thousands of people to evacuate their homes in sparsely populated eastern Nicaragua. Bridges, schools and electrical transmission towers were damaged, but no deaths were reported.

The depression was centered about 55 miles (85 kilometers) west of Cabo Gracias a Dios on the coastal border between Nicaragua and Honduras and it was moving north at near 7 mph (11 kph).

The storm was projected to cross over Honduras and emerge into the Caribbean Friday night.

Ida was expected to regain some force over the Caribbean and the still tentative forecast track showed it grazing the Cancun region of Mexico as a tropical storm by Monday morning, then heading toward the U.S. Gulf Coast.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091106/...RhZHJlbmNoZXNj

Jolie Rouge · 11-07-2009, 01:53 AM

Ida drenches Central America, might approach US
2 hrs 51 mins ago

MANAGUA, Nicaragua – Former Hurricane Ida drenched Central America as a tropical depression Friday and edged back out over the Caribbean, where forecasters said it had some chance of regaining force and heading toward the United States.

Ida had winds of 75 mph (125 kph) when it hit the central Nicaraguan coast Thursday, but it quickly lost force as it slogged inland and winds were down to about 35 mph (55 kph) Friday night, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami.

The storm smashed dozens of flimsy dwellings and forced thousands of people to evacuate their homes in sparsely populated eastern Nicaragua. Bridges, schools and electrical transmission towers were damaged, but no deaths were reported.

By Friday evening, Ida had crossed over Honduras as a tropical depression and moved back into the Caribbean heading north toward the Gulf of Mexico. Forecasters said it could strengthen into a tropical storm overnight or Saturday morning.

The still tentative forecast track showed Ida grazing the Cancun region of Mexico as a tropical storm Monday morning, then taking aim at the U.S. Gulf Coast. The hurricane center also warned the Cayman Islands to keep an eye on Ida.

Late Friday, the depression was centered about 110 miles (175 kilometers) northeast of Limon, Honduras, and it was moving north at near 7 mph (11 kph).

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091107/...opical_weather

Jolie Rouge · 11-08-2009, 12:51 AM

TS Ida expected in Gulf on Sunday

MIAMI — Tropical Storm Ida is expected in the Gulf of Mexico on Sunday, but current National Hurricane Center forecast maps shows the storm weakening in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico.

At 6 p.m. CST, the center of Tropical Storm Ida was located near Latitude 19.5 North, Longitude 84.4 West or about 180 miles east-southeast of Cozumel, Mexico.

Ida is moving toward the North-Northwest near 10 mph. This general heading with a gradual increase in forward speed is expected during the next day or so.

Ida is expected to move through the Yucatan Channel on Sunday and into the southeastern Gulf of Mexico Sunday night.

Maximum sustained winds are near 70 mph with higher gusts. Ida is expected to become a hurricane tonight or Sunday, but weakening is forecast after it enter the Gulf of Mexico.

The government of Mexico has issued a hurricane watch for the Yucatan Peninsula from Tulum to Cabo Catoch and
and a tropical storm warning for the Yucatan Peninsula from Punta Allen northward to San Felipe, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Ida is moving toward the north near 9 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center.

A turn toward the North-Northwest with a gradual increase in forward speed is expected over the next few days.

On the forecast track, Ida is expected to move over or just east of the northeastern portioni of the Yucatan Peninsula on Sunday.

Ida is expected to move into the southeastern Gulf of Mexico on Sunday night.

Maximum sustained winds have increased to near 60 mph with higher gusts.

Some additional strengthening is forecast during the next day or so and Ida could approach hurricane strength on Sunday. Some weakening is expected after Ida enters the Gulf of Mexico.

Tropical Storm force winds extend outward up to 105 miles from the center.

http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/69461267.html

Ida hurricane watch for Mexico's Caribbean coast
Catherine E. Shoichet, Associated Press Writer –
6 mins ago

CANCUN, Mexico – Officials readied storm shelters along Mexico's Caribbean coast Saturday and told fishermen and tour operators to pull in their boats amid warnings that Tropical Storm Ida could become a hurricane as it neared the resort city of Cancun.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said Ida's winds strengthened to near 70 mph (110 kph), just short of a Category 1 hurricane.

Ida's forecast track moved slightly toward the north, on a path that would take it through the middle of the Yucatan Channel that separates Mexico and Cuba around midday Sunday. Forecasters predicted Ida would then weaken and enter the Gulf of Mexico at tropical storm strength and possibly brush the U.S. Gulf Coast next week.

As rain began pelting down in Cancun, the beaches were empty but tourists walked the streets under umbrellas or improvised rain ponchos.

Realtor Beth Conway, 41, from Sacramento, California, said she was happy just to be in Cancun.

"We don't really care if it's rainy or sunny," Conway said as she gathered her luggage at the Cancun airport. "We were just hoping they weren't going to cancel our flight."

The storm caught others by surprise. "What storm? I checked the weather three nights ago. I didn't think to check it again," said Rafah Adoulhosn, 29, a pharmacist from San Antonio, Texas, who plans to spend a week in nearby Playa del Carmen.

"I had a week off. We had to take advantage of it," said her boyfriend, 31-year-old surgical resident Adham Saad.

Tropical-storm warnings were issued for the Mexican coastline from Punta Allen, south of Tulum, to San Felipe at the top of the Yucatan Peninsula, an area that includes Cancun. The warnings were also in effect for western Cuba and Grand Cayman Island.

A hurricane watch was in effect from Tulum to Cabo Catoche.

Authorities started up a reporting system used to locate tourists and plan potential evacuations or shelters. Quintana Roo state Tourism Director Sara Latife Ruiz said there were about 36,000 foreign and Mexican tourists in Cancun.

"We can locate them and if necessary, take them to some temporary shelter," said Latife Ruiz. "Right now, no flights have been canceled ... and there has been no evacuation of tourists."

State civil defense Director Luis Carlos Rodriguez said "there is still time to protect property, so we have advised fishermen, small boat owners and those living in low-lying areas of Tulum, Holbox, Cancun and Playa del Carmen to take safety measures for their property."

Saturday night, Ida was centered about 150 miles (245 kilometers) east-southeast of Cozumel, and about 110 miles (180 kms) south of the western tip of Cuba. It was moving north-northwest at about 12 mph (19 kph).

Juan Granados, assistant director of civil defense, said seven storm shelters were being readied on Cozumel, five on Isla Mujeres and seven on Holbox, an island north of the peninsula. Statewide, dozens more were being readied for use if needed.

Authorities suspended fishing along part of the coast and told tour operators who offer reef snorkeling and diving excursions to stay in port, Granados added.

"We'll get some wind and rain, but that's about it," said James Watts, 34, part of a family from British Columbia, Canada that runs The Summer Place Inn and a real estate firm on the island of Cozumel, near Cancun.

Employees at the inn weren't taping up or boarding over windows, but Watts said small boats would be pulled ashore, adding "we'll put some sandbags in them to keep them from going anywhere."

Popular Mayan sites such as the seaside ruins of Tulum were to remain open, but employees worked to clean up debris that could become a hazard in high winds, Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History said in a statement.

John Cangialosi, a specialist at the Hurricane Center, said that as Ida heads north across the Gulf of Mexico, it is expected to meet a cold front that is moving south — making longer-term forecasts complicated for now.

"There's going to be some sort of interaction between the two, but where they interact, and how, and the timing of the thing, that's kind of the big question mark," Cangialosi said.

Regardless of how the cold front affects the tropical system, Cangialosi said residents on the north Gulf Coast can expect lots of wind and heavy rain.

Ida plowed into Nicaragua's Atlantic coast on Thursday as a Category 1 hurricane, damaging 500 homes along with bridges, power lines, roads and public buildings.

Cuba's national Meteorological Center said it did not expect any direct impact from the storm, but noted it could cause heavy rains in the western province of Pinar del Rio.

The Hurricane Center said a hurricane warning might be needed for the province by late Sunday.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091108/...RhaHVycmljYW5l

Shelby - keep a weather eye out !

Jolie Rouge · 11-08-2009, 01:45 AM

WHOA ! Read that again ...

Ida grows into hurricane near Mexico's Carib coast
Catherine E. Shoichet, Associated Press Writer
20 mins ago

CANCUN, Mexico – Officials readied storm shelters along Mexico's Caribbean coast Saturday and told fishermen and tour operators to pull in their boats as Ida strengthened into a hurricane as it neared the resort city of Cancun.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said Ida's winds had picked up to 75 mph (120 kph), making it a Category 1 storm.

The hurricane was on a path that would take it through the middle of the Yucatan Channel that separates Mexico and Cuba on Sunday. Forecasters predict Ida will enter the Gulf of Mexico, eventually weaken again to tropical storm strength and possibly brush the U.S. Gulf Coast next week.

As rain began pelting down in Cancun, the beaches were empty but tourists walked the streets under umbrellas or improvised rain ponchos.

Realtor Beth Conway, 41, from Sacramento, California, said she was happy just to be in Cancun.

"We don't really care if it's rainy or sunny," Conway said as she gathered her luggage at the Cancun airport. "We were just hoping they weren't going to cancel our flight."

The storm caught others by surprise. "What storm? I checked the weather three nights ago. I didn't think to check it again," said Rafah Adoulhosn, 29, a pharmacist from San Antonio, Texas, who plans to spend a week in nearby Playa del Carmen.

"I had a week off. We had to take advantage of it," said her boyfriend, 31-year-old surgical resident Adham Saad.

Tropical-storm warnings were issued for the Mexican coastline from Punta Allen, south of Tulum, to San Felipe at the top of the Yucatan Peninsula, an area that includes Cancun. The warnings were also in effect for western Cuba and Grand Cayman Island.

A hurricane watch was in effect from Tulum to Cabo Catoche.

Authorities started up a reporting system used to locate tourists and plan potential evacuations or shelters. Quintana Roo state Tourism Director Sara Latife Ruiz said there were about 36,000 foreign and Mexican tourists in Cancun.

"We can locate them and if necessary, take them to some temporary shelter," said Latife Ruiz. "Right now, no flights have been canceled ... and there has been no evacuation of tourists."

State civil defense Director Luis Carlos Rodriguez said "there is still time to protect property, so we have advised fishermen, small boat owners and those living in low-lying areas of Tulum, Holbox, Cancun and Playa del Carmen to take safety measures for their property."

Late Saturday, Ida was centered about 120 miles (193 kilometers) east-southeast of Cozumel and moving northwest at about 12 mph (19 kph).

Juan Granados, assistant director of civil defense, said seven storm shelters were being readied on Cozumel, five on Isla Mujeres and seven on Holbox, an island north of the peninsula. Statewide, dozens more were being readied for use if needed.

Authorities suspended fishing along part of the coast and told tour operators who offer reef snorkeling and diving excursions to stay in port, Granados added.

"We'll get some wind and rain, but that's about it," said James Watts, 34, part of a family from British Columbia, Canada that runs The Summer Place Inn and a real estate firm on the island of Cozumel, near Cancun.

Employees at the inn weren't taping up or boarding over windows, but Watts said small boats would be pulled ashore, adding "we'll put some sandbags in them to keep them from going anywhere."

Popular Mayan sites such as the seaside ruins of Tulum were to remain open, but employees worked to clean up debris that could become a hazard in high winds, Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History said in a statement.

John Cangialosi, a specialist at the Hurricane Center, said that as Ida heads north across the Gulf of Mexico, it is expected to meet a cold front that is moving south — making longer-term forecasts complicated for now.

"There's going to be some sort of interaction between the two, but where they interact, and how, and the timing of the thing, that's kind of the big question mark," Cangialosi said.

Regardless of how the cold front affects the tropical system, Cangialosi said residents on the north Gulf Coast can expect lots of wind and heavy rain.

Ida plowed into Nicaragua's Atlantic coast on Thursday as a Category 1 hurricane, damaging 500 homes along with bridges, power lines, roads and public buildings.

Cuba's national Meteorological Center said it did not expect any direct impact from the storm, but noted it could cause heavy rains in the western province of Pinar del Rio.

The Hurricane Center said a hurricane warning might be needed for the province by late Sunday.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091108/...RhZ3Jvd3NpbnRv

HURRICANE IDA TROPICAL CYCLONE UPDATE
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL112009
1115 PM EST SAT NOV 7 2009

...IDA REACHES HURRICANE INTENSITY...

DATA FROM NOAA BUOY 42056...LOCATED IN THE NORTHWESTERN CARIBBEAN
SEA ABOUT 120 MILES...195 KM...EAST-SOUTHEAST OF COZUMEL MEXICO...
RECENTLY REPORTED A 1-MINUTE SUSTAINED WIND OF 74 MPH...119 KM/HR.
THIS INDICATES THAT IDA HAS ONCE AGAIN REACHED HURRICANE STATUS...
WITH MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS OF AROUND 75 MPH...120 KM/HR.

AN AIR FORCE RESERVE HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT IS CURRENTLY
APPROACHING IDA AND WILL PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THE
INTENSITY AND STRUCTURE OF THE HURRICANE IN THE NEXT FEW HOURS.

Location: 20.1°N 84.6°W
Max sustained: 75 mph
Moving: NNW at 12 mph
Min pressure: 990 mb

Jolie Rouge · 11-08-2009, 11:51 PM

Late-season hurricane takes aim at US Gulf Coast
By Becky Bohrer, Associated Press Writer
12 mins ago

NEW ORLEANS – Hurricane Ida, the first Atlantic hurricane to target the United States this year, plodded Sunday toward the Gulf Coast with 105 mph winds, bringing the threat of flooding and storm surges.

A hurricane warning extended more than 200 miles of coastline from Pascagoula, Miss., east to Indian Pass, Fla. Tropical storm warnings and hurricane watches are in effect across other areas of southeastern Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and the Florida Panhandle, including New Orleans. Louisiana's governor declared a state of emergency.

Authorities said Ida could make landfall as early as Tuesday morning, although it was forecast to weaken by then. Officials and residents kept a close eye on the Category 2 hurricane as it approached, though there were no immediate plans for evacuations.

Sunday night, Ida was located 400 miles south-southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River and moving north-northwest near 14 mph. The latest forecast from the National Hurricane Center shows Ida brushing near Louisiana and Mississippi, then making landfall near Alabama before continuing across north Florida.

Yet many residents took the forecast in stride.

"Even though we're telling everybody to be prepared, my gut tells me it probably won't be that bad," said Steve Arndt, director of Bay Point Marina Co. in Panama City, Fla.

In Louisiana, Gov. Bobby Jindal had declared a state of emergency as a precaution, and the National Guard was on high alert if assistance was needed. In Florida, residents of Pensacola Beach and nearby Perdido Key were encouraged to leave and school was canceled in the area Monday and Tuesday.

Officials told residents to prepare for potential gusts of 60 mph by removing any tree limbs that could damage their homes and securing or bringing in any trash cans, grills, potted plants or patio furniture.

Nearly 1,400 Louisiana residents are still living in federally issued trailers and mobile homes after hurricanes Katrina and Rita; nearly 360 units remained in Mississippi.

"FEMA stresses that those in temporary (housing) units should not take chances," Federal Emergency Management Agency spokesman Andrew Thomas said. "Leave the unit behind and evacuate to a permanent structure that will better withstand tropical weather systems and the associated winds."

Mississippi authorities warned residents to be vigilant. Authorities were monitoring conditions to see whether any evacuations of lower-lying areas or school closures would be necessary.

"It is likely we will at least be hit with strong winds and some flooding in our coastal counties," said Jeff Rent, a spokesman for the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency. Officials "do not want anybody to be caught off guard."

Mississippi Emergency Management Agency Director Mike Womack said forecasts called for tides of 4-7 feet above normal and rainfall totals of 5-7 inches within 24 hours, which could mean flooding along the coasts and along rivers.

Alabama emergency management officials did not immediately respond to phone messages.

In the Florida Panhandle, residents in Bay County and Panama City were being advised to secure boats and prepare for storm surges that could reach 2-3 feet. Heavy rain, wind and possible flooding was also expected.

"You really don't know until it gets close how you're going to be affected by it," said Brad Monroe, Bay County's deputy chief of emergency services.

Ida wasn't expected to pack the wallop seen in 2008 when hurricanes Gustav and Ike pelted the Gulf Coast back-to-back. There have been nine named storms this season, which ends Dec. 1. Ida is only the third hurricane to form, and the other two did not threaten land.

In New Orleans, unflappable fans at the Saints football game seemed unaware a storm was approaching.

"We're used to tropical storms," said David Clements of Chalmette, La. "That's why we have a dome."

Earlier Sunday, Ida's wind and rain whipped palm trees in the Mexican resort city of Cancun. Fishermen tied their boats down, though tourists seemed to regard it as a minor setback.

"It's not what we expected," said Kathleen Weisser, a nurse from Fernley, Nev. "We wanted sun. Instead we have liquid sunshine."

Mexico had canceled all watches and warnings for the country.

Ron Kaczorowski, of Chicago, said his daughter was forced to move her beach wedding inside because of the storm. He said he had tried to reassure his disappointed daughter that the nasty weather would make her wedding stand out.

"I told her, 'How many people get married in a hurricane?'"

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091109/...opical_weather

Hurricane Ida Situation Page (tm) link...
http://www.vuetoo.com/vue1/Situation...p?af=&sit=5087

HURRICANE IDA ADVISORY NUMBER 21
SUN NOV 08 2009

...IDA HEADING NORTH-NORTHWESTWARD....HURRICANE WARNING ISSUED FOR A PORTION OF THE NORTHERN GULF COAST...

AT 900 PM CST...0300 UTC...A HURRICANE WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE NORTHERN GULF COAST FROM PASCAGOULA MISSISSIPPI EASTWARD TO INDIAN PASS FLORIDA. A HURRICANE WARNING MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED SOMEWHERE WITHIN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN 24 HOURS. PREPARATIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY SHOULD BE RUSHED TO COMPLETION.

AT 900 PM CST...0300 UTC...A TROPICAL STORM WARNING AND A HURRICANE WATCH ARE IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTHERN GULF COAST FROM GRAND ISLE LOUISIANA EASTWARD TO WEST OF PASCAGOULA MISSISSIPPI...INCLUDING NEW ORLEANS AND LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED SOMEWHERE WITHIN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN 24 HOURS. A HURRICANE WATCH MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN THE WATCH AREA...GENERALLY WITHIN 36 HOURS.

AT 900 PM CST...0300 UTC...A TROPICAL STORM WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE NORTHERN GULF COAST FROM EAST OF INDIAN PASS TO AUCILLA RIVER FLORIDA.

AT 900 PM CST...0300 UTC...THE GOVERNMENT OF CUBA HAS DISCONTINUED ALL WATCHES AND WARNINGS FOR CUBA.

FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...INCLUDING POSSIBLE INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR LOCAL NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE.

AT 900 PM CST...0300 UTC...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE IDA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 23.7 NORTH...LONGITUDE 86.7 WEST OR ABOUT 400 MILES... 645 KM...SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF THE MOUTH OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER.

IDA IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHWEST NEAR 14 MPH...22 KM/HR. A TURN TOWARD THE NORTH AND AN INCREASE IN FORWARD SPEED ARE EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS...FOLLOWED BY A TURN TOWARD THE NORTHEAST ON MONDAY NIGHT. ON THE FORECAST TRACK...IDA IS EXPECTED TO CROSS THE GULF OF MEXICO TONIGHT AND MONDAY...AND APPROACH THE NORTHERN GULF COAST MONDAY NIGHT OR EARLY TUESDAY.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 105 MPH...165 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. IDA IS A CATEGORY TWO HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. GRADUAL WEAKENING IS FORECAST...BUT IDA IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN A HURRICANE AS IT APPROACHES THE NORTHERN GULF COAST.

HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 35 MILES...55 KM...FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 175 MILES...280 KM.

ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 979 MB...28.91 INCHES.

IDA IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE ADDITIONAL RAIN ACCUMULATIONS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES OVER PORTIONS OF WESTERN CUBA...WITH ISOLATED MAXIMUM STORM TOTAL AMOUNTS OF 8 INCHES POSSIBLE.

RAINS WILL BE INCREASING WELL IN ADVANCE OF IDA ACROSS THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN GULF COAST...BUT WILL BECOME STEADIER AND HEAVIER BY MONDAY INTO TUESDAY. TOTAL STORM ACCUMULATIONS OF 3 TO 5 INCHES WITH ISOLATED MAXIMUM STORM TOTALS OF 8 INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE THROUGH TUESDAY FROM THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN GULF COAST NORTHWARD INTO THE EASTERN PORTIONS OF THE TENNESSEE VALLEY AND THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS.

A DANGEROUS STORM SURGE WILL RAISE WATER LEVELS BY AS MUCH AS 4 TO 6 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL ALONG THE COAST NEAR AND TO THE EAST OF WHERE THE CENTER MAKES LANDFALL. NEAR THE COAST...THE SURGE WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY LARGE AND DESTRUCTIVE WAVES.

...SUMMARY OF 900 PM CST INFORMATION... LOCATION...23.7N 86.7W MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...105 MPH PRESENT MOVEMENT...NORTH-NORTHWEST OR 345 DEGREES AT 14 MPH MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...979 MB

AN INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 1200 AM CST FOLLOWED BY THE NEXT COMPLETE ADVISORY AT 300 AM CST.

National Hurricane Situation Page (tm) link... http://www.vuetoo.com/vue1/Situation...p?af=&sit=5111

Jolie Rouge · 11-08-2009, 11:56 PM

Dang - we just finished the repairs to the damage from Gustav and Ike !

Jolie Rouge · 11-09-2009, 10:30 AM

Hurricane Ida weakens, but Gulf still on warning
By Becky Bohrer, Associated Press Writer
57 mins ago

NEW ORLEANS – The first hurricane this year to threaten the U.S. Gulf Coast weakened early Monday but could still pack hurricane-strength winds and storm surges when it hits the shore overnight.

Warnings ahead of Hurricane Ida extended more than 200 miles across several states, although residents seemed to take the late-season storm in stride. Ida is the third hurricane of this year's Atlantic season, which ends Dec. 1. The first two stayed far out to sea.

There were no immediate plans for mandatory evacuations. But authorities in some coastal area were opening shelters and encouraging people who live near the water or in mobile homes to leave.

"Even though we're telling everybody to be prepared, my gut tells me it probably won't be that bad," said Steve Arndt, director of Bay Point Marina Co. in Panama City, Fla.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said top sustained winds from the Category 1 hurricane had decreased to near 80 mph around 7 a.m. EST from about 90 mph earlier Monday.

Hurricane warnings remained in effect from Pascagoula, Miss., east to Indian Pass, Fla. Tropical storm warnings and hurricane watches are in effect across neighboring areas including New Orleans. Forecasters said Ida could make landfall Monday night or early Tuesday.

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal declared a state of emergency as a precaution, and the National Guard was on high alert if assistance was needed.

Earlier, heavy rain in Ida's wake triggered flooding and landslides in El Salvador that killed 124 people. One mudslide covered the town of Verapaz, about 30 miles outside the capital, San Salvador, before dawn Sunday.

Early Monday, Ida was located about 235 miles south-southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River and moving north-northwest near 16 mph.

The latest storm track projection from the National Hurricane Center showed Ida brushing near Louisiana and Mississippi, then making landfall near Alabama before continuing across north Florida.

Officials were encouraging residents to prepare for potential gusts of 60 mph by removing tree limbs that could damage their homes and securing or bringing in any trash cans, grills, potted plants or patio furniture.

Residents of Pensacola Beach, Fla., and nearby Perdido Key were encouraged to leave, as were people farther inland who live in mobile homes, and school was canceled in the area Monday and Tuesday. Some schools around New Orleans also canceled classes for Monday.

Nearly 1,400 Louisiana residents are still living in federally issued trailers and mobile homes after hurricanes Katrina and Rita; nearly 360 units remained in Mississippi.

"FEMA stresses that those in temporary (housing) units should not take chances," Federal Emergency Management Agency spokesman Andrew Thomas said. "Leave the unit behind and evacuate to a permanent structure that will better withstand tropical weather systems and the associated winds."

Mississippi authorities warned residents to be vigilant. Authorities were monitoring conditions to see whether any evacuations of lower-lying areas or school closures would be necessary.

"It is likely we will at least be hit with strong winds and some flooding in our coastal counties," said Jeff Rent, a spokesman for the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency. Officials "do not want anybody to be caught off guard."

Mississippi Emergency Management Agency Director Mike Womack said forecasts called for tides of 4-7 feet above normal and rainfall totals of 5-7 inches within 24 hours, which could mean flooding along the coasts and along rivers.

There were no mandatory evacuations in Alabama, but schools were closed in Baldwin County on the eastern side of Mobile Bay, and the county was opening a shelter.

In the Florida Panhandle, residents in Bay County and Panama City were being advised to secure boats and prepare for storm surges that could reach 2-3 feet. Heavy rain, wind and possible flooding was also expected.

"You really don't know until it gets close how you're going to be affected by it," said Brad Monroe, Bay County's deputy chief of emergency services.

Ida wasn't expected to pack the wallop seen in 2008 when hurricanes Gustav and Ike pelted the Gulf Coast back-to-back.

On Sunday, Ida's wind and rain whipped palm trees in the Mexican resort city of Cancun. Fishermen tied their boats down, though tourists seemed to regard it as a minor setback.

"It's not what we expected," said Kathleen Weisser, a nurse from Fernley, Nev. "We wanted sun. Instead we have liquid sunshine."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091109/...VycmljYW5laWRh

Jolie Rouge · 11-09-2009, 05:25 PM

Gulf Coast preps as Ida weakens to tropical storm
By Melissa Nelson, Associated Press Writer
14 mins ago

PENSACOLA, Fla. – Gulf Coast residents hunkered down at home and in shelters Monday as a rare late-season tropical storm headed their way, bringing with it the potential for high winds, flooding and up to 8 inches of rain in some places. After a quiet Atlantic storm season, people took the year's first serious threat in stride.

"We can ride it out right here," said T.J. Covacevich, 50, who wore a "Hurricane Hunter" T-shirt as he tied down his powerboat in a Biloxi, Miss., harbor.

Earlier, heavy rain in Ida's wake triggered flooding and landslides in El Salvador that killed 134 people.

Ida started out as the third hurricane of this year's Atlantic season, which ends Dec. 1, but weakened to a tropical storm Monday, with maximum sustained winds near 70 mph (110 kph).

The U.S. National Hurricane Center said it was expected to weaken further before making landfall along the Gulf Coast sometime Monday night or early Tuesday. Rain had already started falling in many spots by Monday afternoon.

Tropical storm warnings were in effect across Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida, where governors declared states of emergency.

Residents elsewhere in the Southeast braced for heavy rain. In north Georgia, which saw historic flooding in September, forecasters said up to 4 more inches could soak the already-saturated ground as Ida moved across the state.

There were no plans for mandatory evacuations, but authorities in some coastal areas opened shelters and encouraged people near the water or in mobile homes to leave. Many schools closed, and several cruise ships were delayed.

Monday afternoon, Ida was located about 60 miles (95 km) southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River and about 165 miles (265 km) south-southwest of Pensacola. It was moving north-northwest near 18 mph (30 kph).

On Pensacola Beach, Glenn Wickham stood on the roof of a three-story house, securing metal shutters as his crew moved furniture to the upper floors for a homeowner who wasn't taking any chances.

"We doing all this out of an abundance of caution — I really don't think this is going to be anything," Wickham said.

On the beach, Dan Conell took shelter in a pavilion so he could watch the churning Gulf. The Kansas City, Mo., resident, in town for a conference, was seeing the ocean for the first time.

"This is amazing," he said.

Officials planned to close bridges leading to the beach when winds picked up later Monday. Emergency yellow trucks with flashing red lights and red flags drove up and down the mostly deserted beach warning people to stay out of the water.

Florida Panhandle military bases sent nonessential personnel home early and moved aircraft inland. Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding told most employees at three shipyards in Mississippi and Louisiana to stay home.

In Robertsdale, Ala., a handful of evacuees showed up at the Baldwin County Coliseum, which had enough room to shelter 3,800 people.

Nancy Box, 68, of Gulf Shores, Ala., said she hoped the storm fizzled but did not want to chance riding it out in her elevated town house on the beach.

"They said the waves were going to be pretty high," she said. "The last time there was a storm, they came over the berm, and I don't swim."

Forecasters predicted Ida's storm surge could raise water levels 3 to 5 feet above normal.

In Louisiana and Mississippi, officials were concerned about hundreds of people still living in federally issued trailers and mobile homes after hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005.

Fred Everhardt, a councilman in southeast Louisiana's St. Bernard Parish, was frustrated driving around and counting camper-trailers he worried would get loose and clog bayous or ram into homes elevated and rebuilt after Hurricane Katrina.

He said local officials are taking the situation seriously, but he doesn't think everyone is.

"We thought the season was over with, people are just hoping (this) just blows away, it doesn't come," he said. "When you're in parish government ... we've got to prepare for the worst and hope for the best."

Not everyone was complacent. In Navarre Beach, a few miles east of Pensacola, Roger Dick, 64, boarded up his windows and readied his generator as he and his wife prepared for their first storm as Florida residents. They moved a year ago from Ann Arbor, Mich., to a home a block from the beach.

"Neighbors are all pitching in, looking out for each other," he said. "Any storm like this, even though we're rookies, we know there's cause for concern and we've taken precautions, obviously. We're not just gonna throw our hands up and see what happens."

Still others marveled that they were dealing with a storm at all so late in the season.

"It might have been wishful thinking, but we thought hurricane season was over," said Kelby Linn, a Realtor in Dauphin Island, south of Mobile, Ala. "I have jeans on instead of shorts. That's just wrong, but we've experienced it so much, we know it's nothing to fear."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091109/...opical_weather

Tropical Storm Ida bears down on US Gulf Coast
by Allen Johnson
1 hr 32 mins ago

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (AFP) – New Orleans braced itself Monday for the arrival of tropical storm Ida, packing strong winds despite weakening after cutting a swath of destruction along the coast of Central America.

Ida was set to make landfall in Mississippi early Tuesday, but tropical force winds were expected to reach from Louisiana to Florida as early as Monday afternoon.

"We urge people to take precautions and watch their children," Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal said at a press conference.

Storm tides could be six feet higher than normal, resulting in "nuisance flooding" on low-lying roads across the Louisiana coastline, Jindal said.

And strong winds could snap tree limbs and knock out power, the governor said as trees across New Orleans began to sway under darkening skies.

However, the US Army Corps of Engineers is "confident" that the vast network of levees, pumps and drainage canals will protect New Orleans from serious flooding, Jindal added.

The Big Easy is still rebuilding from the devastation wrought after Hurricane Katrina knocked out levees and flooded most of the low-lying city four years ago.

Ida, which on Sunday was a category two hurricane on the five-level Saffir-Simpson scale, weakened to a tropical storm on Monday, officials at the Miami-based National Hurricane Center said.

At 1800 GMT, Ida was located about 185 kilometers (115 miles) southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi river moving towards the northwest at 30 kilometers (18 miles per hour), the NHC said.

The tail end of Ida coupled with a low pressure system in the Pacific caused heavy flooding in El Salvador that killed 130 people, civil defense officials said Monday. President Mauricio Funes declared a state of emergency.

Landslides and overflowing rivers carried away homes, while a raging torrent ripped through an entire section of the town of Tepetitan. Some of the bodies were taken to a chapel and covered in mud-caked sheets.

El Salvador had been on a state of alert since Thursday as heavy rains associated with Ida began to fall on the region, destroying an estimated 930 homes and leaving some 13,000 people homeless in Nicaragua.

Torrential rain has also struck the neighboring nations of Mexico, Honduras and Guatemala.

But on Monday Ida's fury weakened as he storm brushed past Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, where it dumped heavy rain but caused no casualties or major damage in the popular resort of Cancun.

Schools in New Orleans and the suburbs were closed Monday.

Motorists were urged to stay off the road if possible, especially after dark. Storm shelters were opened in the more vulnerable areas and National Guard troops were placed on alert. Sandbags were offered to residents in flood-prone areas.

Officials announced "voluntary evacuations" for low-lying areas outside the city's levee protection system, especially fishing communities on the state's storm-eroded coast.

"If people are thinking about evacuating they need to do it now," said Louisiana state police sergeant Markus Smith.

This year, the Pacific's El Nino ocean-warming phenomenon has resulted in an especially calm Atlantic hurricane season -- a welcome respite for Caribbean and southeastern US residents still smarting from a 2008 pounding.

There have only been two other hurricanes in the 2009 Atlantic season, which runs from June 1 to November 30.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20091109...usweatherstorm

Quote:

There have only been two other hurricanes in the 2009 Atlantic season, which runs from June 1 to November 30.

I stand corrected....