Hurricane Ida

[BandB]

Wifey B: Maybe I missed it. Otherwise surprised no mention of Ida here. I'm safely thousands of miles away but sure feel for those in Louisiana. It's supposed to hit as a CAT 3 or 4 with tremendous rainfall and surge. Right now it's got winds of 105 mph and supposed to strengthen to 130 by morning and make landfall by tomorrow evening and drop strength then. It's fast moving at 14 mph. Louisiana just keeps getting hit like this. I feel for all there and my best hopes to all our TF'ers in the area. It does look like it's impact will be fairly narrow, but still awful if you're in it's path.

 

[Benthic2]

It's up to a Cat 4 and still has some time to grow.

 

[Alaskaflyer]

Cousin’s family living near Tulane. Both are doctors, they are riding it out. Fortunately, their street is above river/canal water levels and weathered Katrina relatively well.

 

[Group9]

They started evacuating harbors in Mississippi on Friday. Our boat is in its usual Hurricane hole. So far, here, nothing but occasional 40 mph bands and gusts.

Poor Grand Isle is getting it again.

 

[rgano]

They started evacuating harbors in Mississippi on Friday. Our boat is in its usual Hurricane hole. So far, here, nothing but occasional 40 mph bands and gusts.

Poor Grand Isle is getting it again.

With your exception, there seem to be few to none of us in the "Nawlins" area for firsthand reports. Maybe we can get my brother in Orange Beach, AL to comment, but he told me last night they we not even going to pull their trawler off their canal-side pier.

Here in the PC area the water is about a foot and a half higher than normal, and I expect the pier to go under water tonight at high tide. Winds will be southerly in the twenties thrashing our bayou all Tuesday as Ida crosses over us to the north.

 

[Group9]

With your exception, there seem to be few to none of us in the "Nawlins" area for firsthand reports. Maybe we can get my brother in Orange Beach, AL to comment, but he told me last night they we not even going to pull their trawler off their canal-side pier.

Here in the PC area the water is about a foot and a half higher than normal, and I expect the pier to go under water tonight at high tide. Winds will be southerly in the twenties thrashing our bayou all Tuesday as Ida crosses over us to the north.

I just went down to the BSL harbor ( I only live a few blocks away). 40 knots of steady wind, and waves breaking over the harbor walls. There were four sailboats still in the harbor this morning, but only three above water now. A couple of more feet of surge (or high tide) and it’s going to be a washing machine in there.

 

[Group9]

The harbor and one sailboat that is on the beach from somewhere.

 

[hmason]

Broadcasting live on the Weather Channel.

 

[BandB]

We had a member, Steve, from Houma, right in the target area, but he hasn't posted since before the pandemic. Does anyone know anything further about him or his status since?

 

[rgano]

I am personally acquainted with Steve. He got out of boating. I'll check in on him now and get back.

 

[rgano]

Steve lives in Thibodaux, LA which he says will experience some street flooding and maybe 60-MPH gusts in a few hours when the storm reaches full potential there. He sold Gumbo his trawler (kept in Houma) several years ago and now owns only his 17-ft Whaler and a fish camp way down in the bayous at Cocodrie. His son owns beach a front house at Waveland - oops.

 

[BandB]

Steve lives in Thibodaux, LA which he says will experience some street flooding and maybe 60-MPH gusts in a few hours when the storm reaches full potential there. He sold Gumbo his trawler (kept in Houma) several years ago and now owns only his 17-ft Whaler and a fish camp way down in the bayous at Cocodrie. His son owns beach a front house at Waveland - oops.

Wifey B: Thanks...I just feared he was a Covid victim. Glad to know he'd doing well. He was always so helpful to those coming through the area.

 

[rgano]

He is a nice guy, and we were happy to host his wife and him in Gumbo at our pier when they were in our area.

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Mr. G9. Are there piers attached to those pilings? If so, how far under water are they now? Please be safe everyone.

 

[Sailor of Fortune]

Shell oils' rig/drill ship "Shell Mars" has broken loose in GOM 130 NM offshore. Crane is swinging wildly and she lost all her liferafts with 105 people aboard in reported 85' seas.... Prayers for the crew

 

[angus99]

Shell oils' rig/drill ship "Shell Mars" has broken loose in GOM 130 NM offshore. Crane is swinging wildly and she lost all her liferafts with 105 people aboard in reported 85' seas.... Prayers for the crew

God, that’s awful. Was it the ship or platform, Jack? The news stories seem to be focused on the platform.

 

[oguidry]

Several media sources said “ Shell said it is shutting in production and evacuating all personnel from the Ursa, Mars, Olympus, and Appomattox platforms. In addition, production has been shut in at Stones, Auger, and Enchilada/Salsa. Also, non-essential personnel continue to be moved from all eight of its assets.”

 

[rardoin]

Shell oils' rig/drill ship "Shell Mars" has broken loose in GOM 130 NM offshore. Crane is swinging wildly and she lost all her liferafts with 105 people aboard in reported 85' seas.... Prayers for the crew

All human assets are evacuated well in advance of any tropical storms/hurricanes. Mars survived Katrina and many other storms. I throw the B.S. flag on this one. I’ve pulled many tuna and wahoo from the waters around Mars years back. It is quite a structure….a tension leg floating platform.

 

[Benthic2]

The Mississippi River has reversed flow due to Ida !!

 

[Sailor of Fortune]

God, that’s awful. Was it the ship or platform, Jack? The news stories seem to be focused on the platform.

Ian, not real sure but it hardly matters... Bad situation for the crew

 

[cardude01]

I think we are getting numb from all the huge hurricanes maybe?

I have an apartment in Nola in the Bywater, so I am watching it with much interest.

 

[High Wire]

Careful of the Twitterverse trolls. Sounds like BS.

 

[cardude01]

Shell oils' rig/drill ship "Shell Mars" has broken loose in GOM 130 NM offshore. Crane is swinging wildly and she lost all her liferafts with 105 people aboard in reported 85' seas.... Prayers for the crew

Oh crap! Hope they make it ok.

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Mr. HW, et al. I read the same "news" regarding Mars adrift on a conspiracy site I visit. Was "reported" @ 14:30 EDT. It's on the internet so it MUST be true....

 

[OldDan1943]

I am on the east coast of FL, a big north of Miami. I have broadcast TV.
There is a total lack of Ida coverage. CBS does have live coverage on the net.
I guess the levies are holding.
Oil platform adrift in the Gulf, 22 barges floating free on the river, 2 ferries had broken loose but since recovered.
And yet, no one seems to be excited.

 

[twistedtree]

I have broadcast TV.
.

There’s the problem. Just turn it off.

 

[OldDan1943]

There’s the problem. Just turn it off.

LOL How can I watch NCIS without TV?

 

[Group9]

Greetings,
Mr. G9. Are there piers attached to those pilings? If so, how far under water are they now? Please be safe everyone.

At that point the piers were only about two or three feet underwater. From what I'm hearing it got higher after I took that picture. Especially since high tide was about 4:00 a.m., and we've had some pretty steady 50 60 mph winds out of the Southeast all night.

 

[angus99]

Greetings,
It's on the internet so it MUST be true....

Or maybe not?

From Argus Media:

Shell said it appeared its Mars platform in the US Gulf of Mexico did not break free from its anchorage as Hurricane Ida came ashore in Louisiana today.

"Following a flyover this afternoon in the Gulf of Mexico for a general assessment, the United States Coast Guard reported visual confirmation that Mars, Olympus, and Ursa remain on location," the company said, referring to other offshore oil and natural gas production platforms. "Shell has scheduled our own flyover tomorrow afternoon to assess several of our assets, including Mars, Olympus and Ursa in the Mars Corridor."

A Facebook post on 29 August said that the platform 130 miles south of New Orleans had "broken loose" and was "floating free in the Gulf of Mexico." The post, which was later taken down, circulated on social media as the Category 4 hurricane brought destructive wind and storm surge to southeastern Louisiana, causing widespread power outages, infrastructure damage onshore, and shut in nearly 96pc of Gulf oil production.

The same 36,500-ton offshore platform was badly damaged in 2005 by Hurricane Katrina. That storm, which made landfall in Louisiana 16 years ago to the day, ripped subsurface drilling equipment from the floor of the Gulf and blew over a 350-ton drilling rig on the platform.

 

[Sailor of Fortune]

Thats some good news!