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Debrisville Twister
Feb. 15th, 2007 12:19 pmI can add one more to the list of disasters I've been through.
A tornado (or a couple of tornados, depending on what source you go by) did some damage just after 3am in the Westbank suburb of Westwego and in the Carrollton, Hollygrove, and Pontchartrain Park neighborhoods of New Orleans. The second one is mine. I only got a couple windows blown out, mostly in the attic.
The power went out about 3am with a storm front passing through. About 10 minutes later there was a sudden short severe increase in the storm, and about 6 seconds of the house shaking and a loud WHOOMP WHOOMP WHOOMP like a washing machine with an unbalanced load. I exclaimed, "Damn!" and held H's hand tighter, and it was over. Ms. H doesn't recall, saying she slept through it.
In the morning the wind-up radio had news of a tornado in Westwego and power out in Carrollton, but I didn't know about the situation in the neighborhood until I went outside and talked with a neighbor who'd already looked around. Roofs off and walls down within a few blocks walk. My neighbor said he was sleeping in his FEMA trailer when it was lifted off the ground then dropped back down.
Helicopters started circling the neighborhood.
The tornado made a narrow path of damage, like a tiny little mini-hurricane, 3 blocks or less wide, rather than 3 states. Sometimes the visible damage seemed just yards wide.
The return of debris piles and roofing nails in the streets gave the neighborhood a sense of this time last year.
Unlike the big disaster of '05, response has been prompt, with a slew of police, Louisiana National Guard, debris clearers, and Entergy crews pouring into the area. (Of course a proportional response to Katrina was impossible when the Federal Government decides Americans should be left to die for the crime of living somewhere known to harbor people who vote for Democrats.)
Multiple busy crews were erecting new utility poles, tarping damaged roofs, boarding up broken windows, and clearing debris, with lots of work already done when I came home Tuesday evening.
The area was mostly dark the first night, with regular cop car and humvee patrols. Crews have done a good job of restoring power to most of the area except the blocks most severely effected. I'm glad to have power back, especially as it is expected to get below freezing tonight.
Times-Picayune article yesterday
Picyune today
Picayune photos
5 photos of mine and links to more pix on nola_photos LJ
A tornado (or a couple of tornados, depending on what source you go by) did some damage just after 3am in the Westbank suburb of Westwego and in the Carrollton, Hollygrove, and Pontchartrain Park neighborhoods of New Orleans. The second one is mine. I only got a couple windows blown out, mostly in the attic.
The power went out about 3am with a storm front passing through. About 10 minutes later there was a sudden short severe increase in the storm, and about 6 seconds of the house shaking and a loud WHOOMP WHOOMP WHOOMP like a washing machine with an unbalanced load. I exclaimed, "Damn!" and held H's hand tighter, and it was over. Ms. H doesn't recall, saying she slept through it.
In the morning the wind-up radio had news of a tornado in Westwego and power out in Carrollton, but I didn't know about the situation in the neighborhood until I went outside and talked with a neighbor who'd already looked around. Roofs off and walls down within a few blocks walk. My neighbor said he was sleeping in his FEMA trailer when it was lifted off the ground then dropped back down.
Helicopters started circling the neighborhood.
The tornado made a narrow path of damage, like a tiny little mini-hurricane, 3 blocks or less wide, rather than 3 states. Sometimes the visible damage seemed just yards wide.
The return of debris piles and roofing nails in the streets gave the neighborhood a sense of this time last year.
Unlike the big disaster of '05, response has been prompt, with a slew of police, Louisiana National Guard, debris clearers, and Entergy crews pouring into the area. (Of course a proportional response to Katrina was impossible when the Federal Government decides Americans should be left to die for the crime of living somewhere known to harbor people who vote for Democrats.)
Multiple busy crews were erecting new utility poles, tarping damaged roofs, boarding up broken windows, and clearing debris, with lots of work already done when I came home Tuesday evening.
The area was mostly dark the first night, with regular cop car and humvee patrols. Crews have done a good job of restoring power to most of the area except the blocks most severely effected. I'm glad to have power back, especially as it is expected to get below freezing tonight.
Times-Picayune article yesterday
Picyune today
Picayune photos
5 photos of mine and links to more pix on nola_photos LJ
