grandisle

Yikes Ike!

If you missed them, I back tracked and put up four posts about how we prepared for Hurricane Gustav and the following evacuation. Please go back and check them out, if you haven’t already.

My family and I are still in North Louisiana experiencing the hospitality and lovely home of LilSis (Heather Here). BigSis and her family have gone back south, as power was restored to their homes yesterday. I hope they found things well there.

However, I can’t breathe a sigh of relief just yet. Hurricane Ike is churning out there and is due in the Gulf of Mexico mid-week. We are already praying. Will you join us?

Right now, even though it’s five days away, models are forecasting a direct hit on Southeast Louisiana again.

The report about wetland loss due to Gustav is preliminary, but the aerial photography shows significant barrier island loss–losses our coastline could not afford.

Photo provided by U.S. Geological Survey's National Wetlands Research Center in Lafayette
Photo provided by U.S. Geological Survey's National Wetlands Research Center in Lafayette

The Louisiana wetlands lose about 25 sq. miles a year to subsidence. Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005 caused about 217 sq. miles of wetland damage and loss–a 10-year loss in one month. The result is that there is now way less marsh to protect the freshwater areas further inland from tidal surge and our homes from flooding from that same surge.

When Gustav made landfall right over my bayou town, that put the coastline to the East of us in the “buffer zone”. Grand Isle served as a barrier island and buffer zone to reduce the storm surge from about 15 feet down to 8 by the time it reached my parish. Fortunately, a little old levee held up to that 8-foot surge, preventing 10,000 of us from flooding, and protecting what wetlands we have left after the 2005 damage.

I’m up early this morning because I am concerned. Grand Isle was a sacrificial island for us, but they and those further west were not as fortunate as we. And another direct hit in this vicinity would be devestating.

So, how do we pray? For dissolution? For downgrade? For mercy? All of the above.

CYPRESS HOUSE HURRICANE UPDATE:

I received a report yesterday that the area behind those appliances and the lean-to to the left were blown down. A window I failed to cover on the front porch lost a couple panes of glass. Yes, those losses seem minimal to me, and we’re fortunate that is all the damage.

However, I’m not down there assessing the damage and covering that window, so I sit here and fret hoping that Ike does not deal us another blow. I want to go home, but it doesn’t seem wise or prudent.

I covet your prayers — again.

BW

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18 Comments

  1. We are certainly praying for you all! Louisiana just can’t seem to catch a break can it!!!! We just came through TS Hanna, which came and went with a wimper. Ya’ll be safe!

  2. I’ll send thoughts of hope for things to go well and send thoughts of faith to give strength to see all through what must be.
    Be safe and keep Faith.

  3. Carol – I was remembering Hugo and your grandmother while TS Hanna was making her way up the coastline.

    Kristin – Welcome to the bayou and thanks so much for your prayers!

    J – again, you are so faithful to encourage us! We do appreciate you. We will keep the faith.
    BW

  4. I know Gustav was bad, but it could have been much worse. A testament to the work of God! He is indeed a more powerful force than mother nature. If prayers and tears are enough to turn Ike, Louisiana will indeed be spared. I, for one, am looking to the Lord for a second miracle — and will keep praying for you and those along the coast. I know firsthand the bayou people and the coast cannot endure much more. Stay safe – and God bless!

  5. All righty its a moving. Keep praying. Focus your thoughts like baby jesus baked n a cake, like boiled eggs floating on gumbo, like red beans next Monday, nothing to this with the world wide web. Going sacaulait fishing in am I’ll be commune with the high powers most of the day.

    See you soon, TW.

  6. Looks like Ike is headed to TX. I’m hoping you won’t have to take another beating. I’m glad you’re somewhere safe and seem to be enjoying it. 🙂

  7. Ike’s 8:00 path shows heading to Texas . . .I pray for the sake of Louisianna it remains on this course if it just will not dissipate first !! (no offense to Texans, 🙂 just hate to see a place get it twice, in less than two weeks!)

    Take Care!

  8. Enjoy your visit with lilsis and family. We will continue to keep yall and the entire south Louisiana coast in our prayers.
    Debbi

  9. Yep, it looks like Texas! And yes I hope it dissipates, too! I just got word that we have “power” down the bayou, so I will start making plans to head home. I think I’ll hang here one more day and watch Ike to make sure that path is a done deal! And thanks againe, everyone, for the good thoughts and well wishes.
    BW

  10. Good luck fishing, Blu, and I hope to be doing some of that here pretty quick myself!

    And to everyone else: Sometimes you have to wear your “Decoder Ring” to understand Blu’s comments, so let me know if you’d like to order one! Meanwhile, let me decode that comment:

    “I read a post by Choupique (not to be confused with Choupiquer) on a kayak fishing site that the fishing was good in Lake Pontchartrain.”

    Got that, everyone?
    BW

  11. PS I’m still in North Louisiana watching Ike to make sure he doesn’t fake us out by zigging when he should have zagged! I think I might follow the birds south maybe Friday.
    BW

  12. You just wait till I crack open that Rosetta Stone Deutsch language course, missy. I’ll probably have to register with the UN and Capt. John.

    Oh yeah got some upper respiratory stuff going on, another Gustav hangover I bet.