68-651: The Fort Pike Bridge (also known as the Rigolets Bridge ), named after nearby Fort Pike , carries U.S. Route 90 across the Rigolets on the eastern side of Lake Pontchartrain between New Orleans and Slidell in Louisiana . It is owned and operated by Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development The bridge opened on June 9, 1930, and along with the Chef Menteur Bridge provided
136-448: A hurricane hunter aircraft to investigate the system. At the time, the system had a well-defined outflow in all but the southeast and southwest quadrants, and data from the hurricane-hunter aircraft confirmed that the tropical depression had strengthened into a tropical storm, which was soon designated Tropical Storm Gustav. A brief period of disorganization proved to be temporary as a well-defined eye wall formed that same night. In
204-477: A Category 2 hurricane late on August 31, and remained at that intensity until landfall on the morning of September 1 near Cocodrie, Louisiana . Weakening continued, and Gustav weakened to a tropical storm that evening and to a tropical depression the next day as it meandered around the south-central US. The weak system became extratropical on September 4 and was absorbed by another low on September 5. In total, an estimated 153 deaths had been attributed to Gustav in
272-549: A Category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale , with sustained winds near 125 mph (201 km/h). Gustav continued its rapid deepening trend, and three hours later, it had already reached Category 4 strength. Gustav's maximum sustained winds had reached 150 mph (240 km/h) with a minimum pressure of 941 millibars. On August 30, Gustav made landfall twice on Cuba : first, on Isla de la Juventud and then on
340-402: A devastating storm surge through the area. The new bridge is just over one mile (1.6 km) in length and features two 12-foot (3.7 m) lanes with 8-foot (2.4 m) shoulders on both sides. The bridge rises to 72 feet (22 m) to allow marine traffic to pass without interruption of bridge traffic. The new span opened to traffic on January 15, 2008. After completion of the new span,
408-580: A free route between New Orleans and the Mississippi Gulf Coast. This was the site of Jayne Mansfield 's death in June 1967. A new span was constructed just to the north of the old span. Construction of a new $ 50 million high-rise bridge began in October 2004. The new bridge was built by Massman Construction Co., of Kansas City, MO. It was delayed by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, which pushed
476-439: A helicopter counting the number of vessels and barges that potentially would be a safety issue to people, property, and the levee system during a hurricane. Parish officials called the owners of about 150 vessels and told them to move the vessels or the parish would sink them. 70 of the 150 were sunk, some by the parish, some by the owners. [1] Also, parish officials started a last-ditch effort to save Belle Chasse by constructing
544-404: A pronounced eye as it made landfall on Haiti, with 75 mph (121 km/h) winds, near the town of Jacmel. As the hurricane moved over Haiti's mountainous terrain its circulation was disrupted and it lost a little strength. Although downgraded to a tropical storm, it still had a pronounced eye in its mid- and upper-level structures. Its outflow improved throughout the night of August 26, and
612-655: A rear wall collapsed. The roof of the Houma-Terrebonne Chamber of Commerce was also blown away. Overall, the area was considered to have dodged a bullet. Had the storm come ashore farther west, the Intracoastal Waterway would have been a highway for storm surge to penetrate into the heart of Houma. However, flooding was relatively minor in the region. Central Louisiana was also hard hit. Many trees and power lines were knocked down in that region as well, and many houses sustained damage from
680-427: A red alert and advised the population to take precautions, but few Haitians took heed. Fair weather led many to doubt whether a hurricane was even approaching. American Airlines canceled all of its flights into and out of Port-au-Prince on August 26, stranding travelers hoping to escape the storm. On August 25, Carnival Cruise Lines diverted one of its ships from Montego Bay , Jamaica , to Mexico in order to avoid
748-411: A result of the hurricane. Some 2,100 houses were destroyed and another 8,150 damaged, causing an estimated 7,200 people to live in temporary shelters, including churches, community centers and schools. In Jamaica, 15 deaths were reported after Gustav swept through the area as a tropical storm. Flash flooding was also reported on the island as a result of Gustav's heavy rains. The banana sector in
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#1732779774965816-486: A sand levee across Louisiana Highway 23 . Approximately eight hours later, the parish government announced the completion of the levee. The Mississippi River was shut to all ship traffic between the Gulf of Mexico and New Orleans on August 30. Pilots at Lake Charles in west Louisiana, and Sabine Pass in east Texas, also were making plans as of August 30 to halt traffic. Tulane University , Loyola University New Orleans ,
884-529: A total of 136 electric towers toppled over and that the electrical grid on Isla de la Juventud was 100% damaged. In all, damage from Hurricane Gustav totaled $ 2.1 billion in Cuba. Although the storm was still in its formative stages on August 26, fears that Hurricane Gustav might eventually disrupt oil production in the Gulf of Mexico caused oil prices to rise. On August 27, U.S. oil and natural-gas companies began evacuating personnel from their oil rigs in
952-512: Is considered Cuba's worst hurricane in 45 years, the last hurricane that was worse than Gustav for Cuba was Hurricane Flora in 1963, which was the deadliest Cuban storm since the 1932 Cuba Hurricane . Cuban Civil defense authorities initially stated that there were "many people injured" on Isla de la Juventud, an island of 87,000 people south of the mainland. Nearly all the island's roads were washed out and some regions were heavily flooded. No fatalities have been reported in Cuba, despite
1020-887: The Alabama National Guard was mobilized to assist evacuees from the other states. Governor Bob Riley called for mandatory evacuation of Dauphin Island, Plash Island, Gulf Shores, as well as everything south of Fort Morgan Road, Gulf Shores on August 31. The Mobile Regional Airport closed on August 31, and remained closed September 1. It is reopened September 2. The Bankhead Tunnel in Mobile , Alabama , closed on August 31. On Friday, August 29 several state rural waters associations activated their Water Agency Response Networks to prepare for Gustav's landfall. WARN systems are agreements between rural water associations and government agencies in neighboring states that coordinate
1088-537: The Battle of Lake Borgne . General Jackson's engineer, Major Latour, lamented upon the state of the fort in 1814. Postwar, it was decided to improve the coastal defences with the creation of Fort Pike commencing in 1819 to replace the earlier fort. It was the first of three forts to be constructed in Louisiana under the postwar "Third System", along with Fort Jackson, Louisiana , and Fort Livingston, Louisiana . During
1156-658: The Democratic National Convention in Denver , Colorado , to assist in preparations. The residents of low-lying Grand Isle, Louisiana , were under a voluntary evacuation order beginning August 29. Traditionally, the community is one of the first to vacate when tropical storms threaten. Residents of lower Cameron Parish , Louisiana , were also given a voluntary evacuation order on August 29. Mandatory evacuation orders have since been given. In Plaquemines Parish , Parish President Billy Nungesser flew in
1224-509: The Gulf Outlet . High water splashed over the floodwalls onto new splash guards (designed to prevent foundation erosion), but the walls were not breached. Minor street flooding began in the upper Ninth Ward of New Orleans . In Baton Rouge, Louisiana , it was considered to be the worst storm to hit the area since Hurricane Betsy in 1965. An elderly couple was killed when a tree fell on the house they were temporarily staying in and 85% of
1292-587: The Interstate 20 corridor. Highest rainfall totals received thus far across the state include 16.37 inches (416 mm) near Bunkie , Louisiana , and 19.17 inches (487 mm) at Barataria Bay Pass. President Bush declared 34 Louisiana parishes as disaster areas and visited the area on September 3. On Wednesday, September 3, field staff and emergency supplies from the Arkansas Rural Water Association departed to assist
1360-504: The Louisiana Rural Water Association restore water and wastewater service to impacted communities. Staff and supplies from other state associations, including Alabama, Mississippi and Florida went on stand-by the same day. By Friday, September 5, response teams from Arkansas, Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi were assisting efforts to restore water and wastewater service. There was little structural damage to
1428-642: The National Register of Historic Places in 1972. It was maintained as part of a state park, known as the Fort Pike State Historic Site . Before Hurricane Katrina, the fort's brick-and-mortar structure was decaying. The 2005 storm surge exacerbated the problems. It temporarily completely submerged the entire fort, and destroyed adjacent state park buildings. The site officially reopened on May 2, 2008. However, due to damage caused by Hurricane Gustav in early September 2008,
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#17327797749651496-582: The Reliant Astrodome will not be used as a shelter for evacuees if Hurricane Gustav hits New Orleans because Houston is also vulnerable to Hurricane Gustav. Emmett said that it would make more sense to evacuate to a more inland area. Voluntary evacuations of Jefferson and Orange Counties started on August 30 with mandatory evacuations in the two counties started on August 31. Also, the Texas Governor deployed other assets to help handle
1564-869: The Seminole Wars in Florida through the 1820s, the US temporarily held Seminole Indians here who had been taken prisoner. They were eventually transported to the Seminole Reservation in Indian Territory (now Oklahoma.) The Louisiana Continental Guard took control of the fort in 1861, just weeks before Louisiana joined the Confederacy and the American Civil War began. When Union forces captured New Orleans in 1862,
1632-684: The Texas Military Forces on August 29 in response to the possible crisis, in addition to preparations made by other agencies. As of August 29, other preparations in Texas to deal with Gustav and its effects were implemented. Some evacuees were being placed in Northeast Texas, including in Dallas County , Tarrant County , and Tyler , Texas. In Harris County , Texas, the administrative County Judge Ed Emmett said that
1700-582: The U.S. and Caribbean . Damage in the U.S. totaled to $ 6 billion (2008 USD) with additional damage of $ 2.1 billion in Cuba and $ 210 million in damage in Jamaica. Gustav formed out of a tropical wave that had previously produced t-rain and squalls in the Lesser Antilles . It developed well-defined curved bands and briefly exhibited an upper-level eye feature . The NHC designated it Tropical Depression Seven and dispatched
1768-458: The University of New Orleans , and Xavier University of Louisiana all closed their campuses for the entire week but resumed classes on the following Monday of September 8, 2008. The University of Louisiana at Lafayette also canceled classes for September 2 and 3, as did Louisiana State University and Baton Rouge Community College . On September 1, Plaquemines Parish officials asked
1836-592: The Confederate forces evacuated Fort Pike. The Union reestablished control of the installation, using it as a base for raids. The fort also became a site for training of United States Colored Troops , established in 1864. These soldiers in the South included mostly former slaves. The fort was abandoned by the United States Army in 1890. No cannon was ever fired in battle at Fort Pike. It was listed on
1904-470: The Gulf of Mexico amid continued forecasts that Gustav would strengthen and move into the gulf. By August 30, 76.77% of oil production and 37.16% of natural gas production in the Gulf of Mexico had been shut in . By mid-day August 31, 96% of oil production had stopped. Out at sea, one death was reported. Sunk in the Gulf as an artificial reef in 2006, the USS ; Oriskany (CV-34) shifted and
1972-621: The Haitian coast, north of Port-au-Prince to the northern border with the Dominican Republic. Hours later, when Gustav was upgraded to a tropical storm, the tropical storm warning was upgraded to a hurricane warning and the tropical storm watch was upgraded to a hurricane warning. The Haitian government ordered emergency shelters to prepare. The country is particularly vulnerable to floods and landslides as rainfall runs off its largely deforested mountains. The government issued
2040-461: The afternoon of August 30 as Gustav strengthened to a strong Category 4 hurricane, particularly in the low-lying Pinar del Río Province where 190,000 were evacuated. On Monday, September 1, Cuban officials reported that Gustav's 155 mph (249 km/h) winds damaged or destroyed 90,000 homes in Pinar del Río, and knocked down 80 high-tension towers. The combined damage estimate from Gustav and
2108-442: The afternoon. By that afternoon, 1.9 million people had evacuated southern Louisiana, with 200,000 being residents of New Orleans alone, making it the largest evacuation in the history of Louisiana. Officials had finalized evacuation plans, which proposed assisted evacuations as early as August 29: Contraflow lane reversal on all major highways, and 700 buses to help move evacuees. For those evacuees in need of shelter,
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2176-467: The area lost power. The community of Houma , Louisiana , and the surrounding area in south-central Louisiana sustained extensive wind damage. The winds blew off many roofs, blew windows out of houses and knocked down many trees and left much of the region without power. Shingles and awnings were scattered throughout downtown Houma. At Ellender High in Houma, the school's new gym was heavily damaged, with
2244-451: The center, and tropical-storm-force winds extended 200 miles (320 km). That night, by 10 pm CDT, Gustav had been downgraded to a Tropical Storm with winds of 60 mph (97 km/h) about 20 miles (32 km) southwest of Alexandria , Louisiana and by 4 am CDT on September 2 Gustav had diminished to a Tropical Depression with a threat of severe flooding in the lower Mississippi Valley and eastern Texas. Immediately upon
2312-503: The city limits of New Orleans. The fort's ruins have long been a tourist attraction with periods of abandonment. The fort was damaged by the Hurricane Katrina storm surge in 2005, and closed for a period. It also had to be closed following Hurricanes Gustav and Isaac in 2008 and 2012, respectively. A fort had been constructed in 1793 at Petit Coquilles, and was the intended destination of Jones's gunboat squadron prior to
2380-491: The city of Jacmel. While inland, Gustav's rains triggered a landslide in the community of Benet which killed one person. Two more were killed in southwestern Haiti when their house collapsed. Another two deaths were caused by an explosion inside a house, thought to be possibly related to Hurricane Gustav. The southern town of Jacmel, where the hurricane made landfall, was bisected by floodwaters. According to Haiti's National Director of Civil Protection, 77 people died as
2448-608: The coast, after evacuation. Nearly 2 million people had evacuated from south Louisiana in the days before Gustav's arrival. The city of New Orleans had the official reopening date on Thursday (September 4), after crews had restored most electric power and other services. Damage assessments came as residents returned to inspect their properties. Damage included numerous trees down in various locations, such as around some Marriott hotels, and large tree limbs were broken from oak trees along St. Charles Avenue. Millions of smaller branches were scattered throughout neighborhoods, blown by
2516-534: The damage caused by Gustav. Anheuser-Busch provided canned water to affected residents. In the Dominican Republic, a landslide in a rural area killed eight people. Two people were injured. Government authorities said that some 67,255 persons were evacuated and more than 1,239 homes were damaged with 12 destroyed. 50 communities were isolated by the flooding. Gustav made landfall in Haiti at approximately 1 pm EDT on August 26, about 10 miles (16 km) west of
2584-453: The early hours of August 26, as the storm approached Haiti's southwestern peninsula, another hurricane hunter aircraft confirmed what forecasters already suspected—that Gustav had strengthened into a hurricane with winds topping 90 mph (140 km/h). Before reaching Haiti, its satellite presentation continued to intensify, a central dense overcast became more prominent, and the minimum central pressure fell. Hurricane Gustav regained
2652-758: The extreme damage. By September 3, Cuba's President Raúl Castro said that 20,000 of the 25,000 houses on Isla de la Juventud were damaged. More than 90,000 homes were damaged in the western province of Pinar del Río according to government news agency AIN. 3,306 tobacco houses were destroyed, with 906 tons of tobacco leaves wet. More than 32,000 acres (130 km ) of crops were ruined, including 7,239 acres (29.30 km ) of grain and nearly 1,500 of fruit. 42,000 cans of coffee were destroyed, and 3,100 tons of grapefruit lost. 930,000 chickens had to be euthanized. According to Pinar del Río civil defense authorities, 86,000 homes were damaged, 80 electric towers and 600 electric posts fell. Cuba's electric company, indicated that
2720-519: The eyewall had traveled over 4 hours along the coast. The center of the storm continued northwest across the state, so damage and deaths were widespread in many areas. Forty-eight deaths in the state of Louisiana were blamed on Hurricane Gustav. Five were due to falling trees, two due to a tornado and the rest were indirect deaths. The tornado also injured two others. Around 1.5 million people were without power in Louisiana on September 1. The state reported about 100,000 people remained on
2788-781: The impending approach of Gustav and evacuation preparations. The New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL) proceeded with plans to evacuate from New Orleans and headed to Indianapolis , where they practiced at Lucas Oil Stadium . The Saints returned to New Orleans to play their first home game as scheduled on Sunday, September 7, defeating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 24–20. Hotel and business closures related to Gustav had impact on New Orleans's Southern Decadence celebrations, which were scheduled for August 27 through September 1, 2008. Texas Governor Rick Perry activated 5,000 members of
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2856-509: The island and, per usual practice, further visits were banned until the All Clear was given. Stores and gas stations were busy and each district office offered free plywood to protect windows and residents hurried about to secure their business interests and property. 60,000 were evacuated overnight on August 29 from Cuba's western coasts. Gustav was projected to strike Cuba on the afternoon of August 30. Additional evacuations were ordered on
2924-568: The mainland near the community of Los Palacios in Pinar del Río Province . At 2235 UTC (6:35 PM Cuba Daylight Time ), a weather station at Paso Real de San Diego recorded a wind gust of 184 knots (212 mph; 341 km/h), which at the time was the strongest wind gust from a tropical cyclone on record. By the early hours of August 31, Gustav entered the Gulf of Mexico with maximum sustained winds of 135 mph (217 km/h) and minimum central pressure of 958 millibars. During August 31,
2992-532: The morning of August 25, 2008, about 260 miles (420 km) southeast of Port-au-Prince , Haiti , and rapidly strengthened into a tropical storm that afternoon and into a hurricane early on August 26. Later that day it made landfall near the Haitian town of Jacmel . It inundated Jamaica and ravaged Western Cuba and then steadily moved across the Gulf of Mexico . Once into the Gulf, Gustav gradually weakened because of increased wind shear and dry air. It weakened to
3060-491: The morning of August 26, with Gustav still over Haiti, Louisiana emergency preparedness officials met several times to discuss predictions that Gustav would reach the state as a major hurricane in three to five days. Several areas of Louisiana planned for evacuations. Several parishes in the New Orleans area announced plans for voluntary evacuations beginning Saturday, August 30. New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin said that it
3128-487: The old bridge was demolished. Fort Pike Fort Pike State Historic Site is a decommissioned 19th-century United States fort , named after Brigadier General Zebulon Pike . It was built following the War of 1812 to guard the Rigolets pass in Louisiana , a strait from the Gulf of Mexico, via Lake Borgne , to Lake Pontchartrain bordering New Orleans . It was located near the community of Petite Coquille, now within
3196-624: The oncoming disaster. On August 27, requests and orders began for evacuations along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. All schools in Harrison County's five public school districts were closed until September 2. Several schools in Pearl River County were also confirmed closed until September 2. The University of Southern Mississippi was closed on September 2, as well as the Alcorn State University . Much of
3264-533: The parishes of St. Thomas , St. Mary and Portland suffered significant damage. The Hope River Bridge linking the capital Kingston with the eastern reaches of the city including Harbour View and St. Thomas collapsed and the Georgia bridge in Portland was destroyed. Jamaica's government ministry initially estimated US$ 41.8 million in damage to the road infrastructure in the country. Total damage in Jamaica
3332-561: The park was closed indefinitely. As of June 2009, the fort was open. It is undergoing extensive repairs and restoration work. After Hurricane Isaac in 2012, the fort was closed indefinitely pending repairs and debris cleanup. The fort was re-opened to visitors following Hurricane Isaac, but closed again in February 2015 due to state budget cuts. [REDACTED] Media related to Fort Pike at Wikimedia Commons Hurricane Gustav Hurricane Gustav ( / ˈ ɡ ʊ s t ɑː v / )
3400-531: The residents of Braithwaite , Louisiana to leave, as levee failure was considered imminent. FEMA had estimated there were only about 10,000 people left in New Orleans on September 1. One major sporting event was directly affected by the disaster preparations. On August 30, Louisiana State University (LSU) opened its 2008 football season against Appalachian State . The originally scheduled kickoff time of 4 pm CDT would have conflicted with
3468-709: The response to large water emergencies. Water technicians and trailers of portable generators, pumps, spare parts and testing equipment were readied along the Gulf Coast and neighboring states to respond to the emergency. In the aftermath, the Canadian government sent a C-17 airlifter, with a medical team, from CFB Trenton to assist in the evacuation of New Orleans. and two C-130 Hercules airlift planes from Greenwood , Nova Scotia and from Winnipeg , Manitoba . The United Kingdom sent HMS Iron Duke and RFA Wave Ruler to provide emergency assistance and assess
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#17327797749653536-401: The start of contraflow lane reversal, and Interstate 10 is a key evacuation route through Baton Rouge . Accordingly, LSU moved kickoff to 10 am CDT. A college football game between Nicholls State University and New Mexico State University , scheduled for September 4, was cancelled. The Triple-A baseball New Orleans Zephyrs cancelled the final three games of their season because of
3604-613: The state government secured tens of thousands of shelter beds. Wary of repeating the mistakes of Hurricane Katrina , authorities chose not to use the Louisiana Superdome and New Orleans Convention Center as emergency shelters. The following day, Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal declared a state of emergency , activating between 3,000 and 8,000 members of the Louisiana National Guard . Mayor of New Orleans Ray Nagin shortened his appearance at
3672-557: The storm in private homes or hotels. On Saturday August 30, 2008, Gustav made landfall on mainland Cuba near the community of Los Palacios in Pinar del Río—a region that produces much of the tobacco used to make the nation's famed cigars . In Los Palacios some 7,000 homes were roofless and many with their walls collapsed. The rice and banana farms sustained much damage. At least 300,000 people were evacuated from Gustav's path as 155 mph (249 km/h) winds toppled telephone poles and fruit trees, shattered windows and tore off
3740-517: The storm moved in a northwest direction slightly losing its strength (despite passing over a shortened Loop Current ) with sustained winds at 115 mph. On the evening of August 31, Gustav weakened to a Category 2 hurricane and remained at such intensity until landfall in the U.S. Gustav made landfall along the Louisiana coast with 105 mph (169 km/h) winds near Cocodrie, at about 9:30 a.m CDT (1430 UTC). At U.S. landfall, hurricane-force winds extended outward 70 miles (110 km) from
3808-468: The storm's designation as a tropical depression it was expected to strengthen into a tropical storm and strike the island of Hispaniola , shared by the Dominican Republic on the east and Haiti on the west. Tropical storm warnings were issued from the coast of the Dominican Republic south of Santo Domingo to the Haitian coast south of Port-au-Prince. A tropical storm watch was issued for
3876-512: The storm. Jamaica's Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) readied response systems in anticipation of Hurricane Gustav affecting the island. In the Cayman Islands , a hurricane watch was issued at 6 pm August 25 and upgraded that to a warning on 6 pm August 27. Banks and non-essential government services were closed Friday to allow residents to prepare. Extra flights were organized to get tourists off
3944-696: The strong winds. Area hotels planned to reopen the week of September 8, some by Saturday, September 6 (such as the InterContinental & 16 area Marriotts, which already had electricity restored). The Associated Press reported on the floodwall along the Industrial Canal (the Inner Harbor Navigation Canal ), which connects Lake Pontchartrain to the Mississippi River, and is susceptible to surges via
4012-747: The subsequent hurricanes Ike and Paloma is about $ 9.4 billion (USD), with about 2.1 billion of that from Gustav. On August 31, the NHC predicted with 45% probability that Gustav would remain at Category 3 or above on September 1. This influenced preparations, although in fact Gustav had dropped just below the Category ;3 threshold to Category 2 by landfall, and Category 1 shortly afterwards. Direct Relief , an emergency response organization, committed $ 250,000 in special hurricane response funds to assist nonprofit clinics, community health centers, and evacuation and shelter areas. On
4080-416: The system was not very disrupted when it moved back over water into the Gulf of Gonâve . However, the storm's movement slowed, and continued interaction with nearby Haiti, combined with the incursion of mid-level dry air from the northeast, resulted in further weakening during the day on August 27. The storm began a west-southwesterly movement that brought it closer to Jamaica. On the morning of August 28 it
4148-501: The tin roofs of homes. Cuban authorities declared that Gustav is the worst hurricane to hit the country in 50 years. Authorities called the storm damage the worst since 1956. The 211 mph (340 km/h) wind gusts registered in the city of Paso Real de San Diego were the highest in Cuba's history, according to the provincial newspaper, the Guerrillero . Winds were so strong that the weather station instruments broke. Gustav
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#17327797749654216-572: The water infrastructure, with power loss the primary difficulty. Rural water teams provided 771 on-site technical assistance visits to 370 affected water and wastewater systems. Later, the LRWA efforts received applause from the Louisiana Joint Select Committee on Homeland Security. The LSU football team postponed their game, scheduled for September 6, against Troy University and rescheduled it for November 15 after damage
4284-535: The winds and localized flooding. Part of the roof at the Alexandria Mall collapsed. Two people died in the region — one was electrocuted and one had a tree crush her trailer. The area's water supply was also hampered as power was knocked out to most of the water wells in the Alexandria and Pineville areas. Damage and significant power outages were reported as far north as northern Louisiana, in
4352-409: Was buried 10 feet deeper in the ocean floor after Gustav passed over. In the state of Louisiana, 34 parishes were declared as disaster areas. Hurricane Gustav reached the Louisiana coast on the morning of September 1, making landfall near Cocodrie, Louisiana ( see rainfall map ); however, at 9 am wind speed at Grand Isle had been 115 mph (185 km/h), the highest eyewall speed, indicating
4420-591: Was estimated at $ 210 million. In the Cayman Islands, Gustav's heavy rains and storm surge flooded the streets of Cayman Brac and Little Cayman , the smaller easternmost "Sister Islands" in the chain. More than 1,100 people spent the night in government shelters in the three islands as high waves and heavy winds battered the chain, the National Emergency Operations Center said in a statement. Most people waited out
4488-399: Was found that, overnight, Gustav had either reformed farther to the south or had moved farther to the south than previously thought. The storm was also found to have restrengthened nearly to hurricane status. It then was upgraded to a hurricane again during the late afternoon of August 29. At 11:00 a.m EDT (1500 UTC) on August 30, as Gustav neared the west end of Cuba, it was upgraded to
4556-433: Was possible thousands of people who need city help could start leaving on Saturday, as the first wave of a full-scale evacuation. Later, he ordered the mandatory evacuation of the whole of New Orleans commencing on the morning of August 31, calling Gustav "the storm of the century ... the mother of all storms." On August 31, Nagin also declared a dusk-to-dawn curfew and the cessation of city assistance in evacuations by
4624-463: Was the second most destructive hurricane of the 2008 Atlantic hurricane season . The seventh tropical cyclone , third hurricane , and second major hurricane of the season, Gustav caused serious damage and casualties in Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, the Cayman Islands, Cuba and the United States. Gustav caused at least $ 8.31 billion (2008 USD) in damages. It formed on
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