With Cristobal en route, Gulf Coast states prepare for 1st tropical threat amid pandemic

Mark Puleo
6 min read
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Tropical Storm Cristobal is preparing to invade the United States this weekend, and while meteorologists continue to analyze its strength and track, residents across Louisiana and throughout the Gulf Coast began their preparation days ago.

Although its strengthening turned Cristobal into the earliest-ever third named storm of the hurricane season, Louisiana officials made sure the fast start to the season didn't catch anyone by surprise, especially during this pandemic era. In New Orleans, preparations began early in the week as the city office urged residents to review hurricane plans and adjust for COVID-19.

"As always during hurricane season, residents are reminded to review emergency plans, gather emergency supplies, and stay informed," the city wrote in a Tuesday press release. "Hurricane preparedness information, including how to account for the ongoing threat of the COVID-19 pandemic, is available at ready.nola.gov/hurricane."

As of June 5, over 41,000 people in the state had tested positive for COVID-19, which has proved fatal for over 2,800, according to the Louisiana Department of Health. Orleans Parish and neighboring Jefferson Parish have accounted for more than one-third of those cases, according to NOLA.com.

To address potential shelter concerns while respecting social distancing policies, Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said in a Wednesday press conference that the state made agreements to use hotels where possible instead of regular, open-area shelters like in years past.

"I do hope that everyone will stay safe this weekend both from the tropical weather and from COVID-19," Edwards said during a press conference. "...As always, prepare for the worst and pray for the best," he said.

He asked that residents monitor the weather in their area closely by keeping up with local forecasts, alerts from the National Weather Service and updates from local officials.

In Baton Rouge, Director of Emergency Preparedness Clay Reeves told The Advocate that he expects to drastically decrease the capacity of his community's shelter for similar reasons.

"Normally, if we house people for a short period of time, we give them 10 square feet per person, and, if it's overnight, 20 square feet per person," Reeves told the Advocate. "In a COVID-19 environment, the Department of Children and Family Services recommends 45 square feet per person."

Along with reviewing plans, New Orleans residents were encouraged to prepare for the extensive rainfall the area can expect to see over the weekend. The city asked for leaves and debris to be cleared from gutters and catch basins in order to increase drainage and asked drivers to be cautious when parking on the street in order to reduce street flooding.

"Even though it is still too early to know exactly what this system is going to do, we know it's going to be a rainy few days in Louisiana," Edwards tweeted on Wednesday. "We could see impacts across the Louisiana coast from this storm, and everyone should be prepared and take it seriously."

A woman walks out of a restaurant on Frenchman Street in New Orleans, Friday, May 15, 2020, next to a boarded up window that has been decorated with a painting of musician Louis Armstrong. The clubs and restaurants that are usually packed with people listening to music are closed as the city has fought to slow the spread of the coronavirus. (Rebecca Santana/AP Photo)

"I don't want anyone to focus too much on the specific track, but rather the cone, because that cone clearly shows you that everything in Louisiana will likely be impacted," Edwards said in the press conference. "The most reasonable worst-case scenario that we've been told by the National Weather Service is to expect 10 to 15 inches of rain on the east side of the storm, that's going to fall over a 48-hour period. That's a lot of rain."

Forecasters are predicting an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 16 inches in the U.S. Gulf Coast states, with landfall likely across the central coast of Louisiana late Sunday or Sunday evening.

"The worst of the conditions from Cristobal will end up being on the eastern side of the storm," AccuWeather Chief On-Air Meteorologist Bernie Rayno said, adding that most of the storm's rainfall will be skewed toward the eastern side of the system. He noted that's why people can't let their guard down, even if they are not near the center of the storm's window of movement.

Ahead of the storm, Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards requested President Donald Trump declare a pre-landfall emergency for the state effective Friday, June 5.

"We are confident that there will be widespread, heavy rainfall and coastal flooding," Edwards said in a press release. "I anticipate the need for emergency protective measures, evacuations, and sheltering for the high-risk areas... At this time, due to the dangers presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, sheltering activities will need to include non-congregated settings."

Near Cancun, Mexico, Cristobal dumped more than 14 inches of rain over a 48-hour period ending early Thursday, according to local reports. The large storm slowed to a crawl across southern Mexico this past week, resulting in serious flooding and damage in some areas.

New Orleans Homeland Security Director Colin Arnold said officials have prepared for the worst-case scenario, and he has ensured that downtown areas and construction sites are ready for the heavy winds, according to NOLA.com.

Throughout the southern portion of the state, parish officials have opened sandbag locations and are offering the bags to residents for free. At the five different locations, residents are being asked to bring their own shovels and prepare their own bags.

While the impacts are expected to be most severe in Louisiana, the impact range could spread from east Texas to the Florida Panhandle. Harris County Chief Executive Lina Hidalgo began warning residents on Twitter to prepare on Tuesday.

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) announced a risk of "life-threatening storm surge" from portions of Louisiana to the Florida Big Bend in its Friday night update.

In Mississippi, closures and cancellations began on Wednesday as officials in the southern portion of the state prepare for dangerous coastal conditions.

"As winds increase with the strengthening storm, seas over the Gulf of Mexico are expected to transition from choppy to very rough this weekend," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said, adding that there would be an uptick in rip currents as well.

Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.

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