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Gulf Coast Drenched, Waters Rising after Tropical Storm Bill
Written by Bonnie Gillespie, Staff Writer, RedCross.org
July 1, 2003 —
Many people in Louisiana won't be spending the Fourth of July holiday cooking out or watching fireworks - they'll be putting their lives back together, said Bob Howard with the American Red Cross from the saturated streets of New Orleans.
Many areas along the path of Tropical Storm Bill are facing the severe threats of potential flooding.
Image Courtesy of NOAA
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Tropical Storm Bill pummeled the Gulf Coast yesterday (June 30) with 60 mph winds and record rainfall that swamped communities and left more than 100,000 people without power. With one levee already burst, rising waters and persistent rainfall poses an impending danger across the southeastern U.S.
The weakening Bill, the second tropical storm of the year, was downgraded to a tropical depression as it continued a diagonal track across the South at 15 mph.
Steve Bayer with the Red Cross in Louisiana said that weather conditions on Tuesday were "nice at this point" but many people were dealing with flooding and a tornado that occurred after the storm blew ashore.
One person was seriously hurt and three suffered minor injuries in Reserve, La., when a tornado demolished a trailer home in the small community about 38 miles from New Orleans. The twister also damaged twenty other homes and a gymnasium, according to local officials.
The American Red Cross was on hand in communities across the Gulf Coast preparing residents before Tropical Storm Bill even made landfall. Damage assessment is presently underway in three states, while shelters remain open in Louisiana and Mississippi. Red Cross volunteers and staff are presently supplying food, clothing and other emergency relief items and will remain alongside disaster victims as long as needs persist.
With rains and soggy conditions continuing, so does the search for the crew of a fishing vessel caught in "Bad Bill's" fury. Coast Guard helicopters and rescue teams scoured the rough waters of the Gulf about 60 miles south of New Orleans attempting to locate a small boat that radioed for help in the midst of Monday's storm.
The latest satellite imagery shows Tropical Storm Bill inching across the southeastern U.S.
Image Courtesy of NOAA
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In the sport fishing and beach town of Grand Isle on Louisiana's southern-most coast, the lone road leading to the resort remained closed after being completely inundated during the storm. Vacationers and residents are stranded without electricity, waiting for waters to recede.
A state of emergency was declared statewide in Louisiana and in three coastal counties in Mississippi, where up to five inches of additional rainfall is expected in areas as far north as Jackson.
Meanwhile, the entire state of Alabama is under a flash flood warning and several secondary roads in Mobile County along the coast have already been washed away. At beach resorts, red flags warned tens of thousands of holiday vacationers of dangerous riptides.
An additional four to eight inches of rain are expected over portions of Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee and North Carolina, posing severe flood threats to some areas. Tornadoes are also probable as a result of the storm in parts of Alabama, Georgia and the Florida panhandle.
The Red Cross is urging residents in areas affected by Tropical Storm Bill to contact their local Red Cross or call the toll-free Red Cross hotline, 1-866-GET-INFO for:
- current shelter locations;
- safety tips and evacuation guidelines;
- where and how to receive Red Cross assistance;
- ways to reduce potential damage to the home;
- information on loved ones in the affected areas;
- referrals to emergency and mental health services;
- guidance for talking with children about disasters; and
- how you can help with a gift of time, blood or money
The Disaster Relief Fund is dangerously low -- Your Help is Needed More Than Ever
The Red Cross is using the Disaster Relief Fund to assist residents affected by tropical storms and flooding, as well as thousands of other disaster victims across the country each year. This fund is now dangerously low and we cannot meet this challenge without your help. Please help support disaster victims nationwide by contributing to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund. You can make a secure online credit card donation or call 1-800-HELP NOW (1-800-435-7669) or 1-800-257-7575 (Spanish). Or you may send your donation to your local Red Cross or to the American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, D.C. 20013.
Related Links:
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All American Red Cross disaster assistance is free, made possible by voluntary donations of time and money from the American people. The Red Cross also supplies nearly half of the nation's lifesaving blood. This, too, is made possible by generous voluntary donations. You can help the victims of thousands of disasters across the country each year by making a financial gift to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund, which enables the Red Cross to provide shelter, food, counseling and other assistance to those in need. You can make a secure online credit card donation or call 1-800-HELP NOW (1-800-435-7669) or 1-800-257-7575 (Spanish). Or you may send your donation to your local Red Cross or to the American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, D.C. 20013. To donate blood, please call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE (1-800-448-3543), or contact your local Red Cross to find out about upcoming blood drives.
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