Hurricane Gustav - 7 years ago today

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Gustav was
directly responsible for 112 deaths – 77 in Haiti, 15 in Jamaica, 8 in the Dominican Republic, 7
in Louisiana, 4 in Florida, and 1 at sea. The deaths in the Dominican Republic were due to a
landslide or mudslide. Five deaths in Louisiana were due to falling trees, while the other two
were caused by the EF2 tornado in Evangeline Parish. The deaths in Florida were drownings in
rip currents that were caused by high surf produced by the hurricane. In addition, there are 41
deaths indirectly associated with Gustav in Louisiana.

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Due to the threat of significant storm flooding associated with the landfall of a major hurricane along the Louisiana Coast, widespread evacuations took place in south Louisiana from August 29th through the 31st. Preliminary estimates indicate that 1.9 million people evacuated from south Louisiana in advance of Hurricane Gustav, Gustav eventually made landfall near Cocodrie, Louisiana, or about 70 miles southwest of New Orleans, on Labor Day morning, September 1st, as a strong Category Two Hurricane with sustained winds of 110 mph. Gustav continued to move inland across south-central Louisiana as a hurricane, dropping to tropical storm status Monday evening.

Wind damage was significant in areas from the south-central coast of Louisiana through greater Baton Rouge with this hurricane. Power was knocked out for days, some areas longer, across this region, with numerous trees down and other related wind damage. A peak wind speed of about 91 mph was reported at Ryan Field in Baton Rouge, 108 and 117 mph near Houma, Louisiana, and 72 mph at Belle Chasse Naval Air Station. Two fatalities and one injury were the result of high winds toppling a large tree into a house in East Baton Rouge Parish. A 45 year old woman also was fatally injured in Livingston Parish when high winds toppled a large tree onto her mobile home. Rainbands associated with the weakening Gustav continued over the region through Tuesday, September 2nd. Tornadoes were reported near Abita Springs and Bush in St Tammany Parish, and Westwego in Jefferson Parish on Tuesday afternoon and evening. Damage included 35 to 40 structures damaged around Westwego, including 15 total losses.

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