[31] On the evening of August 31, Gustav weakened to a Category 2 hurricane and remained at such intensity until landfall. [110], On Wednesday, September 3, field staff and emergency supplies from the Arkansas Rural Water Association departed to assist the Louisiana Rural Water Association restore water and wastewater service to impacted communities. More than 3 million people fled the oncoming hurricane. Non critical patients were evacuated but serious cases remained with full support. Hurricane Gustav / ˈ ɡ ʊ s t ɑː v / was the second most destructive hurricane of the 2008 Atlantic hurricane season.The storm was 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. "This way, the world is informed about a character a lot less known and important than Hurricane Gustav. At 11:00 a.m EDT (1500 UTC) on August 30, as Gustav neared the west end of Cuba, it was upgraded to a Category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale,[26] with sustained winds near 125 mph (205 km/h). Panhandle beaches had rip currents,[130] and officials in Pensacola Beach had been passing out pamphlets warning of deadly rip currents that could continue for days. [84] WARN systems are agreements between rural water associations and government agencies in neighboring states that coordinate the response to large water emergencies. [65] FEMA had estimated there were only about 10,000 people left in New Orleans on September 1. [citation needed], In Mississippi, damage from Gustav was far less severe than that caused by Hurricane Katrina, with its 2005 storm surge of 27 ft (7 m); however, Gustav's storm surge was high as 15 feet (4.5 m) in places on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. [137] As the hurricane approached the coast, presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain canceled all non-essential opening-day festivities at the convention[138] and said that he might give his acceptance speech via satellite from the affected area. [136] Because of the expected U.S. landfall, governors and some other political leaders from Louisiana and other states chose to stay home from the 2008 Republican National Convention. these measurements support an initial intensity of 80 kt. a dropsonde released in the eye of gustav during the last aircraft pass through the center just …
In the state of Louisiana, 34 parishes were declared as disaster areas. [5] 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 storm was the seventh tropical cyclone, third hurricane, and second major hurricane of the season. [116] 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. [141], Louisiana's Congressional primary election, originally scheduled for September 6, was delayed to October 4, which then delayed the general election for two races that required a runoff vote to December 6, 2008. Most heavily impacted was the country’s transportation … New Orleans Mayor Ray Naginsaid that it was possible thousands of people who need city help could start leaving on Saturday, as the first wave of a full-scale evacuation. [53] 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. The scuba-diving industry in Florida says the wreck of the aircraft carrier USS Oriskany was pushed into deeper water by Hurricane Gustav. 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. It developed well-defined curved bands and briefly exhibited an upper-level eye feature. The city of New Orleans had the official reopening date on Thursday (Sept. 4),[114] after crews had restored most electric power and other services. 60,000 were evacuated overnight on August 29 from Cuba's western coasts. [104], According to Pinar del Río civil defense authorities, 86,000 homes were damaged, 80 electric towers and 600 electric posts fell. The maximum amount in Arkansas was at Hamburg, where 11.25 inches (286 mm) had fallen,[133] making Gustav the third wettest tropical cyclone to affect the state since 1972.[134]. After bringing heavy rain and strong winds to Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Cuba, and Jamaica, Gustav built power dramatically. Entire sections of the city were cut off by the mountains of debris. [88] The United Kingdom sent HMS Iron Duke and RFA Wave Ruler to provide emergency assistance and assess the damage caused by Gustav. 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.