Shoppers prepare for hurricane season at Winn-Dixie in New Orleans, La., on Thursday, Aug. 26, 2021. (Photo by Chris Granger, NOLA.com and The Times-Picayune)
The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to Nov. 30, but storms can form any time.
Paul Villagomez secures filled gas containers in his truck as he prepares for Tropical Storm Nicholas, Monday, Sept. 13, 2021, in Kingwood, Texas. (Jason Fochtman/Houston Chronicle via AP)
Vehicles are parked on the Carrollton Avenue neutral ground in New Orleans, La., in this file photo.
image via National Hurricane Center
NEW ORLEANS-AREA LEVEES, FLOODWALLS: Seventeen years after Hurricane Katrina, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is handing over to the state its completed $14.5 billion hurricane protection system surrounding New Orleans. The system, including levees, gates and floodwalls, is designed to protect New Orleans and the surrounding area from a 100-year storm.
Pine needles and grass block most of the entry into a storm drain on North Johnson Street in New Orleans on Thursday, August 10, 2017. (Photo by Chris Granger, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune)
Tolluhah Campbell, left, and her father Scott, who live on the Mississippi River Batture in Jefferson Parish, wade through river water after securing items before the possible surge, Thursday, July 12,2019.
Shoppers prepare for hurricane season at Winn-Dixie in New Orleans, La., on Thursday, Aug. 26, 2021. (Photo by Chris Granger, NOLA.com and The Times-Picayune)
Welcome to New Orleans and your first hurricane season. We've seen your questions in our inboxes and on social media, and we have answers for you about what to expect and what to do when there's a storm threat.
Here's our beginner's guide for hurricane season with explanations about common terms, evacuation guidance and expert preparation tips.
Hurricane season starts June 1 and ends Nov. 30, but storms can form any time. August and September are historically the busiest times for hurricanes, especially strong ones.
The hardest thing about planning is that each storm is different, and your personal situation factors into the plan. But, there are things that most long-time residents of New Orleans know that you should as well.
Let's start at the very beginning with common terms you might hear like "Cat 5."
Storm categories: Storms start as invests and can progress to tropical depressions all the way up to a Category 5 hurricane.
Here are the categories on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale in order of increasing strength:
Tropical depression: up to 38 mph
Category 3 hurricane (major hurricane): 111 to 129 mph
Category 5 hurricane: 157 mph and higher
You'll hear people say "Cat 1" or "Cat 2." That means a Category 1 or Category 2 hurricane. A Category 3 storm is a major hurricane and is often the threshold for when residents will leave town voluntarily. Mandatory evacuations can be issued, depending on the severity of a storm.
Here's a video that shows the damage caused at different wind strengths. (Can't see it? Watch here.)
Gulf of Mexico: The Gulf of Mexico, often called "the Gulf," is the body of water south of Louisiana. Tropical systems can develop in the Gulf and move toward land. They also can develop in the Caribbean or the Atlantic. When a storm is in the Gulf, residents are usually on high alert.
National Hurricane Center: The National Hurricane Center, based in Miami, is the main forecasting agency for hurricane season. Information also comes from the National Weather Service in Slidell.
Cone: The National Hurricane Center will release a five-day track when a tropical depression has formed or is about to form. The graphic includes a shaded area that is often called the cone. It's where the center of the storm is expected to move, but effects of the storm often are felt well outside the cone, depending on the size of the storm.
This is the cone for what eventually became Hurricane Ida in 2021.
image via National Hurricane Center
Watch vs. warning: A watch means something is possible, and a warning means it is an imminent threat. A warning is more serious and designates more urgency. In terms of hurricane season, forecasters issue tropical storm and hurricane watches and warnings, based on when tropical storm-force winds will arrive.
Storm surge: Storms can change the water level and push water well inland, on top of regular high tides. This is particularly a problem in coastal areas not protected by levees. The National Hurricane Center issues separate storm surge watches and warnings for areas outside the hurricane levee systems, and the National Weather Service will update those if the hurricane levees are likely to be overtopped.
Tolluhah Campbell, left, and her father Scott, who live on the Mississippi River Batture in Jefferson Parish, wade through river water after securing items before the possible surge, Thursday, July 12,2019.
If you live on the water, prepare for water levels to rise abnormally due to storms. Storm surges range from several inches to more than 20 feet. Read more about storm surge.
Levee system: Most of metro New Orleans is protected by a levee and floodwall system. The system, comprised of massive walls, earthen mounds and floodgates, is designed to protect the city from flood waters and storm surge. The system failed during Hurricane Katrina, causing massive flooding. More than $14 billion has been spent on upgrades since then, but some storms of Category 3 or greater intensity could still cause overtopping of the new levees.
Here's where the levees and floodwalls are. Read more about the levee system.
NEW ORLEANS-AREA LEVEES, FLOODWALLS: Seventeen years after Hurricane Katrina, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is handing over to the state its completed $14.5 billion hurricane protection system surrounding New Orleans. The system, including levees, gates and floodwalls, is designed to protect New Orleans and the surrounding area from a 100-year storm.
Storm drain and catch basin: A storm drain is the metal grate on streets where rain is funneled off the surface and into a catch basin. Storm drains often get blocked by leaves and trash and should be checked before storms to make sure they are clear. Residents usually clear off the drains near their homes. Parish crews are responsible for removing the covers and cleaning the catch basins underneath, which get clogged.
If the storm drain by you is not draining during regular thunderstorms, report it to the parish so it can get fixed. Here's what a clogged storm drain looks like.
Pine needles and grass block most of the entry into a storm drain on North Johnson Street in New Orleans on Thursday, August 10, 2017. (Photo by Chris Granger, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune)
Drainage pumps: In New Orleans and elsewhere in south Louisiana, mechanical pumps play a key role in preventing flooding. They are important because much of the region is below sea level, which means rain that flows into catch basins must be pumped into pipes and canals, and then through or over levees, so it can leave the area.
The Sewerage and Water Board operates the interior pumps in New Orleans and has struggled with mechanical problems, power source issues and operator errors. Before storms, the SWB usually updates the public about its pump status.
Drainage departments for Jefferson, St. Bernard and St. Charles parishes also operate pump stations and issue updates before storms. The east and west bank levee authorities operate pumps at the ends of drainage canals that pump water into Lake Pontchartrain or the Barataria Basin.
Neutral ground parking: The neutral ground is the large grassy median in the center of avenues and boulevards, such as Napoleon Avenue and Claiborne Avenue. When flash flooding is forecast, city officials will lift parking restrictions, which means you can park your vehicle on the neutral ground, which is higher than street level and less prone to flash flooding.
Don't block streetcar tracks, intersections or sidewalks if you are parking on higher ground.
Vehicles are parked on the Carrollton Avenue neutral ground in New Orleans, La., in this file photo.
Contraflow: Contraflow is an evacuation plan that uses all lanes of the interstate in one direction. On the east side of New Orleans, all lanes will funnel traffic east, and all traffic on the west side will go west. Interstate 55 and the Causeway will be one-way north. Officials usually will issue evacuation requests or orders for areas outside the levee system first and then begin contraflow before issuing mandatory evacuations for areas within the levee system, such as New Orleans.
When a storm is heading for New Orleans and southeast Louisiana, the biggest question for everyone is whether to stay or evacuate. If officials say to leave, then you need to leave. A mandatory evacuation means all residents and visitors must leave. A voluntary evacuation means you can leave if you want, but it isn't required.
Another term is "shelter in place." That means officials want you to stay home or in another safe facility and ride out the storm. You should have supplies with you and stay off the roads in this situation.
The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to Nov. 30, but storms can form any time.
If a mandatory evacuation is not ordered, it's up to you to decide to evacuate or shelter in place.
Many residents will stay for tropical storms and leave for storms that are at least Category 2 or 3, but again, each storm is different. Stay weather aware during hurricane season. Hurricanes don't pop up overnight, and you usually have least 48 hours' notice. But, tracks change and storms can intensify quickly, so be prepared to move fast or hunker down if the forecast changes unexpectedly.
If you choose to stay, old-timers say to keep a hatchet in your attic, just in case unexpected flooding requires an emergency escape from your home. Here's the city's guide for other things to have if you choose to shelter in place.
Do you have transportation, a place to go and money for evacuation expenses? Sometimes it is easier to get out of town than to deal with the aftermath of a storm if you have the means.
Do you have medical conditions or a life situation (for example, small children) that would make it hard to live without air conditioning in the summer heat? Storms often knock out power for several days. Some people have generators, but many require gas, which may or may not be available. If you or your loved ones wouldn't be able to tolerate an extended power outage, consider leaving.
Does your house flood during a regular thunderstorm? Storms often dump several inches of rain and cause flooding.
Do you have supplies to last at least a week? When storms hit, trees are often knocked down, blocking roads. Stores are closed and lines to get gas are long. Prepare now for storms by gathering nonperishable food, water, flashlights, power sources, important paperwork, etc. Here's a timeline for what to do now.
If you do evacuate, tell your family and friends where you are going. Posting on social media also helps so people can check your status there instead of draining your phone battery by calling and texting you.
It's the beginning of hurricane season and storms can develop, but "high alert" time usually happens in August.
What should you be doing now?
Paul Villagomez secures filled gas containers in his truck as he prepares for Tropical Storm Nicholas, Monday, Sept. 13, 2021, in Kingwood, Texas. (Jason Fochtman/Houston Chronicle via AP)
1. Get a good manual can opener with big ergonomic handles. Do not get one of those old-fashioned little metal ones. You want to be able to easily access your nonperishable food.
2. During hurricane season, do not let the gas gauge in your car fall below half full, and if a storm is in the Gulf, top off your tank every day. If you have to evacuate, you will need a full tank of gas, as gas stations may be closed for 150 miles or more.
3. Get a car charger for your cell phone now if you don't have one. If you stay in town and the power is out, you can charge your phone in your car - and run the air conditioner in it, too.
Have more advice for first-timers? Email online@theadvocate.com.
Sources: Times-Picayune archives, National Hurricane Center, National Weather Service, NOAA and New Orleans storm expert Judy Walker.
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Carlie Kollath Wells is a breaking news reporter at NOLA.com and The Times-Picayune.
Every summer, Sue Bordelon starts to worry.
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