Hurricane Gustav Photos

This page shows photos I took in and around Picayune, MS on 1 September, 2008, the day Hurricane Gustav made landfall along the Louisiana coast.  Damage in Picayune was fairly minimal.  Though we saw tropical-storm force winds (39MPH or greater) for much of the day, and a rough estimate of 60-70 MPH for peak winds, only a few tree branches, trees, power lines, and signs were blown down.  Much of the city, including the webmaster's residence, retained power throughout the storm.  There was also some localized flooding, but most roads in and around the area were open by early morning on 2 September.

The background image is a darkened version of a visual satellite shot of the Gulf of Mexico, highlighting Hurricane Gustav, as of 1445Z (0945CDT) on 01 September 2008.  This is right around the time that Gustav made landfall near Cocodrie, LA.

I wish everyone affected by Gustav a safe and speedy recovery effort.

All photos were taken by the webmaster on 01 September, 2008, generally between 8:30am and 2pm CDT.  Click on a thumbnail for a larger image.

	Sheets of rain were coming down with some of the heavier rainbands.  These times were also when we saw the heaviest winds in town.
	During one of the quieter moments, a Picayune Police squad car came by to check up on things.
	Powerline and a tree down on N. Haugh Ave at 4th St.
	This view was pretty typical of several streets and roads around Picayune, especially those with trees overhead, with leaves and small branches knocked off virtually every tree.
	Southbound I-59 was reopened after the contraflow operation of the previous day, but was nearly deserted.  There were only a handful of cars on the interstate at the time.
	Southbound I-59 at Exit 4.  Note how MDOT lowered the lights on the overhead interchange lighting poles.  Traffic lights at the exit ramps here, and towards the Kiln on MS Highway 43 South, were out.
	The traffic light at US Highway 11 and Memorial Blvd was out, but curiously, the light right behind it at Hwy 11 and Bruce St was still operating.
	Traffic lights on Canal St, as were the lights on Hwy 11 (except the above-photoed light at Memorial) were still operating.
	During Gustav, as with many heavy-rain events, the back part of our apartment complex fills up with water and becomes its own pond, which I have dubbed "Lake ArborGate".
	By mid-afternoon, we caught enough of a break in-between rainbands to view some mid-level cloud, though there was still a lot of low-level scud cloud racing by.  Winds had shifted to the southeast by this point, having begun the storm east-northeasterly.
	My cat, Tara, treated the storm the same way she treats most days...by napping.

The photographs on these pages are the exclusive property of the webmaster, and are intended for private use and viewing only.  NO COMMERCIAL USE is sanctioned.

Videos of the Gustav rain and wind, and a drive around Picayune after the peak of the storm, are located here.

Page last modified 02 September, 2008

(C) 2008, Adam Froehlig