Hurricane Isaac mostly a 'rain event'

Hurricane Isaac fails to keep fishermen at home in flooded area of Ocean Springs

Our travel plans over the past few days has  been mostly to Wal-Mart.

Why? Because Wal-Mart has all we need in order to prepare for a hurricane. I really didn't need much of anything but I went over there shortly after noon on Sunday.

I wanted to browse around and pick up an extra tarp. I was also interested in the reaction of local people to the approaching storm.

When I arrived, the "locusts" had already made their way through. About a 10-foot or longer display of flashlights was empty. Another 10-foot space of canned chicken (except for about 30 cans) was gone. Lanterns in the camping section had also disappeared.

Other shelf space throughout the store was empty. Water, batteries, and other so-called survival supplies were being checked out.

I asked the clerk when was their busiest time. She said, shortly after  9 a.m.  I was listening to the television, and at that time I heard that the track of the storm was forecast to be headed directly for Biloxi, our neighboring town.

Over the course of the history of Isaac, it has been predicted to hit a number of places including Tampa, FL where the Republican National Convention is being held. The storm was to head north and hit in the Sunshine State's panhandle area and then drench Georgia.

Forecasts kept pushing it to the west. It was maybe Pensacola, then Mobile, Biloxi and finally the Louisiana coast.

As I write this at about 6:18 p.m. Central Daylight Time Tuesday, Hurricane Isaac is moving into the mouth of the Mississippi River just south of New Orleans. The storm is expected to continue inland and make its way into northern Louisiana sometime late Wednesday.  It hasn't reached the wind speeds that were forecast and is being called a "rain event."

Later in the week it will finally diminish in intensity and dissipate.  

A lot of people are glad that it wasn't as strong as anticipated and that it hit farther west than expected. 

After all, Hurricane Katrina hit this area on Aug. 29, seven years ago. It is much too soon for another storm of such devastation.

Next post: Sept. 4, 2012