Bulletin for August 29, 2023

Lauren Nash, Warning Coordinator Meteorologist, National Weather Service

Thanks to member George Messina for catering this week’s networking event at Rooftop on Basin.

Ms. Nash, Meteorologist, National Weather Service, interacts with local partners to ensure their needs are met and oversees community outreach, and quality control for the New Orleans/Baton Rouge area. She addressed the current drought caused by the high heat dome covering Louisiana and Mississippi noting that highs happen all year long but the worst is during the heat of the summer.

She gave an overview of severe weather warnings with tornadoes being the hardest to predict and encouraged reporting hail, downed trees, high winds so that they can determine the severity of a storm. Staying safe during a severe storm means:

• having multiple ways to receive warnings
• focus on legitimate sources not random social media information
• download a radar app
• know where your “safe place” is

Hurricanes: currently in an El Nino pattern that usually means a quieter tropical season but doesn’t mean storms can’t form in the Gulf especially with sea surface temperatures at an all time high. Hurricanes are forecasted within 7 days by the hurricane center and she suggested the following hurricane safety tips:

• Don’t make decisions on the category alone
• Evacuate if told to by local officials
• Get supplies ahead of time
• Be prepared for extended power outages
• Be cautious when doing post storm cleanup

For more information and to stay weather alert:

Email: lauren.nash@noaa.gov

Website: weather.gov/neworleans

Social Media: @nwsneworleans