SLIDELL, La. (WGNO) – Aside from letting WGNO’s Stephanie Oswald launch the 6 p.m. weather balloon, it’s business as usual at the National Weather Service center in Slidell.
Danny is definitely on the maps and minds of the NWS meteorologists, but at more than 3,000 miles away, NWS Meteorologist-in-Charge Ken Graham says this is a long distance relationship that could go nowhere.
“Danny doesn’t have a free ride to develop, It’s a rough, rough road ahead and even today dry air got into Danny and really made it weaken pretty quick during the day today,” says Graham.
He says it’s no surprise to see a storm like this forming during the peak of hurricane season, and we should see it as a “big reminder” to review emergency and evacuation plans at home and at work.
New storm surge technology is ready to go if tropical storm force winds get within 48 hours of any part of Louisiana, but the weather team isn’t in high gear yet.
Something that has been ramping up: El Nino, a phenomenon that warms the Pacific Ocean, and means less energy and usually fewer hurricanes in the Atlantic.
In fact, it’s been 17 years since we’ve had an El Nino this strong, but just because we’re in an El Nino year doesn’t mean we’re in a safety zone.
Graham says there are several things going on: “In an El Nino year we get fewer hurricanes. That doesn’t mean none. When people hear fewer hurricanes, there is an interpretation of, ‘Oh, we’re safe this year.’ That’s not the case.”
Andrew and Betsy are both hurricanes that hit during El Nino years.
