Should I cancel my NO trip next week?
 

We are scheduled to leave on the 5th (Friday).
If the hurricane hits closer to Lake Charles, wouldn't the weather still be just awful in NO?
I really have no desire to visit NO during torrential hurricane rain!
Help... educated opinions are needed.
Should I cancel?
Is NO

I'd wait it out. My neighbors (from the NOLA area) just flew down this morning for the LSU-App. St. football game, scheduled for Saturday afternoon.

If you were leaving this Friday then maybe. But next Friday? Why would you cancel now?

The hurricane is forecasted to make landfall some time on Tuesday, according to the latest forecast. There's so much variability in the track and timing that nothing is certain right now. But if it did make landfall anywhere near NO on Tuesday, chances are good that Friday would be OK weatherwise. Depending on how long your trip is, you might have great weather the whole time.

Ok, good... I will wait.
I live in Dallas and sometimes the fallout from a hurricane causes bad weather up here for days. I figured if the storm was anywhere near NO the weather would be terrible (very heavy rain) for days afterwards.
Since I have the ability to reschedule, I have no desire to do this trip when really heavy rain is inevitable. Normal showers, ok... Sideways hurricane rain, no!

Normally when we have a hurricane come through or near here in SW Florida, the weather is beautiful almost imediately after and for the next week or more! But Fay was a freak, with major rains and storms for a full week after it came through.
I'd give it until about Tuesday if you have the luxury of waiting until then to decide. Wouldn't you be disappointed if you canceled and then by Tuesday we found out it went to Mexico or south Texas?

Generally speaking, I think as you get further inland the storm spreads out as it falls apart so you can have bad weather for days. But along the coast, the storms usually hit and are over fairly quickly like NeoPatrick said. It's one of those surreal things to see beautiful weather right after such destruction.

<if the hurricane hits closer to Lake Charles, wouldn't the weatehr still be just awful in NO?>

NO certainly would be on the wet side, but as mentioned the weather after a true hurricane is usually very clear for days - the storm has sucked up all the moisture and clouds. A tropical storm like Fay is much more unpredictable.

As mentioned, it's supposed to hit Tues (who knows where at this point) so Fri should be OK (except of course for damage caused by direct hit).


Also, by Sun or Mon we'll have a better idea and by that time airlines will allow changes with no charge for areas in its path. Wouldn't be true right now.

Remember the hurricane that blasted into the coast 3 years ago tomorrow? Land fall was east of New Orleans in Mississippi.

Certainly "we" have not forgotten the horrible condition that New Orleans was in and continues to rebuild.

I would reconsider my trip not only for my safety but to stay clear of the government agencies and allow them the space to care for the people that live in the area.

DH and I live 200 miles from the coast and I have already prepared for what may come.

Have you rethought New Orleans?

My advice is to wait it out before making a decision to cancel or not.

Keep an eye on what develops with Gustav and then make sure that the city has power (electricity) and is up and running after the storm passes. Even if the "bad weather" part is over you might not enjoy your visit if the city is still trying to get people back to their homes/businesses after an evacuation so pay attention to that too.

But be aware that Hanna might be a possible problem in the nearby future.

Good luck with your decision/plans. I hope you get the chance to eventually enjoy NO!

Karin - why should someone reconsider their trip when nothing has happened yet ? As a person who has been evacuated & ridden out a few hurricanes on the Carolina coast over the years - nothing is certain, & certainly not a weatherpersons' predictions/forecasts ...lol

Listen, the cone of probability of direct hit is ranging from Pensacola, FL to Houston, TX.

I would wait until they narrow down the cone a bit. Right now, they don't know where it will hit, within 1000 miles. Let's wait until they can narrow the path down to 200 miles or so...

I wouldn't cancel anything.

It is a hurricane and it is coming, just where we don't know. Isn't New Orleans telling some residents that they need to leave?

Sounds like you have time to wait, I would wait until I couldn't wait anymore. Would you really go some where that they are telling residents to leave? OK I confess hurricanes upset me as do those monsters under the kids' beds.

I do remember New Orleans was flooded not just rainy due to much of New Orleans being below sea level (not the French Quarter). The city has not completely recovered from the last hurricane, do you think they are ready for the next?

I stuck out Andrew, Charley, and others, in southwest Florida. The reason I stayed was b/c I have horses and didn't want to pull a horse trailer during a hurricane. Sent the "at home" kids to their brother's apt in Gainesville.

Really I stayed for Andrew b/c I didn't want to be stuck in traffic on I 75 pulling a horse trailer. Don't tell my father!!!!

Karin

"The city has not completely recovered from the last hurricane, do you think they are ready for the next? "

Honestly, that's an irrelevant point for the purpose of this topic. The issue at hand is: should the OP cancel her trip to New Orleans now, or wait? Since the hurricane is not due to make landfall until Monday or Tuesday and the point of landfall is completely up in the air as of right now, there is really no need to advise people to avoid New Orleans a week from today.

I think the OP is smart enough to not go to New Orleans if they suffer a direct hit or significant damage.

What I wanted to say and didn't is "Do you think New Orleans really needs guests for the next hurricane".

I am certain TxTravelPro will not go into harm's way.

The hurricane will be well past, come her departure time on Friday. By then she can make an educated assessment. We're not telling her to go, today...

Just another thought -- if you wait it out and the hurricane DOES hit, there's a good chance the airline and hotel will cancel your trip for you and you'll be spared the cancellation fees. We had a trip to NO booked a week after Katrina. We waited it out to see how the aftermath would play out (ugh, who knew?) but the next day, the airline cancelled and refunded all flights, and the hotel did the same for our booking. Your decision might be made for you.

That also happened to me post-Katrina.

Please say you are rethinking New Orleans?

DH said let people make up their own minds.