New Orleans Braces For Tropical Storms Marco And Laura On Hurricane Katrina Anniversary

New Orleans is bracing for impact—again. On the 15th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina forming, Tropical Storms Marco and Laura are set to impact Louisiana back-to-back, and preparations are underway to protect the southern state. Governor John Bel Edwards requested federal assistance.

Marco is expected to hit first, according to the National Weather Service. The tropical storm is moving north from the central Gulf of Mexico and is expected to land in Louisiana on Monday and stick around through Tuesday.

NWS measures Marco’s winds have been as high as 70 mph, but it is expected to slow down once it hits land. It could dump as much as six inches of rain on the area.

The National Hurricane Center’s forecast indicates that the strongest winds will be near the coast, and it’ll weaken above the swamps of Louisiana. They emphasized the dangers of the hurricane conditions, life-threatening storm surge, and heavy rainfall.

Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Laura is making her way through the Dominican Republic and Haiti, the Turks and Caicos, the Bahamas, and Cuba through Monday. Though Laura is weaker than Marco, with winds reaching 45 mph, the concern is that Tropical Storm Laura will worsen the effects of Tropical Storm Marco. The storm is currently expected to make landfall on Wednesday.

A tornado warning is in effect for the southeast part of the state while others have hurricane warnings.

In New Orleans, neighborhoods outside the levee protection system are under voluntary evacuation. That includes neighborhoods such as Venetian Isles, Lake Catherine, and Irish Bayou.

Grand Isle, Louisiana, enacted a mandatory evacuation order effective Sunday at 9 a.m., and a curfew will begin at 9 p.m., WDSU reports.

Governor Edwards requested President Trump’s help on Saturday. “Given these threats, I anticipate the need for protective measures, evacuations and sheltering for the high-risk areas,” he wrote in his request. “The length of inundation is unknown and will likely require dewatering activities. At this time, due to the dangers presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, any sheltering activities will need to include non-congregate settings.”

Hurricane Katrina was a historic Category 5 Hurricane from Aug. 23-Aug. 31 2005. The storm caused over 1,200 deaths and over $125 billion in damage. Though Hurricane Katrina formed over the Bahamas on Aug. 23, it didn't make landfall in New Orleans until Aug. 29.