NEW ORLEANS — Despite being forecast to make landfall in St. Bernard Parish, Tropical Storm Marco's impacts on the area have been fewer than expected, but Tropical Storm Laura will be a different story.
Monday, water moving through the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet was turbulent enough to have white caps, and there was some water on roads in Shell Beach in eastern St. Bernard Parish.
Marco was expected to push tides 2-to-4 feet above normal in the parish, but the sun was out for most of the day, and Monday evening winds gusted no faster than 25 mph.
St. Bernard Parish President Guy McInnis told WWL-TV's Paul Murphy that Marco was manageable, but as Hurricane Laura approaches the coast for a Wednesday night landfall, the parish president warned residents: "Now is not the time to let down your guard."
"We’re asking the citizens of St. Bernard Parish to stay safe, and stay vigilant," McInnis said. "If (people) see any debris around their home, please pick it up. If it’s too much to pick up please call 504-278-4200. We’ll try to get out there. Most of all just stay safe. Take care of yourself, and if you’re at home, stay there until this event passes."
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Campo's Marina looked like it was abandoned Monday, recreational boaters having moved their vessels to safe harbor — some along Highway 46, inside the levee protection system.
Robert Campo told WWL-TV that Tropical Storm Laura could cause issues for him and his neighbors, more so if Marco's storm surge doesn't have a chance to recede before Laura's arrival.
"If the water stays — because I really don’t see it receding much — we could potentially have some problems," Campo said. "I don’t know what the above normal tide for Laura is going to be yet."
As WWLTV's Paul Murphy put it on air Monday evening, the mood in St. Bernard Parish was 'Wait and see."
As minimal as the impacts of Marco have been, they may be just an opening act for Laura, which is gaining speed and causing great concern along the Louisiana Gulf Coast.
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