NEW ORLEANS — For being mid-May, it was an unusually pleasant day in New Orleans Friday.
But the nice weather could change at the drop of a hat in the coming weeks as hurricane season creeps closer -- a season that could be active once again.
“We're already seeing above-normal temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico, which will also allow fuel for those storms, should they develop,” said Benjamin Schott, meteorologist in charge at the National Weather Service’s office in Slidell.
The right storm can dump a lot of rain over the city and cut power, leaving the Sewerage & Water Board's fragile drainage system useless in a worst-case scenario.
City officials on Friday said that after recent work to repair turbines -- the generators that power the pumps -- they are comfortable going into hurricane season.
“Power generation for Sewerage & Water Board, we're approaching the best we've ever been,” Mayor LaToya Cantrell said.
There are now three turbines available to power the drainage system, down from five in recent years. Five portable generators -- known as E-M-D's -- are also available.
“It's a fragile system,” said Ramsey Green, deputy chief administrative officer for infrastructure. “These are old machines, and you well know that. But we have been vulnerable for a little while here. And we were very focused on getting this stuff up and running by the bulk of hurricane season, which we're tracking toward.”
There were 97 of 99 drainage pumps available Friday.
A problem with low water pressure across much of the city was due to a mechanical issue with the city’s drainage system and was not related to any power issues or the drainage system.