Weather Service Telegram Reaches City Five Minutes Before Storm
The rain that began Friday seemed just a typical summer storm, but Saturday morning City Hall received a wire from the National Weather Service informing that a hurricane was twenty miles southeast of the city and heading northwest rapidly. Five minutes after the wire came, so did the hurricane.
There was little time to get the word out, but the danger was evident. People rushed to find shelter, lay sandbags, or board up windows as strong winds buffeted the city. By noon the river was rising noticeably. At 6:20 PM the city streets were underwater. By 6:30 the first impromptu hurricane party was going strong. “There’s a snake in my boot!” said Mayor Godenot when asked to give a statement.
Around 9:00 PM, the water receded briefly, but then it began rising rapidly. By 10:00, it was waist-deep. Citizens of New Toulouse, ever resilient, held impromptu boat-vs-horse races through the city streets.
The ship Marie Fontenot ran aground at around midnight Saturday. The passenger, one B. Kungfu, was nowhere to be found. The captain and crew members took refuge in the Green-eyed Fairy, where hostess Francesca Alva gave them spirits and a hookah. Within a few minutes a rescue party tried to take the injured crew members to the infirmary, but the crew successfully fought off all attempts to make them leave.
Sunday broke to continued damaging winds and heavy rain. Some were trapped in or atop their homes, but many locals made rounds via boat and brought food or rescue. Many opened their homes to those in need. By Monday the hurricane was downgraded to a tropical storm, but the flooding and danger continues. The Tattler building was damaged, and this edition of the paper is printed under difficulties.
No residents have been seriously injured, and spirits remain high. Actually, spirits remain everywhere; an emergency “rescue party” has liberated the spirits from Lafitte’s and is distributing them to those in need.
The National Weather Service Wire
ZCZC USMARIEFONTENOT MEP5 ALL
TTAA00 KNTB DDHHMM
HURRICANE FORECAST/ADVISORY NUMBER 15
NWS NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHIP MARIE FONTENOT
0900 UTC SAT AUG 03
CHANGES IN WATCHES AND WARNINGS WITH THIS ADVISORY…
ONE.
SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT…
A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR…
* NEW TOULOUSE AND NEW TOULOUSE BAYOU
HURRICANE CENTER LOCATED 20 NM SE OF NEW TOULOUSE AT 08/0300Z
POSITION ACCURATE WITHIN 20 NM
PRESENT MOVEMENT TOWARD THE NORTHWEST OR 315 DEGREES AT 0 KT
The Final Radiogram from the Marie Fontenot
Mayday, mayday, this is US weather ship Marie Fontenot in severe storm near New Toulouse Light. Grounding is imminent.
Captain ERICSSON, Mate LEBLANC, Carpenter BAKER, Cook CARPENTER, Chandler BUTCHER, and SEAMAN GUY aboard. Have been standing out to sea, reluctant to approach land in heavy seas. New Toulouse Light is intermittent, cannot obtain bearing on New Toulouse Light.
Unable to find safe harbor or estuary entrance.
Condition is untenable, attempting to ground ship on island or reef.
Passenger KUNGFU requires medical attention, he is running around like his head was cut off.
City Services
Emergency boats can be found at the news kiosk by the city dock and by the train station in Bayou.
The staff of the New Toulouse Tattler are rather tired.