Between Editions

Rain and wind will continue to pick up tonight as Gustav heads toward Shreveport, La.

Meanwhile, the storm is battering Baton Rouge. It’s continuing to weaken and will likely become a tropical storm later tonight, according to the National Weather Service.

PREPARING FOR THE STORM, NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TIPS:
If you have objects in your yard, such as lawn chairs or barbecue grills, please make sure they are secure. Also, if you have outdoor pets, make sure they are safe and out of areas that could flood.

Do not try to drive on roadways that appear covered in water.

LATEST TRACK:

Just after a noon press conference at the National Weather Service in Shreveport, La., meteorologist Brandi Richardson told Between Editions via telephone that residents in South Arkansas should begin preparations for the remnants of Hurricane Gustav.

Flash flooding, sustained winds of 35 miles per hour — with gusts reaching as high as 50 miles per hour — are likely over the next few days, Richardson said. Expect as much as 10 inches of rain in places, with isolated areas seeing even more.

“It’s important that your residents realize that flooding will be an issue, and ground saturation will allow trees to blow over more easily. Power outages could easily occur,” Richardson said. “There is also a tornado threat with daytime heating.”

The latest on Gustav: The storm — now a category 1 — is churning up through the bayous and backwaters of the Gulf of Mexico in southern Louisiana. It appears to be heading straight for Shreveport.

Damage and flooding in New Orleans are nowhere near what we saw with Katrina. Other areas of Louisiana are experiencing flooding at this time. From all accounts, inland flooding will likely be Gustav’s legacy. Click here for more.

As you can see from previous posts, the below image of Gustav’s latest track is dramatically different. Forecasters with the National Hurricane Center now believe that the storm will track through east Texas and into southern Oklahoma through the week.

Our forecast has not varied — still expect very heavy rainfall beginning tonight, coupled with steady wind gusts and possible power outages, although the National Weather Service says that the worst of the winds will likely be in deep southwestern Arkansas.

Union County residents should prepare for wind gusts as high as 45 miles per hour, according to the NWS. Sustained winds will likely be between 25 and 30 miles per hour beginning tonight and lasting through Wednesday. Higher gusts are expected as we experience the eastern side of Gustav’s remnants.

UPDATE: PRESIDENT BUSH, FEMA OFFICIALS SAY RESIDENTS IN EAST TEXAS SHOULD PREPARE FOR POSSIBLE SIGNIFICANT FLOODING.

The Hanna Building (1st United Methodist Church annex on South Jackson) is now open as a Red Cross shelter. Union County inmates have just brought in 37 beds and the shelter will supplement that with enough cots to handle 80 people

Please call Jim Polk at 814-1216 or come by the Hanna Building if you wish to volunteer. Eight people are needed to help serve meals, four people to help between meals and two people who will stay overnight each night the shelter is open.

Sandy Matheney, director of the South Arkansas Chapter of the American Red Cross, said that normally (if there is not major flooding, for example), most shelters begin to close down after 3-4 days. Expect local shelters to be open at least through Thursday.

UPDATE — FOLLOWING IS A LIST OF AVAILABLE SHELTERS IN
EL DORADO AND UNION COUNTY:

• Pleasant Valley Church of Christ (opening 2 p.m. Sunday) Union County

• College Avenue Church of Christ in El Dorado, capacity 75 people, showers

• First United Methodist Church in El Dorado, capacity 50 people, showers

• Immanuel Baptist Church in El Dorado, capacity 75 people, showers

• St. John’s Baptist Church in El Dorado, capacity 50 people, showers

The Gulf Coast dodged a bullet today with Gustav. The storm is much weaker than expected but is still delivering heavy rains and winds from Louisiana to Florida. Click here for the latest. Now we wait and see how much rain we’ll get from the storm.

Forecasts still call for heavy rain and thunderstorms to begin this evening in South Arkansas. Much of South Arkansas, including Union County, is under a flash flood watch.

UPDATE: FEMA OFFICIALS SAY SOME AREAS OF NEW ORLEANS LIKELY TO FLOOD. CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST.

Here’s a You Tube video of McCain’s vice presidential pick – Sarah Palin – during her television days. Of course, she was known as Sarah Heath then. It’s an interesting video:

Yes, gas prices are likely to hike as a result of Gustav. Seems paltry in comparison to folks losing their homes and business, though, doesn’t it? But it’s a stark reality that we will all likely face in the coming days. The Wall Street Journal reports. Click here for more.

I drove to Pine Bluff for dinner with family this afternoon and saw dozens of Louisiana license plates along the way. In Pine Bluff, at least 12 people inside the restaurant were from Louisiana, staying at local hotels.

If you encounter any of these folks, please tip your hat and wish them the best. I can’t imagine how it must feel to flee your home while a hurricane strikes it.

Gustav is still a category 3, and remember, we will likely see heavy rains from this storm beginning early Tuesday morning.

The latest map: