Small storms that hit Grand Isle seem to intensify
Roger and Noel Camardelle by Earl Robicheaux, 2009; 4700.2026
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Grand Isle 1939 nautical chart from the US Coast & Geodetic Survey. NOAA.
TEMPESTS: Storms in the Archives
Noel Camardelle: When you get hurricanes early like June, July, they don't supposed to be much. These little tropical storms, but when they get to the island, I don't know if it's the temperature of the island or the Gulf . . . Hurricane Bill [actually a tropical storm], Hurricane Danny, Hurricane Cindy was some little tropical depressions. Well Cindy they finally categorized it as a hurricane the last few years. But I was stuck for all three storms because they claimed they wasn't going to be much. They fifty sixty mile an hour winds, but when they get to the island, they get to eighty to 100 miles an hour. And three hurricanes, little hurricanes . . . Now I wouldn't want to be here for a big one, but you can see what the little ones do. It's little storms, but they put a good little punch on you. It gets you. It's a wakeup call. You watch the news, and they always had good weather and all, but they little tropical storms, little depressions, and man, next thing you know . . . I had my shrimp boat go on land at one time because we didn't leave, because when a storm comes, we evacuate. We bring our boats up the bayou by the floodgate; because over here you're going to get over three to four foot of water. You know, maybe up to six feet of water, and you can't tie your boats like that. They go up and down, and quite a few boats for Hurricane Danny sunk.