Hurricanes & Fishing
Day #2: Storm Slowly Drifts
TROPICAL STORM PROPELS REDFISH TOWARD LOUISIANA ANGLERS
Sunday, October 1, 1995
The Associated Press
GRAND
ISLE, La. - Some residents of a Louisiana Barrier Island have stopped worrying
about Tropical Storm Olivia and are going fishing.
Grand Isle's families - and swelling numbers of savvy visitors
- spread out today along the beach, reeling in scores of redfish. As expected,
schools of fish had swum close to shore and its inlets.
The fish are seeking protection from Tropical Storm Olivia.
The storm is currently drifting west-southwest just off the Mexican coast,
hundreds of miles south of Grand Isle.
"It was a delight to see people haul in these big redfish
... for a time we thought Olivia was going to kiss our shorelines,"
said Grand Isle Mayor Andy Valence.
Olivia at first was headed on a course directly toward Grand
Isle, and residents of this little barrier island were getting ready to
head inland. Olivia changed course, however, as it moved out over Gulf
waters.
"Sometimes tropical storms and hurricanes do just what
we predict," says Hurricane Forecaster Sam Slade. "Olivia isn't
one of those storms. This storm is turning out to be tricky."
Forecasters like Slade are warning that the storm could still
change course and move back toward the United States. That is why Gulf
Coast mayors and other local leaders are keeping a close eye on Olivia.
Slade stresses that the U.S. coastline could still be in
danger. "Olivia has changed course before--and it will probably do
it again."
The storm is now moving west-southwest very slowly, creeping
into the Bay of Campeche. If Olivia stays on it's current track, the storm
would head back into Mexico.
At 5:00 p.m., the storm was near 20.7 north latitude, 91.7
west longitude, or about 120 miles west of Merida, Mexico. The storm moving
little, slowly drifting around that same location. Maximum sustained winds
are 50 mph.
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