Tropical Storm Lee and the DYTCSX

by Jim on 2011/09/02

[And Jimbaux wonders, still he wonders, who’ll stop the rain.]

Long As I Remember, Rain Been Coming Down

This is the beginning of what is forecasted to be a very wet weekend in southern Louisiana and southern Mississippi, as Tropical Storm Lee, which only got named today after merely being Tropical Depression 13 for much of the week, is set to dump plenty of rain on this part of the northern coast of the Gulf of Mexico.  Southern Louisiana receives about 65 inches of rain annually, yet we are supposed to receive at least 15 and as many as 20 inches of rain just this weekend.  This will be a major rain event.  Voluntary evacuations have already been called for the lower parts of Lafourche and Jefferson Parishes and for Hancock County, Mississippi.

Rain Train In The Membrane

Here’s what appeared to be BNSF train DYTCSX hauling eastbound in Paradís earlier this afternoon in the pouring rain.  Yep, I got quite wet taking this picture.

Right at about this time, a tornado warning was issued for the southern parts of Lafourche and Jefferson Parishes and for Washington Parish.  Actually, earlier today, in the pouring rain, a week after I took the picture of the previous post on the NOGC, I saw an NOGC train in Gretna go into emergency braking; evidently, from the sound of the engineering laying on the horn for several seconds before dumping the air, there was some sort of crossing obstruction on the street-running on 4th Street.  (Some images last month of said street-running can be seen here.)

Goodness Through The Ages, Trying To Find The Sun

We have had some high winds so far, but not hurricane force winds (otherwise it would be called a hurricane!)  This will be mostly a rain event, and for these reasons, this is eerily similar to Tropical Storm Allison in June 2001, which I remember very well, and which flooded thousands of homes in southern Louisiana.  Like Allison, Lee is a very slow-moving storm, which is not good at all.

What is good is that Jimbaux has mostly taken refuge for the weekend, and is sipping on a bottle of Guinness.

What’s good with you?

Jimbaux

{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }

1 Ray September 2, 2011 at 21:34

Good shot I like the Hwy signs, location…..I am sure the wet weather did not hamper you too much having the blessing of “web feet” which a part of our heritage, eh?

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2 Steve Laser September 2, 2011 at 22:45

Very nice pic! I like how you show the whole scene and not just the train. I used to take my pouring-down-rain pics from the hatchback of an AMC Hornet wagon.

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3 EDITOR - Jimbaux September 3, 2011 at 11:45

Dupe and Steve,

Thanks. This was a grab shot, as I just happened to be there along with the train, as I spied the crossing gates in the distance going down. It’s also a Jimbaux original, a shot I’ve never done before. I basically just pulled off the side of the road as soon as I saw the gates coming down in the distance (where you can actually see some tank cars in the curve.) I hopped atop my wet truck and popped off the shot with no time to spare after setting my exposure, which was too dark anyway.

Anyway, at first, the presence of the Louisiana highway signs bothered me, but I see now that they and the highway – the Old Spanish Trail – add some character to the shot with a sense of place. I’m glad I didn’t compose/crop them out of the shot like I often do with other things!

We’re actually not far from where my great-grandfather Paul Champagne was a station agent for the Southern Pacific, I believe at Boutte. I would love to know where to start searching for records of his time with the SP.

Jimbaux

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4 Christie Pepper September 2, 2013 at 18:46

Great shot, I member Lee well…lol I really do like the b/w and the affect it gives to the rain

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