| Episode Narrative |
A tropical depression in the northwest Gulf of Mexico was classified as Tropical Storm Danny during the morning of July 17th. Danny drifted slowly north during the day and northeast during the evening hours. Danny was classified as a minimal hurricane during the early morning hours of July 18 as it approached lower Plaquemines Parish. Hurricane Danny crossed lower Plaquemines parish during the early morning hours before moving slowly northeast across Chandeleur and Breton Sounds toward Mobile Bay. Grand Isle, Louisiana and portions of lower Plaquemines Parish experienced the most damage from the hurricane. On Grand Isle, a wind gust of 83 knots and a high tide of 5.4 feet was recorded at the NOAA's automated C-Man station on the east end of the island. Approximately 160 house and 80 businesses reported some type of damage on the island. At Grand Isle, Jefferson Parish, the state of Louisiana estimated damage and clean-up efforts to public agencies around $1.5 million. In Plaquemines Parish, the greatest damage occurred between Empire and Bootheville/Venice. Within the hurricane protection levees, wind damage occurred to trees, power lines, house roofs, and mobile homes. Approximately 10 inches of rain also caused localized flooding. Outside the hurricane protection levee, approximately 130 commercial fishing vessels suffered damage at a marina in Buras. A Corps of Engineers tide gage at Venice recorded a maximum water level of 4.85 feet. The state estimated damage to public property and cleanup efforts in Plaquemine parish at $3.5 million. Because Danny was a minimal hurricane and small in size, the damages in the remainder of extreme southeast Louisiana was minimal. Storm tides were generally 2 to 3 ft above normal, which flooded some highways in the lower portions of Terrebonne Parishes, and a few roads in St. Bernard and Orleans Parishes outside of the hurricane protection levees. |