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CNN Live Saturday

Grand Isle Gears Up for a Grand Storm

Aired August 04, 2001 - 17:04   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
STEPHEN FRAZIER, CNN ANCHOR: People throughout Southeast Louisiana are now bracing for the worst. Many are boarding up windows, buying supplies and preparing for heavy winds and rains. At the southern tip of the Mississippi River Delta, the mayor of Grand Isle, Louisiana is asking tourists and campers to leave that resort area.

Mayor David Camardelle joins us now by telephone with more on that. Mr. Mayor, thank you for joining us.

MAYOR DAVID CAMARDELLE, GRAND ISLE, LOUISIANA: Yes, sir.

FRAZIER: A tough call. That is a lot of income, a lot of revenue brought in by people into your area.

CAMARDELLE: We had about 4 - 5,000 tourists on this island and talking with the National Weather Service earlier today, when I made the call it was because of the high tides they were expecting for us to get tomorrow morning.

FRAZIER: I don't' think out map is detailed enough to -- it's hard to tell there where the water leaves off and where the land begins. How will those people leave your area. It's a lot of causeways, isn't it, a lot of bridges over water?

CAMARDELLE: Yes, sir. We have one bridge coming on the island, but the main thing is that there is only one road coming in and out towards toward La Push Parish (ph) , coming into Grand Isle. Like I said, my main concern was to put a water coming up, you know, look at it, for the storm if it does pass to the East of us, we're just concerned about the water table coming up. They are predicting 4 to 5 foot wave tides to -- tides to come up.

FRAZIER: Mr. Mayor we have some pictures of people leaving the last time this happened to you all. I am curious because back then there was a lot of talk of how the salt marsh is a protective barrier for you, soaking up the energy of incoming storms. And you are losing marsh at the rate of about a football field every 15 minutes. Is that still going on?

CAMARDELLE: The erosion is going on every day. We don't need this type of low pressure, any type of low pressure or any type of storm in the Gulf. We fight erosion just about every day. You can see the rocks, we fight it with rocks and like I said, the hurricane protection levy that you're looking at now, it is pretty well damaged and we are fighting every day to go ahead and fight coastal erosion.

We are maintaining it, we are getting it and I'm just concerned that the high waters, you know, that the storm can bring in, and we are ready for it.

FRAZIER: Well, we're glad to hear that news, Mr. Mayor. We are grateful for your taking a moment out to fill us in on your situation. We wish you the best of luck as the storm approaches. Mayor David Camardelle of Grand Isle, Louisiana.

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