Whitney Bartie and his family (wife and five children) went to bed around 10:00 p.m. on Wednesday, June 26, 1957 in their home on the Front Ridge in Cameron Parish, Louisiana. Advice from the Weather Bureau was vague and conflicting. Late afternoon advisories stated that the hurricane would reach the coast late Thursday. The late evening advisory stated that tides of 5-9 feet would affect the area by “late on Thursday.” Bartie planned to evacuate his family early on Thursday morning and retired for the night. His home was on one of the highest locations in the Parish and he felt they would be safe overnight.
At the Weather Bureau forecast office in New Orleans, it became apparent that Audrey was moving faster and intensifying. The 1 a.m. advisory was more urgent. It stated that the hurricane had increased its forward speed to 15 mph. Located just 150 miles south of Lake Charles, the advisory warned that 100 mph winds would affect the Lake Charles/Port Arthur area before noon.
At 4 a.m., the advisory still pegged top winds at 100 mph and predicted tides of 5-9 feet. The actual winds were 150 mph by that point and the highest recorded tides would be 13.9 feet. It was too late by that time anyway.
Forty miles south of Lake Charles, Mr. Bartie awoke around 5:00 a.m. hearing water underneath his house. He rushed to get his family in the car to drive away, but the engine was drowned by the rising storm surge. His family joined hands as hurricane force winds and rising water raged around them.
They climbed onto the roof of their home, but the water kept rising. The twelve foot storm surge, topped by fifteen foot waves gradually washed all of the family away one by one, leaving Mr. Bartie clinging to the roof. Eventually the roof flipped over and threw him into the angry waters. He was able to grab hold of a refrigerator and floated over four miles from his home, finally finding shelter in a tree.
How did 390 people die despite lots of advance warning? In his book Atlantic Hurricanes, Gordon Dunn, a future Director of the National Hurricane Center, blamed the failure of forecasts to effectively convey a sense of urgency and emergency. Advice to people in low and exposed places fell on deaf ears of some Cameron residents who though 7 to 8 feet of elevation and several miles inland from the Gulf was not “low and exposed.” People believed they had time to evacuate up until the time of arrival of the center, which is not true, since high winds and tides begin hours in advance of the center. Apathy played a role. There had not been a major hurricane since 1918. Longer term residents stayed and died, while newer residents left. We have certainly come a long way in hurricane forecasting. But, I am reminded that over 1,300 people died less than twelve months ago right here in the United States. We still have a long way to go.
At the Weather Bureau forecast office in New Orleans, it became apparent that Audrey was moving faster and intensifying. The 1 a.m. advisory was more urgent. It stated that the hurricane had increased its forward speed to 15 mph. Located just 150 miles south of Lake Charles, the advisory warned that 100 mph winds would affect the Lake Charles/Port Arthur area before noon.
At 4 a.m., the advisory still pegged top winds at 100 mph and predicted tides of 5-9 feet. The actual winds were 150 mph by that point and the highest recorded tides would be 13.9 feet. It was too late by that time anyway.
Forty miles south of Lake Charles, Mr. Bartie awoke around 5:00 a.m. hearing water underneath his house. He rushed to get his family in the car to drive away, but the engine was drowned by the rising storm surge. His family joined hands as hurricane force winds and rising water raged around them.
They climbed onto the roof of their home, but the water kept rising. The twelve foot storm surge, topped by fifteen foot waves gradually washed all of the family away one by one, leaving Mr. Bartie clinging to the roof. Eventually the roof flipped over and threw him into the angry waters. He was able to grab hold of a refrigerator and floated over four miles from his home, finally finding shelter in a tree.
How did 390 people die despite lots of advance warning? In his book Atlantic Hurricanes, Gordon Dunn, a future Director of the National Hurricane Center, blamed the failure of forecasts to effectively convey a sense of urgency and emergency. Advice to people in low and exposed places fell on deaf ears of some Cameron residents who though 7 to 8 feet of elevation and several miles inland from the Gulf was not “low and exposed.” People believed they had time to evacuate up until the time of arrival of the center, which is not true, since high winds and tides begin hours in advance of the center. Apathy played a role. There had not been a major hurricane since 1918. Longer term residents stayed and died, while newer residents left. We have certainly come a long way in hurricane forecasting. But, I am reminded that over 1,300 people died less than twelve months ago right here in the United States. We still have a long way to go.