SLSL hurricane warning, plot plausibility - part 1

[pynchonoid]

Audrey seems to have been something of a surprise,
striking when not expected.  The mid-to-late 50s may
predate the era when everybody had transistor radios
-- I was just a little kid then (born in '52), but I
think "TSR" happens in an era before instant and
ubiquitous communications.



http://members.tripod.com/~marshmom/susan.html

Hurricane Audrey began in the morning hours of June
24, 1957; its beginnings where in the Bay of Campeche,
in the Gulf of Mexico. The Bay of Campeche is located
in the southern-most part of the Gulf of Mexico that
lies between the Yucatan Peninsula, and the mainland
nearest Mexico City. Late in the day,a report was
received from a shrimping boat in the southern gulf of
rough seas and winds that where steady at 40 mph, with
gusts as high as 60 mph. Audrey was now about 400
miles south of the Louisiana coast.

The Weather Bureau issued a warning, and requested
that the Navy Hurricane Hunters investigate the storm
now brewing in the Gulf of Mexico. On Tuesday Morning,
June 25,th a Navy plane flew into the storm and found
a well developed eye with winds above 75 mph; at this
time the storm was named Hurricane Audrey, and
classified as a category 1 hurricane. Sometime during
Tuesday night Audrey began a forward movement. On
Wednesday the 26th of June the Navy flew
reconnaissance into Audrey, and recorded the pressure
at 28.73 and winds sustained at 104 mph. It was also
reported to be moving rapidly at 35 mph north towards
Galveston, Texas.

Late Wednesday afternoon on the 26th of June,
Hurricane Audrey tossed a fishing boat weighing 78
tons into an offshore drilling platform drowning nine
men. Meanwhile, people along the Texas Coast began to
take precautions. People along the Louisiana Coast
felt they were safe and continued to monitor the
storm. Storm flags were flown along the Texas and
Louisiana coast. Gale warnings where now in advisory
for the coastal waters from Grand Isle, Louisiana to
Corpus Christi, Texas. It was stated that the tides
where rising and would be 5 to 8 feet by late
Thursday. Sometime during Wednesday night of June 26th
the hurricane warnings where changed to evacuate the
southwestern coastal area of Louisiana. Some people
ignored this warning others found out to late. People
in this general area of Louisiana, at the time, had
little or no experience of hurricanes. They figured it
was just going to be gusty winds and rain. Little did
they realize it would be devastating and deadly. 

Early Thursday morning around 4 a.m. the tide began to
swiftly rise at Cameron, Louisiana. At Galveston,
Texas a 16 foot tidal surge crashed over the sea wall
and flooded the streets. In Corpus Christi, Texas a
400 ton tanker was washed inland. Early Thursday
morning a 10 foot tidal surge crested sand bars
located south of Cameron,Louisiana in the Gulf of
Mexico, and headed for the small fishing village of
Cameron, Louisiana. With recorded winds as high as 155
mph, the water built up a wave that crested at least
24 feet high, for houses where floating over the
telephone poles, and people knew the telephone poles
where 24 feet high. They say waves were rolling the
homes over, and tossing them like corks in the
swirling black waters. People were seen screaming
while sliding into the black waters that where
infested with snakes and other animals. Newspaper
reports stated that the tidal surge was felt from
Grand Isle, Louisiana to Corpus Christi, Texas. Winds
as high as 75 mph were felt in Mobile, Alabama. This
indicates it was a big storm. Without satellite we'll
never know just how big Audrey was.

June 26, 1957 -
The residents of Pecan Island, Louisiana were paying
close attention to a hurricane by the name of Audrey
which was threatening the Texas coastline. By all the
weather reports the storm was expected to hit the
Texas coast, somewhere around the Galveston or Port
Arthur areas. The residents of Pecan Island felt safe
enough (the awareness back then was not what it is
today) with the news the storm would not warrant the
evacuation of Pecan Island. Some residents knew that
if a storm went in to the west of the island it would
be worse, then if a storm went inland to the east. No
one on the island had any idea how strong Audrey was.
Most of the residents figured they would get gusty
winds and rain; they didn't expect much more, and
certainly didn't expect what was to come that fateful
day. Wednesday the 26th of June came with low lying
clouds, gusty winds, and scattered rains. As the day
wore on the people of the island listened to the
weather reports by radio, some listened on their car
radio. Most residents continued with their daily
lives; some had small farms, others worked for the new
oil companies that had came in the 1940's, and still
others were fishermen and trappers by trade. The oil
companies at the time where located in White Lake
(Union Oil), which is due north of Pecan Island, and
Humble Oil was located due south in the marshes; both
the companies had crew boats for their personnel.
Little did the oil companies know how important these
crew boats would be to the residents of Pecan Island
come June 28th. 

As night fell on the 26th of June, the winds continued
to be gusty with the rain increasing in frequency.
(*this is from one of the residents who lived on the
island) Everyone of the residents of the island went
to bed Wednesday night never expecting the horror that
would greet them early Thursday morning. [...] "



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