Hurricanes & Fishing

Day #2: Storm Slowly Drifts 

TROPICAL STORM PROPELS REDFISH TOWARD LOUISIANA ANGLERS

Sunday, October 1, 1995 
The Associated Press 

GRAND ISLE, La. - Some residents of a Louisiana Barrier Island have stopped worrying about Tropical Storm Olivia and are going fishing. 

Grand Isle's families - and swelling numbers of savvy visitors - spread out today along the beach, reeling in scores of redfish. As expected, schools of fish had swum close to shore and its inlets.  

The fish are seeking protection from Tropical Storm Olivia. The storm is currently drifting west-southwest just off the Mexican coast, hundreds of miles south of Grand Isle. 

"It was a delight to see people haul in these big redfish ... for a time we thought Olivia was going to kiss our shorelines," said Grand Isle Mayor Andy Valence.  

Olivia at first was headed on a course directly toward Grand Isle, and residents of this little barrier island were getting ready to head inland. Olivia changed course, however, as it moved out over Gulf waters.  

"Sometimes tropical storms and hurricanes do just what we predict," says Hurricane Forecaster Sam Slade. "Olivia isn't one of those storms. This storm is turning out to be tricky." 

Forecasters like Slade are warning that the storm could still change course and move back toward the United States. That is why Gulf Coast mayors and other local leaders are keeping a close eye on Olivia. 

Slade stresses that the U.S. coastline could still be in danger. "Olivia has changed course before--and it will probably do it again." 

The storm is now moving west-southwest very slowly, creeping into the Bay of Campeche. If Olivia stays on it's current track, the storm would head back into Mexico.  

At 5:00 p.m., the storm was near 20.7 north latitude, 91.7 west longitude, or about 120 miles west of Merida, Mexico. The storm moving little, slowly drifting around that same location. Maximum sustained winds are 50 mph. 

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