Officials rushed to reschedule Mardi Gras celebrations and warned revelers against brining umbrellas and tents as powerful storms with a threat of tornadoes were expected to strike Louisiana and other parts of the South on Tuesday.
New Orleans moved up its two biggest Mardi Gras Day parades and cut down their routes to try to avoid the potentially destructive weather. Police were also expected to keep the hundreds of participants and dozens of floats moving quickly so they finished before winds were predicted to pick up, according to New Orleans Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick.
The alarming forecast was one of the first big tests for the National Weather Service after hundreds of forecasters were fired last week as part of President Donald Trump's moves to slash the size of the federal government. Former employees said the firing of meteorologists who make crucial local forecasts across the U.S. could put lives at risk.
Country faces a number of weather threats
The U.S. was facing multiple weather threats, including dust storms that brought near-zero visibility to parts of New Mexico and west Texas on Monday, prompting the National Weather Service to issue Dust Storm Warnings. “Widespread blowing dust" was expected Tuesday, said the weather service office covering Midland and Odessa, Texas.
The week's strong weather system will bring “a threat of blizzard conditions, high winds, flash flooding, severe weather, dust storms, and critical to extreme fire weather conditions to the nation’s heartland,” according to a weather service update Monday.
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On Tuesday, twisters, damaging winds and large hail were all possible as a strong storm system was set to move across the nation's midsection into Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi, the federal Storm Prediction Center warned.
The bullseye for a heightened risk of severe weather was an area stretching from east Texas to Alabama that’s home to more than 7 million people. Cities under threat included Baton Rouge and Shreveport in Louisiana; Jackson, Mississippi; and Mobile, Alabama.
New Orleans braces for severe weather during Mardi Gras
The New Orleans area was also preparing for strong storms, though Fat Tuesday's traditionally raucous annual rite of parades of floats and costumed merrymakers remained scheduled to hit the streets, with some changes still being worked out by authorities and leaders of “krewes” — social clubs that organize the parades.
Kirkpatrick ordered parade-goers to not bring umbrellas, tents or “anything that could fly in the wind and cause mayhem.” She warned that she may need to cancel the parades at the last minute if the weather gets worse.
“I hold that trump card in which I will not hesitate to cancel — I won’t do it lightly, but I will do it,” she said.
Two other parades that had been scheduled to roll through the city later on Tuesday with nearly 200 truck floats were postponed, Kirkpatrick said.
Just outside New Orleans in neighboring Jefferson Parish, officials canceled planned Mardi Gras Day parades due to anticipated high winds and thunderstorms.
“This is disappointing, but our top priority is ensuring the well-being of everyone in our community, and we must always prioritize safety above all else,” Jefferson Parish President Cynthia Lee Sheng said in a statement.
Mardi Gras floats “could become unstable” and heavy winds could “blow down trees and power lines,” the National Weather Service warned, adding gusts of up to 60 mph (97 kph) were expected Tuesday afternoon.
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In Pointe Coupee Parish, near Louisiana’s capital city of Baton Rouge, the incoming weather forced drastic changes to one of the oldest Mardi Gras celebrations in the state. The parade there was scheduled to roll without any bands, marching teams or dance groups — a staple of Carnival Season parades.
Officials also moved the parade start time up and urged residents to immediately remove all tents and trash after the parade ends “due to the dangers they can present during weather.”
Other cities with Mardi Gras parades watching forecasts
Elsewhere, large crowds were expected Tuesday for Mardi Gras celebrations in Mobile, Alabama. Police there said they were continuing to monitor the forecast and would let the public know if plans for the celebration changed.
Other cities hosting large Mardi Gras events included Biloxi, Mississippi, where an annual Mardi Gras parade was scheduled to start at 1 p.m. Tuesday.
In downtown Pensacola in the Florida Panhandle, organizers were planning a Big Easy-style Mardi Gras festival that included food trucks, dancing, live entertainment and a low country seafood boil.