Fair Grounds officials have declared a mandatory evacuation of its barn area
in advance of Tropical Storm Isaac, which is expected to become a hurricane as
it moves into the northern Gulf of Mexico.
The evacuation applies to about 700 horses currently stabled at Fair Grounds
for its Summer Quarter Horse Meet, as well as all backside workers.
“Given the time and effort required to transport horses we could not afford
to wait any longer,” Fair Grounds Vice President and General Manager for Racing
Eric Halstrom said. “Our first priority is safety and this decision ensures that
all humans and horses participating in our meet can get out of harm’s way.”
All four days of live racing scheduled for this week, Wednesday to Saturday,
have been canceled. Officials expect that the season will be extended and the
canceled races will be redrawn the following week.
“By canceling all four days this week, everyone will have time to return and
settle back in before we resume racing,” Halstrom said. “Logistically it would
be difficult to run this weekend even if the worst of the storm were to miss
us.”
The Evangeline Training Center in Carencro, Louisiana, has several hundred
open stalls. Horsemen in need of a place to stable can inquire about
availability by calling (337) 896-7223.
The National Weather Service’s latest update on Tropical Storm Isaac projects
a path heading toward the central Gulf Coast, with New Orleans squarely within
the area of probable landfall. The storm is expected to strengthen to a Category
2 hurricane over the next two days.
The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale used by the National Weather Service
defines the likely damage resulting from a Category 2 hurricane as follows:
“Well-constructed frame homes could sustain major roof and siding damage.
Many shallow rooted trees will be snapped or uprooted and block numerous roads.
Near-total power loss is expected with outages that could last from several days
to weeks.”
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