In August of 2012 Hurricane Isaac hit New Orleans seven years to the day of Hurricane Katrina. Isaac cause several airports in the area to temporary close and forced others to declare “ATC-Zero” status due to tower shutdowns. The impact of traffic was minimal due to the fact that many business aviation operators took the warnings serious and stayed away from the Gulf Coast.
Photo courtesy of Bonny Schumaker/On Wings of Care and AIN Online
Hurricane Isaac was not quite as devastating as Katrina, but still caused extensive flooding at Lakefront Airport in New Orleans. The airport was finally getting close to recovering from Hurricane Katrina which hit in 2005. According to an airport spokesman, the airport would have no problem handling the more than 18 inches of rain under normal circumstances. When Isaac hit the Gulf Coast it pushed additional water into Lake Pontchartrain. This additional water raised the lake’s water level by more than five feet. Lakefront Airport neighbors Lake Pontchartrain and found upwards of six feet of water in the facility. “The new section of the airport drains directly into Lake Pontchartrain, and as the lake rises the drain backs up,” said Louis Capo, executive director of the airport’s Non-Flood Protection Asset Management Authority. It took around 36 hours for the water to drain and for crews to start clearing debris.
Most owners were able to remove their aircrafts before the storm hit, but some were not able. A pair of KingAir 90’s that were not removed will require rebuilds of the landing gear due to the fact that they had to sit in standing salt water for so long. There were a few piston singles that were not so lucky and could possibly be totaled.
“Most businesses at Lakefront Airport are back in business now,” said Judy Heimbuck with Innovative Turbine Aircraft Solutions, whose maintenance facility is located at Flightline First’s hangar – featured in the photo above. “Of course it was all devastating but we were glad to be there and immediately take care of our customers aircraft.”
Source: AINonline http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/aviation-international-news/2012-10-02/new-orleans-lakefront-shakes-effects-isaac
For more details on Innovative Turbine Aircraft Solutions and additional photos of Hurricane Isaac, click here.