Weather watch

My daughter, having returned from a month in Vietnam and Cambodia, is now in New Orleans (right).

Her four-year American studies course at Birmingham includes a year abroad. Loyola University New Orleans was her second choice, after Montreal.

On Thursday NBC News reported:

New Orleans is facing the biggest threat to public safety since Katrina ravaged the city 12 years ago. With a large number of pumps and turbines out of service, it is not clear if the city is ready for Hurricane Harvey, and the city is studying emergency evacuation plans.

On Friday a state of emergency was declared for the entire state of Louisiana. Yesterdary CNN reported:

As Hurricane Harvey batters Texas, people in New Orleans are bracing for 10 inches of rain or more starting Sunday and continuing into early next week.

 The university website has a notice that says:

We are currently monitoring Hurricane Harvey. Operations at Loyola University New Orleans remain normal at this time. Classes are in session as usual. The university is preparing for weekend rain.

The latest update, posted on the university website last night, reads:

Hurricane Harvey is steadily weakening and some reports indicate it is no longer of hurricane strength. The current models for Harvey indicate a more northward trajectory, which would mean much less rainfall for our area than predicted. While we are currently sunny and dry, the New Orleans area can expect rainfall into next week with the heaviest of rainfall likely occurring on Monday.

The threat, it seems, has receded – so much that last night Sophie attended her first American football match, a pre-season game between New Orleans Saints and Houston Texans (below).

Rain did not stop play.