Well, Freeport McMoRan is admitting damage done to south Louisiana coastline from decades of breaking state laws in their oil drilling operations.  The penalty? $100 million over several years.  Wow.  Pretty light for land loss of about 2,000 square miles (about the size of Delaware).  To say nothing of the pollution, record cancer rates and poverty, in spite of the vast amount of oil and gas removed from the site.   I have always said Louisiana isn’t a state, it is a co!ony.  Again, $100 million.  Sounds like a lot but I bet the houses of the top 5 or so Freeport execs are worth more than that.  An outrage on top of an outrage.

In first for energy industry, Freeport-McMoRan to settle Louisiana lawsuits aimed at restoring coast

Growing up in New Orleans makes a person an amateur meteorologist when it comes to hurricanes.  Things seem to be getting ugly out there.  A recent Twitter post by professional meteorologist John Morales sums it up:

Lorenzo ’19 is a record setter

Dorian’19 was a record setter

Michael’18 was a record setter

Ophelia ‘17 was a record setter

Irma’17 was a record setter

Harvey’17 was a record setter

There’s something happening here. What it is, is exactly clear.

Still crazy hot here in Austin, even at the end of September.  The info below from KXAN tells the story.

6 things to know about this September’s heat

1. This has been the hottest September on record, with hourly temperatures averaging 88°
2. This September has been hotter than July (July 2019 average: 86.5°)
3. Daily high temperatures this month have averaged 100.3°
4. We have seen more 100° days this September than ever before (18 days. The previous record was 14 in 2011)
5. We have recorded 56 100° days this year, the 5th most on record
6. Typically, the first strong cold front of the season comes September 20-21. We will have to wait much longer this year.