Due to forecasts of high winds and thunderstorms, New Orleans’ iconic Fat Tuesday parades, Rex and Zulu, will roll earlier than planned with scaled-down processions, according to krewe officials.
The Zulu Social Aide & Pleasure Club will now roll at 6:30 a.m and Rex will follow. There will be no marching bands in the parade as well to speed them up along the routes. The routes have also been shortened for the parades on Fat Tuesday. Zulu will toast at Gallier Hall before disbanding at Poydras and Loyola. According to WDSU, NOPD Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick says Zulu should end by 10 a.m.
The Krewe of Rex will follow the Zulu parade as usual and start at Napoleon Ave. and S Claiborne Ave. but will not toast at Gallier Hall with the King and Mayor as is tradition and they will disband at their den at Jackson Avenue and S. Claiborne.
Due to high wind, tents, grills and lawn chairs will not be allowed. Port-a-lets will also not be allowed so make sure to go to the restrooms before heading out to the party at the parades and prepare accordingly.
If the weather worsens the city is considering canceling the Mardi Gras parades all together for the day.
On Monday morning, Jefferson Parish officials announced the cancellation of its two Mardi Gras Day parades, with the possibility of rescheduling.
According to the National Weather Service, strong winds will be the primary concern on Tuesday. Winds are expected to intensify throughout the day, reaching 40 mph by noon, with gusts up to 60 mph in the afternoon.
Forecasters have issued a high wind warning, cautioning that such conditions could make floats unstable and potentially bring down trees and power lines, leading to outages. The strong winds are separate from the anticipated thunderstorms, which are expected to hit New Orleans between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. The storms carry the risk of tornadoes and hail to take caution when traveling throughout the city.