From SBEP Director David Tomasko

For 40 years, people have argued over the impacts of the closure (by bulldozers) of Midnight Pass, and how or whether or not to re-open it. The SBEP has not shied away from the issue, as it is clearly in our areas of responsibilities - Midnight Pass: what does the science say?. As in many topics, there is a lot of overlap between what has been, at times, an issue that has divided people into opposite camps.

For those who are unfamiliar with what has happened recently, the photo below shows the pass as it was just last week. This is a much more substantial opening than the much smaller (and temporary) channel that formed after Helene. Likely, this more impressive tidal connection is due to the combination of wave action and storm surge from the landfall of Hurricane Milton, vs. the storm surge alone of Hurricane Helene, which was much farther offshore.