Live Thread - Hurricane Katrina, Part IV (Update: Now a Category 5 )

NOAA - NHC ^ | 27 August 2005 | NOAA - NHC

[NautiNurse]

Hurricane warnings and watches are posted. Hurricane Katrina continues to strengthen in the Gulf of Mexico. The forecast models continue to converge upon New Orleans. However, all interests in the northern Gulf of Mexico should follow the path of this very large and dangerous storm, and be prepared for a major hurricane landfall. There have been reports of coastal animals leaving in droves for higher ground. Meanwhile, New Orleans continues to suggest that residents evacuate.

The following links are self-updating:

Public Advisory Currently published every 3 hours 5A, 8A, 11A, 2P, etc. ET
NHC Discussion Published every six hours 6A, 11A, 6P, 11P
Three Day Forecast Track
Five Day Forecast Track
Navy Storm Track
Katrina Track Forecast Archive Nice loop of each NHC forecast track for both three and five day
Forecast Models
Alternate Hurricane Models via Skeetobite
Bouy Data Louisiana/Mississippi
Buoy Data Florida

Images:

New Orleans/Baton Rouge Experimental Radar Subject to delays and outages - and well worth the wait

Mobile Long Range Radar Loop

New Orleans/Baton Rouge Radar

Ft. Polk, LA Long Range Radar Loop

Northwest Florida Long Range Radar

Storm Floater IR Loop
Storm Floater Still & Loop Options
Color Enhanced IR Loop

Other Resources:

Hurricane Wind Risk Very informative tables showing inland wind potential by hurricane strength and forward motion
Central Florida Hurricane Center
New Orleans Web Cams Loads of web cam sites here. The sites have been very slow due to high traffic
New Orleans Music Online Couldn't resist--love that jazz
Golden Triangle Weather Page Nice Beaumont weather site with lots of tracks and graphics
Hurricane City
Crown Weather Tropical Website Offers a variety of storm info, with some nice track graphics

Live streaming:
copy/paste into player:

WWL-TV/DT New Orleans (WMP) - mms://beloint.wm.llnwd.net/beloint_wwltv
WVTM-TV/DT Birmingham (WMP) - mms://a1256.l1289835255.c12898.g.lm.akamaistream.net/D/1256/12898/v0001/reflector:35255
WDSU-TV/DT New Orleans (WMP) - http://mfile.akamai.com/12912/live/reflector:38202.asx
Hurricane City (Real Player) - http://hurricanecity.com/live.ram
ABCNews Now (Real Player) - http://reallive.stream.aol.com/ramgen/redundant/abc/now_hi.rm

Hurricane Katrina Live Thread, Part III
Katrina Live Thread, Part II
Hurricane Katrina Live Thread, Part I
Tropical Storm 12

Category	Wind Speed	Barometric Pressure	Storm Surge	Damage Potential
Tropical Depression	< 39 mph < 34 kts			Minimal
Tropical Storm	39 - 73 mph 34 - 63 kts			Minimal
Hurricane 1 (Weak)	74 - 95 mph 64 - 82 kts	28.94" or more 980.02 mb or more	4.0' - 5.0' 1.2 m - 1.5 m	Minimal damage to vegetation
Hurricane 2 (Moderate)	96 - 110 mph 83 - 95 kts	28.50" - 28.93" 965.12 mb - 979.68 mb	6.0' - 8.0' 1.8 m - 2.4 m	Moderate damage to houses
Hurricane 3 (Strong)	111 - 130 mph 96 - 112 kts	27.91" - 28.49" 945.14 mb - 964.78 mb	9.0' - 12.0' 2.7 m - 3.7 m	Extensive damage to small buildings
Hurricane 4 (Very strong)	131 - 155 mph 113 - 135 kts	27.17" - 27.90" 920.08 mb - 944.80 mb	13.0' - 18.0' 3.9 m - 5.5 m	Extreme structural damage
Hurricane 5 (Devastating)	Greater than 155 mph Greater than 135 kts	Less than 27.17" Less than 920.08 mb	Greater than 18.0' Greater than 5.5m	Catastrophic building failures possible

[CajunConservative]

I went to bed and she was just upgraded to a 4 and that was at 1, wake up at 7 and it's a strong 5. God have mercy on those in her path.

[chgomac]

"I thought elected officials couldn't be sued for their decisions."

They are usually tossed out at the first opportunity...Chicago voted Bilandic out for his lack of planning & poor leadership in a massive snowstorm.

[Peach]

What has been somewhat effective in the past is when a mandatory evac has been ordered, having officials go house to house and tell people who are staying to give them contact information for when they're dead.

[eastforker]

I do, it was that DA on FNC early on in the week. They just knew this storm was going to head north right after she came back into the gulf. People put their gaurd. Remember there are a lot of people that can not make decisions on their own, they have to be told what to do. The sheeple of America, the ones that think government/media knows best.

[cincinnati65]

....on the beach.

[NautiNurse]

ok, thanks--please let us know if you decide to bug out. Prayers for you and your family's safety.

[Wilhelm Tell]

You mean the mayor hasn't declared a mandatory evacuation yet? There will be tropical storm conditions in a matter of hours and at that point it will be dangerous to stay and dangerous to leave. And since when has a LA politician worried about what is and is not legal? That in itself has to be a first!

[MEG33]

http://hurricane.accuweather.com/hurricane/regions.asp?partner=accuweather&myadc=0&site=ATL
snip
Conditions will begin to deteriorate later Sunday, well in advance of the storm, with tropical-storm-force winds reaching the coast late Sunday and hurricane-force winds reaching the coast Monday morning. The winds will be strong enough to down not only trees and power lines but also bring down structures and make missiles out of objects that are not ties down. As the storm nears the coast Monday, a devastating storm surge will be pushed into the lower Mississippi Delta as the powerful southeasterly winds pile water into the area. The storm will also bring flooding rains well inland, and the risk for tornadoes north and east of the path of the center.
snip

Stay safe..

[NautiNurse]

New Orleans mayor holding a press conference at 9:00AM CDT.

[SunnySide]

"This storm has been steadily moving west/nw. I f she does not make a decidedly strong turn to the north Texans had better watch out."

This thing is so flippin collosal everybody in the Gulf needs to take shelter at higher ground. I can't remember the last time I saw a hurricane suck in air mass from both the west and east oceans to fill the entire Gulf. My guess-timation is people from Galveston,Tx to Tallahasse, Fl. ARE going to experience this hurricane.

[Peach]

In case you, like me, just jumped to the end of the thread, the mayor is having a conference call shortly to decide on the mandatory evacuation, per CNN just 10 minutes ago.

Also, it's been reported on this thread, starting around post 100 or so (I think that's right) that the mayor was talking to lawyers to see if he has the legal authority to evacuate the city. But he's evacuated his own family.

[Peach]

ew Orleans mayor holding a press conference at 9:00AM CDT.

Finally.

[NautiNurse]

I went to bed and she was just upgraded to a 4 and that was at 1, wake up at 7 and it's a strong 5.

Same here. Incredible.

[mware]

Damn that gives the people still there less than 12 hours got get out.

[Carolinamom]

Senator Landrieu already said it.

Did she also mention that President Bush was vacationing? Wouldn't surprise me if she did.

[meyer]

"I thought elected officials couldn't be sued for their decisions."

They are usually tossed out at the first opportunity...Chicago voted Bilandic out for his lack of planning & poor leadership in a massive snowstorm.

This mayor stands a pretty strong chance that he will soon be a Mayor without a city. It's a bit scary.

[TomGuy]

the criminal stupidity of the mayor

I heard the following on a tv stream around 3 a.m.:

WDSU Channel 6 TV reporting that N.O. mayor says he cannot call for a mandatory evac due to a legal technicality. He would order it, if he could.

News commentator clarified the reason in his live report: For the area mayors/officials to be able to declare a mandatory evac, they have to have a place to put people. [Since they don't have a place to put that many people, they are prohibited from making the declaration.]

[SE Mom]

Indeed- they did that here in Florida last summer..it's a good way to wake some people up.

Just now saying most airlines at the NO airport are closed.

10 ft swells already coming ashore in Walton County, FL.

[cyborg]

Thanks for the info. If someone is waiting to get approval to leave then they're a-class dumb. Anyone with a tv or radio down there should know that this is a BAD situation.