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

[newzjunkey]

Car was full or??? All they needed were to get people out. And maybe pets. Forget possessions if it means killing your neighbor. Some people are sick. They could take her somewhere, surely. Access to transportation.

[cyborg]

If she died, I don't think I could live with myself. Otherwise, one never knows. Humans do strange things when their lives are threatened.

[LA Woman3]

Thanks for considering me astute! : )

On election day, these people will be driven to the polls by the people promising them the world. On evacuation day, they have to fend for themselves. Pathetic.

[jacquej]

Geesh, I would put her on my lap! What is wrong with people!

[timpad]

Hope they have stronger wind anemometers then they did inf Florida.

Not sure it will matter, anemometers don't work when they're submerged.

[TXBSAFH]

Prayers sent from TX

[lifacs]

Note to self: Prolly better to leave off on the smartass comments and wisecracks.

AND NO SINGING! This is a BIG ONE and I don't want FR to crash in the middle of it! ;-)

[dawn53]

I keep hearing about the SuperDome as a shelter, but do they have other shelters outside of New Orleans to take the elderly, or those medically unable to evacuate?

We live in Tampa Bay area...lots of shelters open, some for those with medical problems, some just for those whose houses are in evac zones, but at least there are places to seek refuge for people that can't leave the area (many folks that live in mobile homes are the first to show up at a shelter.)

[spycatcher]

Speaking of "big ones," we may need a new thread now.

[NautiNurse]

I should have remembered it was you! ;o)

Between that comment, and the coastal animals moving out in droves, I have been humbled by the events thus far with this storm.

[Kozak]

Good point....

[pies]

www.wwltv.com has live video coverage.

[Amelia]

I couldn't leave someone behind like that :(

I couldn't either. That's disgusting. Some of those material "things" would have to be left behind.

[don-o]

AND NO SINGING!

No worries. We learned that lesson well! LOL!!

[Petronski]

Jim Cantore is great.

He said "We just had another news crew stop by here and say 'Are you guys staying here? We're thinking of staying here.' And I said 'What are you, crazy?'"

Very sarcastic, caustic tone. Cantore and crew WILL be leaving his location in Biloxi.

[NautiNurse]

Streaming video links at the top of the thread. That's all I have been listening to since last night.

[newzjunkey]

Threatened, ok, but this wasn't immediate but at least 1-2 days lead time. If she'd been taken to transportation or a public shelter or something and still died I would feel it was her time but if I just left her behind to die... I'd have no worth as a member of humanity because I'd have left it all behind.

[Diva]

Did they think that NO is magically exempt from the threat of hurricanes?

Back when Camille hit I was a soph. in HS newly moved to NO from Calif. We were scared and were convinced it would hit the city. Even then, not that many years since Betsy had caused such damage, the people of NO didn't seem to get very excited. Not because they were all partying like the news media makes out but because there isn't much you can do unless you leave 72 hrs in advance. Yes, they know what could happen, but it is probably one of the most difficult cities to evacuate. I think the Mississippi Gulf Coast cities are the only ones that can declare a mandatory evacuation because of what happened with Camille's 220 mph winds when it slammed into Pass Christian. We are in Michigan now but the vast majority of my husband's family is still in the city of New Orleans. I will be praying extra hard at Mass today. I love that city and I am very worried. I don't want anyone to get hurt but I pray it changes course, this could be a major nightmare.

[LA Woman3]

www.wwl.com
Not sure if they stream online though. Ellesu, do you know?

[TomGuy]

Weather lady on WDSU 6 TV just said, due to its size, it will probably hit the whole area between Lake Charles, LA (west) all the way to Mobile, AL (east).

[This thing is massive !!]