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

[Tarheel]

Everyone has been concentrating on NO for good reason. This thing is so huge and so destructive that I hope places like Mobile and other places on the Gulf coast are taking proper precautions.

[spectre]

"Jim Cantore pointed at a casino on the oceanfront in Biloxi and speculated rather strongly: "Look at it. In all likelihood, in the aftermath of this storm, it will be gone."

Jim is standing in front of the SMALLEST Casino in Biloxi. The beautiful Beau Rivage and Grand Casino far rival what we are seeing.

Because the LAW says no Casino's will be built on land, they had to build them all out into the water..Tunica MS as well..

sw

[NautiNurse]

Cantore and crew WILL be leaving his location in Biloxi.

Cantore leaving a potential landfall site is news unto itself.

[Ellesu]

I heard that, waiting for Nagin's speech. Still trying to believe how unprepared NO is and with all the years of training and budgeting for this, they do too little too late. It is so typical Louisiana.

[rollo tomasi]

"Glad to know when we can have public prayer...
Only when a category 5 hurricane is going to hit your city."

Excellent point. Wonder if members of the ACLU are gnashing their teeth and squirming at the thought of being unable to stop this call of "public display" by City Officials.

[sono]

"Jim Cantore pointed at a casino on the oceanfront in Biloxi and speculated rather strongly: "Look at it. In all likelihood, in the aftermath of this storm, it will be gone."

I'll bet ...

[pies]

I heard there were a couple other places people could go, but only if they could prove medical need. Poor and homeless are on their own.

[NautiNurse]

Thank you for the swath location projection. As a reminder to all--everything east of the eye at landfall will experience the deadly storm surge.

[Petronski]

Catch this Darwin Candidate on Fox News (a NYC tourist)!

"They say the biggest catastrophe was the Titanic in 1969..."

THAT is the caliber of intellect which will be staying behind.

[Ellesu]

they were. I know http://www.wjbo.com has streaming and is going live at 9am with coverage.

http://www.wwltv.com

http://www.wdsutv.com

[Diddle E. Squat]

"But hey, there were survivors in 1969 when the Titanic sank..."

[GreenAccord]

Good shot of the eyewall picking up the sunrise.

[Capt. Tom]

There are weather buoys offshore all around the country now.

I brought up the info on buoy #42003 which would be very close to the hurricane right now. The buoy is 260 Nautical miles south of Panama City Florida.

There is no report from that buoy after midnight.

At midnight the seas were 35 feet, the wind gusting to 64 kts, air temp 81 deg , water temp 85.8 degs.

I suspect the buoy got wiped out as the seas got higher and the wind increased.

[Ellesu]

Press Releases

Date: 8/28/2005

Contact: Denise Bottcher or Roderick Hawkins at 225-342-9037


Commissioner of Administration Announces Closure of State Offices Due to the Likely Path of Hurricane Katrina


Additional Contact: Jim Baronet 225- 219-4347

BATON ROUGE--Commissioner of Administration Jerry Luke LeBlanc announces the closure of Louisiana State Offices in 16 southeastern parishes due to the apparent path of Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico.

Commissioner LeBlanc, just before 8 p.m. Saturday, August 27, directed the closure of state offices for Monday, August 29, 2005 and Tuesday, August 30, 2005, in the following parishes:
. Ascension
. Assumption
. Jefferson
. Lafourche
. Livingston
. Orleans
. Plaquemines
. St. Bernard
. St. Charles
. St. Helena
. St. James
. St. John
. St. Tammany
. Tangipahoa
. Terrebonne
. Washington

Commissioner LeBlanc stressed that there will likely be additional state office closures as the approach of Hurricane Katrina becomes more apparent. "Additional closures will be announced and updates to this list will be issued periodically," LeBlanc said.

State employees are being instructed to monitor local media for office closures and for announcements as to when offices will be scheduled to reopen. The Commissioner also urged state office employees to call an 800 number, established by the Division of Administration for that purpose.

"The 800 number for office closings and openings will be updated as we determine exactly where and when Katrina will make landfall," said Commissioner LeBlanc. The number for state employees to call is 1-800-360-9660.

[NautiNurse]

The storm surge property damage resulting in displaced homeless will extend well beyond the NO metro area.

[LA Woman3]

Do you think we could bring out the 10 commandments just for fun??

[Petronski]

Local official quoted on Fox News (I'm paraphrasing): We hope everyone gets out, because if too many people stay behind, we are not going to have enough body bags.

[janetjanet998]

Not sure what is wrong with people down there..alot are still blowing it off...Gulf shores AL peole are still at the beach....they will get huge surge there too
the weather channel reporter is bascially telling viewers "what the hell are these people doing"

[OC_Steve]

I figured he already had been hit by a number of hurricanes (from Pat O'Brians).

What an idgit.

[jacquej]

I do not know much about hurricanes... but, I am praying that an eyewall replacement cycle might lessen the intensity of this masssive storm as hit makes landfall.

Can any of the weather experts tell me if this is a possibility? I have no idea of the timing of these cycles, but hope someone posting here knows if this would help out all in the path of this monster.