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

[cyborg]

Katrina prayer room:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/religion/1472260/posts?page=2

[nina0113]

It's not like you're going to be driving above walking speed anyway. Have somebody young & strong riding on the roof.

Back when we commuted to DC in our own van, Steve and I planned how we would evacuate as many people as possible from the next terrorist attack - we were going to take the seats out of the van & abandon them. We figured we could get at least three more people in that way. You can buy more seats.

[LibSnubber]

Thank you for posting The Prayer Against Storms. I hesitated to post it directly onto the thread because I didn't know if I would offend some people. Bless you, cyborg, for having more courage than me right now. I've personally experienced this Prayer at work and I can't stress how powerful it is.

[pollyg107]

I live in a suburb of Jackson and I heard the MEMA guy. I think he was way out of line when he said there was really no place in the State that is going to be safe. That's a completely ridiculous, irresponsible thing to say. I know they're worried and upset, but really.

[easonc52]

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?

Just on FNC - NOLA Shelter Information - 504.658.2500 - for special needs etc.

Worth repeating even if already posted.

[greccogirl]

This is absolutely appalling. What in the world has happened to people? Geesh, I'd throw away ANYTHING to make room for a human being.

[LibFreeOrDie]

EVERYONE in the path even that far inland is going to experience hurricane winds.

Yes, the weatherman on WWL-TV was telling people not to continue north into Mississippi, but to go west.

[dakine]

"MAX FL WIND 153 KT NE QUAD"

A big WOW!...

[jacquej]

Can you explain the difference between an "annular" hurricane, and the other types? I live in lake effect country, and understand those weather patterns well, but not hurricanes.

[LA Woman3]

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.


Truer words were never spoken (written)!

Thanks!

[NautiNurse]

Wind speed 158 mph. Eye 22 mile diameter.

[cyborg]

The only people that would get offended are liberals and the devil's minions. Is that a redundancy?;-)

[LA Woman3]

LOL He was wearing beads and a Yankees cap.


Hillary is in New Orleans?

[advance_copy]

Hurricane that wrecked Galveston was deadliest in U.S. history

GALVESTON, Texas (CNN) -- The deadliest natural disaster in U.S. history ripped into the "Jewel of Texas" one century ago, killing some 8,000 men, women and children and wiping away 12 city blocks -- nearly three-quarters of the island city of Galveston, Texas.

The Category 4 hurricane struck September 8, 1900.

Linda MacDonald, whose late grandfather lived through the Great Storm, remembers the stories he told of how, as a six-year-old boy, he rode out the tempest in his father's bakery as winds howled and waves crashed.

"He could hear children calling for their mothers, women screaming for help and men begging for mercy from God," said MacDonald, a Galveston native and an amateur expert on the storm.

The killer storm did not come without warning.

Days before the hurricane reached Texas, telegraph reports received in Galveston told of the havoc the storm caused in the Caribbean. Sailors arrived in port talking of the stormy seas.

A city with hubris

"People in Galveston knew that there was a storm in the Gulf of Mexico. It was reported in the Galveston County Daily News but they didn't know where the storm would make landfall," said historian Casey Greene.

Some historians say people's attitude increased the number of fatalities...

[beyond the sea]

what are the mb's?

[Overtaxed]

SamCree is okay!

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/1470204/posts?page=910#910

[rollo tomasi]

Where ever this hurricane goes it will cause massive destruction.

Yes it would be catastrophic for NO but what about the people in Pensacola, Mobile, Gulfport, or Biloxi? I am praying for weakening and common sense that people will evacuate in time instead of movement away from some particular target.

[demkicker]

OMG--had a wave of nausea reading that.

Me too... These poor people! I'm also wondering if patients in the hospitals & nursing homes have been evacuated. From what I've read here so far, I doubt it.

[pies]

Prayers for you and all of Gulf states.

[spycatcher]

I thought I just saw a 40 ft wave report in the middle of the gulf.