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

[spycatcher]

Panic will be setting in now. I'm not sure why flights were cancelled YESTERDAY because they had clear skies all day today.

[Rome2000]

I wouldn't want to be in the superdome with 150 mph sustained winds going on. I was knocked off my feet in Ft Lauderdale on the 25th floor of a condo pool deck by a 90 mph gust on Thursday night.

This storm blows for HOURS and HOURS, thousands of trees that withstood Andrews 4 hours of winds in Dade were gone in this one, it blew for about 10 hours.

[maggief]

Switching to CNN ... thanks.

[Laurita]

I thought it was the southwest that pushed the storm surge. I must be mistaken.

[snowsislander]

The first sentences from the 11:00am "Discussion" from the NHC (my emphasis added):

THE AIR FORCE HURRICANE HUNTERS JUST MEASURED A 166 KT FLIGHT LEVEL WIND IN THE NORTHEAST EYEWALL...WHICH REQUIRES AN ADDITIONAL UPWARD ADJUSTMENT OF THE CURRENT INTENSITY TO 150 KT. A DROP IN THE EYE GAVE A CENTRAL PRESSURE OF 907 MB. KATRINA IS COMPARABLE IN INTENSITY TO HURRICANE CAMILLE OF 1969...ONLY LARGER.

[cyborg]

Yeah no kidding. What's up with that? I thought that was strange. Anyway, I'm off to Long Beach to check out the waves.

[Kozak]

"We are preparing to deal w/the leavy system." How in God's name will he "deal with" it? I want details.

Probably dynamite or C4 at selected spots. In Sacramento in 96 during heavy flooding (parts of which like downtown) that are below the level of the Sacramento River, they had dynamite on the levies, ready to blow, which would have flooded, I kid you not Rio Linda ( of Rush fame ), to save the downtown area.

[pies]

They either didn't or just didn't want to enact it. It's been known that if NO was ever going to be hit, they would need to start evacuating 72 hours before it hits or at least 10,000 would perish. Now here they are in this mess, with highways starting to jam, people in shelters without food, water, electricity, with 20+ feet of filthy water outside the door, not to mention the rest of the devastation.

[travelagent]

This is clearly going to be one of the worst disaster with the worst case scenarios in play. I am very frustrated watching and not doing something proactive. I am not a wiz on FP and am asking someone to help put up an area where we can coordinate and brainstorm assistance for these folks. This will be on going for a very long time. Obviously, donations important:

I for one would like to help and know freepers are proactive.

From the FEMA website:

Contributions of Cash - Often the Best Donation
Monetary contributions allow the professional relief organizations to purchase exactly what is most urgently needed by disaster victims and to pay for the transportation necessary to distribute the supplies.

Donations of money given to recognized relief organizations are tax deductible and allow the relief supplies to be purchased in locations near the disaster site. This stimulates the economy and ensures the supplies will arrive as quickly as possible.


Confirm the Need
Exactly what is needed can be confirmed by checking with a relief organization on site at the disaster, or by calling the FEMA 800 number or a state 800 donations number set up specifically to provide such information in the emergency. The organizations involved regularly update their information to the coordination office which allows the needs to be made known. Only provide the requests associated with the needs list which is current and appropriate for the victims being served.


Donate Through an Organization
Before starting a collection of goods to send to a disaster site, it is essential to locate a reliable relief organization willing to receive the shipment of donated goods.

Distributing the relief supplies requires personnel and financial resources within the affected area. When unsolicited truckloads of items arrive at a disaster site there is often no place to unload the goods.

This often creates a problem resulting in not being able to utilize the items regardless of the need. To avoid this, designate a relief organization and work with them from start to finish.


Transportation Must be Planned in Advance
Do not assume unsolicited relief supplies will be transported at no charge. Local trucking firms may be willing to help in times of disaster, if funds are available to cover part of the expense.

Some volunteer agencies may have vehicles going to the disaster site and can deliver the donations or they may be able to identify other possible means of providing the donations to the site.

Certain precautions are necessary regarding inventory, shipping restrictions, warehousing of goods. Always work with an identified source to avoid transportation problems.


Donated Items Must be Well Packed and Labeled
It is more efficient when items are sent properly sorted, clearly labeled and ready for distribution. This should be handled in advance at the sending location.

Specific content lists should be taped to the side of each box sent. This allows the receiving officials to determine what is in the box without opening it, plus getting it to the proper distribution location in a timely manner.

Food items, if needed, should be boxed according to instructions provided by the organization with whom the donor is working.


Small Items and Unsorted Clothing May Go to Local Need
Relief organizations maintain prepared stocks of needed items, especially dry goods like clothing that are easy to store. These are usually the first relief supplies to the site.

Unsorted bags of clothing and donations not needed immediately at the disaster site are maintained and handled at the local level. These are often sent to the site at a later time.
The key to an effective donated goods system is to be informed before a disaster arises. Information can be provided through a relief organization

Thanks to generous, well-informed and involved individuals like you, relief organizations can make a real difference in the world.

Volunteers are always needed when disasters occur. It is important that individuals who want to respond to these situations register in the proper manner.

Any relief organization which uses volunteers will have a formal arrangement planned to utilize individuals. Plan ahead to attend training sessions and keep informed of volunteer opportunities.

In a disaster, the volunteer center in your community maintains a list of where volunteers are needed, by what agency, and handles all of the sign-up procedures. This is a coordinated process and allows everyone to serve.

Response and recovery work is often dirty, monotonous, mundane and far from glamorous. Very little individual recognition is noted. Volunteers should be committed to work under such conditions and fit within plans coordinated by the volunteer agencies.

This information is provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NVOAD).

[lifacs]

In a way I'm glad the people have finally seen why we complain so much. Most of us have begun voting with our feet.

I heard this morning (watching WDSU online) the weather guy said they actually had reporters from the Miami Herald ask them why they haven't evacuated yet. In other words, how come the local media isn't pressuring the government to do their jobs. Liberals, what a mess they create.

[TomGuy]

FoxNews just said only 3 Cat 5's have hit the US since recordkeeping began.

[Kozak]

Not to mention all the offshore rigs that are getting punished...

[kcvl]

If anyone who is leaving the New Orleans area and can't find a hotel, ULM (University of Louisiana in Monroe) has opened their gymnasium for shelter. I think most of the hotels even in North Louisiana are filled. We are in South Arkansas and we have been filling hotels too.

Everyone please be safe. You all will be in my prayers.

[oceanview]

was FNC incorrect then? their breaking news segment said the speech was about the iraqi constitution.

[Sender]

That's everything.

Pretty much. It will be a giant, brackish bass fishing pond. Lake NOLA. God I hope this doesn't come to pass.

[meyer]

Blanco also mentioned she talk to President Bush. I hope Cindy Sheehan isn't watching. She'll want to become a Governor....

LOL - Iced tea through the nose funny. I know it's a serious situation and we all need to pause to pray for those that can't get out - but a bit of levity does break things up a bit.

[Pointblank]

That, Sir is an excellent idea!

[Not A Snowbird]

I wondered that myself - should there be military air assets moved in there now to fly people out.

Agreed. Belle Chasse airfield is close, they could be getting every C-130 in range to come and pick people up.

But that would require organizational skills and forethought, as well as picking up the phone and asking for the aircraft, qualities this group doesn't seem to have.

[IndyTiger]

From Google...The Superdome is a massive structure located on 52 acres of land; a height of 253 feet, a dome diameter of 680 feet, making it the largest domed structure in the world.

The Superdome is built to withstand catastrophes; the roof is built to stand up to 200 MPH wind and even deep flood water wouldn't reach the second level 35 feet from the ground. It has thus been used as an emergency shelter but is not designed for the task; in 1998 during Hurricane Georges problems included looting and supplying 14,000 people with necessities.

[spycatcher]

Offshore oil rigs