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

[Crazieman]

It was not 5 at landfall. Thats what counts.

[NautiNurse]

Andrew was a very compact storm. This one is much larger.

[alancarp]

I'm sorry -- Hugo was a five in the Atlantic; a 138 mph Cat 4 when it hit Charleston.

[Crazieman]

Its cool - its like saying Isabel was a 5. Only hit at 2 :)

[Palladin]

I have read about animals acting crazy before disastrous events, like the big New Madrid earthquake in 1805 (I should check the date). Lewis and Clark wrote about that. And, of course, old Native American tales tell about how strangely the animals behaved at that time.

I'm sure there are many other such incidents. Maybe some of our historians can fill us in on this.

[Gabz]

We need to keep this in mind that dumb democrat women should NEVER ever be elected in critical leadership positions.

I agree.........I started making plans to move out of Delaware not long after they elected a the first female, and a high school drop out to boot, as governor.

[M. Espinola]

Katrina may be strongest hurricane ever seen in Gulf

[bannie]

Mud...as in "It was as clear as..."

I try to hard to NOT be obscure...but I've hit that wall more than once....sigh...

:-(

[ImphClinton]

They are very well protected. Huge amounts of concreat surround the reactors. They would not be affected.

I would be willing to bet that reactors in Japan have survived Typhons just fine.

[conservativeinferno]

The mayor doesn't need to worry about the looters for long if Katrina is a direct hit.

[fatima]

Dumb democrat men outnumber any female.

[nwctwx]

[Sprite518]

Anyone who stays in New Orleans is nuts. I would be heading inland if I was there.

[Jedidah]

I'm pretty sure that Camille in 1969 was a Cat. 5.

[alancarp]

Elizabeth Nash doesn't research her history very well, does she?

[NautiNurse]

It strikes me as odd that a New Zealand newspaper would make such a big prediction as that.

[Crazieman]

BS - Camille was the strongest in the gulf. Ever.

Katrina won't be fit to shine Camille's high heels.

[sonsofliberty2000]

What the heck? XTRP is the only track where mass chaos does not happen.

[miele man]

Perhaps he doesn't have the "legal authority" to order a mandatory evac, but he certainly has the moral duty to issue one. On the other hand, anyone with even a pea for a brain should know that it is high time, past time, to saddle up and vamoose. Pronto.

Bless you again for showing leadership and running this thread. You've helped many, many people in several ways.

[alancarp]

If there was a six or seven, Camille would have qualified, given the article posted earlier.