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

[don-o]

Good morning. I'm catching up after a day out of pocket.

Yikes!

[NautiNurse]

Yes--and they can be pushed to the shoulder.

[NautiNurse]

Hiya don-o. Good to see you. Did you go to Crawford yesterday?

[jetbanana]

Thanks for that info--makes me feel a little better. I need to turn off the TV cause it seems like our local weather guys are secretly hoping it will come our way.

[ken5050]

Fearless prediction...in the days after Katrina, we will start to hear calls that W is NOT doing enough to help rebuild the area..instead we are sending billions to rebuild Iraq.. I expect that Sheila Jackson Lee is composing her words now..

[NautiNurse]

where are you?

[kittymyrib]

This just shows piddly human beings that they are nothing when confronted with the awesome power of God. It's a good lesson for modern man who thinks he IS God.

[snowsislander]

Another "Vortex" message:

VORTEX DATA MESSAGE
A. 28/11:04:10Z
B. 25 deg 39 min N
  087 deg 32 min W
C. 700 mb 2310 m
D. NA  kt
E.     deg     nm
F. 141 deg 153 kt
G. 046 deg 018 nm
H.        910  mb
I.  10 C/ 3056 m
J.  25 C/ 3057 m
K.  10 C/ NA
L. CLOSED WALL
M. C25
N. 12345/ 7
O. 1    / 1  nm
P. AF302 1712A KATRINA      OB 10
MAX FL WIND 153 KT NE QUAD 10:58:50 Z

[HereInTheHeartland]

Tell them to keep coming north, we have room in Iowa for awhile.
What will everyone do there, if this thing lives up to it's potential, it will be a long time until things are back to normal.
Hopefully it turns or fizzles or both.

[Peach]

I'm watching people walking on the beach now with their surfboards. Unbelievable. Have people been getting steadily more stupid, or is it that I just haven't had enough caffeine this morning?

[cyborg]

Of course, they're secretly happy because this is the crown of their job. The weather coverage up here makes them look absolutely drunk with excitement :(

[cschroe]

I don't know specifics on time, but I know my sister-in-law left for Baton Rouge before her husband bugged out, and in the time it took her to get there from NO. he made the drive IN to NO from mandevile over the bridge, scrambled his jet, and landed in Maryland before she got to BR!

[cyborg]

Fox News? I saw that too. Don't be surprised though. Some people love surfing and don't care. I hear you have to be a surfer to understand.

[Godebert]

I'm watching people walking on the beach now with their surfboards. Unbelievable.

How big are the waves?

[jetbanana]

I'm in Lafayette, La.

[ken5050]

probably both..

[newzjunkey]

Yup, they'll complain about the billions going to Iraq and not L.A., etc. And bet folks will say W didn't drag feet in FL because Jeb's their gov.

[NautiNurse]

158mph winds...hopefully this can't keep up for 24 hours. Most Cat 5 are very short lived as such.

[janetjanet998]

its really picking up speed too now..was 7 last night..then 10..now 12MPH...people will be stuck in traffic jams when it hits..I predict a sub 900 MB storm which will weaken slighly at landfall

[R. Scott]

Katrina is now a Cat 5 Hurricane. As of 4 AM Eastern this morning it had sustained winds of 145 mph. (Update – 160 mph) It’s only moving at about 10 mph so it will drop an awful lot of rain and a 15-20 foot storm surge.
It will apparently give the Hampton Roads area a wide berth, but New Orleans is in the Bull’s Eye. Best of luck to New Orleans and the Mississippi Valley.

(Humanity i love you because when you're hard up you pawn your Intelligence to buy a drink.) Web Site