Hurricane Katrina, Live Thread, Part V

NHC - NOAA ^ | 28 August 2005 | NHC - NOAA

[NautiNurse]

Extremely dangerous Hurricane Katrina is bearing down on the North Central Gulf of Mexico. Mandatory evacuation of New Orleans is finally underway. Louisiana officials are warning of complete failure to levy systems, and pleading with people to leave low lying areas. For those who choose to stay, they are recommending picks and axes for breaking through to access their roofs during flooding.

Due to the size and intensity of this storm, all interests in the North Gulf of Mexico should be rushing hurricane preparations to completion.

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:

http://www.wjbo.com - BR radio station. Callers calling in and describing traffic etc.
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
WKRG-TV/DT Mobile (WMP) - mms://wmbcast.mgeneral.speedera.net/wmbcast.mgeneral/wmbcast_mgeneral_aug262005_1435_95518

Hurricane Katrina, Live Thread, Part IV
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

[Palladin]

Amen!

[tet68]

This webcam in downtown NO shows people still walking around.
Please tell me that's not live. That's just ridiculous.


Remember, some of those folks are thinking,
"I'm gonna git that Plazma TV I always wanted..."

[abb]

Per WC, 180 mph

[Jeff Head]

902 now? Camille was what...908?

[Tarpon]

Actually the NOLA politicians said they were going to ride the storm out downtown, at the Superdome. That's where their Emergency services HQ is. Likely if you are in buildings of more than three stories that are strong enough, you will survive. The real problem comes if the Lake Pontchartrain dikes get breached. Then you run the real risk of drowning like what happened in the tsunami.

Areas around NOLA are mostly 3-6 feet above sea level, so they are at great risk to surge, if the survive the winds.

Here are some after the fact pictures from Camille ... Camille

[NautiNurse]

165 mph winds, 902mb. ouch.

[Tuxedo]

185 MPH. Ugh.

[Dr. Eckleburg]

God protect all those in the path of this horrific storm.

[Dog]

Not that port.

[commish]

Yep. All the weather forums are referring to her now as a Steady-State Annular. The combined with the Recon possibly showing her pressure going even lower is absolutely breaking my heart. Every indication is that she may come ashore with winds in excess of 180-200 MPH.

Be it NO, Slidell, Gulfport, Biloxi or pascagoula...some place is going to get wiped off the map. NOt to mention the hundreds to possibly thousands of tornados that will shred the entire LA, MS, ALA area. This monster is capable of carrying Hurrican force winds all the way into Tennessee. We could see widespread damage in Jackson. Montgomery, Birmingham, Chattanooga, Nashville, memphis -- You name it.

Not to mention what is currently happening to our oil production facilities in the gulf, and what will happen to our refineries that cover the landscape from slidell to Pascagoula. I really fear we could see gas prices approaching $3.50-$4.00 in the coming months.

[Vinnie]

I'm not disputing you. Just looked up the info in Chapman's Piloting and Seamanship manual.

Remember the info from my sailing days. Sails for boats are figured at 11 kts., 1 lb/sq. ft.

40 lb/sq. ft. = about 90-95kts. ( or about 110 mph.)

In my previous post I used mph and should have used kts. So 175 mph is more than kts. Adjust the figures downward.
175 kts. = 148 kts.
148 kts. = 109 lb/sq. ft.

[Pyro7480]

I just heard 175 mph winds.

[itsinthebag]

Sorry to be a dunce, can someone explain to me what "902MB" means? Thanks.

[mabelkitty]

Thank you.

[Altamira]

"I never got to see the French Quarter or NO for that matter. Shoulda,Coulda,Woulda :*("

Yeah,....but you can look at the wonderful photos..

I feel sick about this. My spouse and I honeymooned in NO, and it is (was?) one of our most favorite cities for its beauty, history, and dining. And the people are great. May God help them.

[texgal]

God bless and keep you and yours safe during what is sure to be a highly dangerous and very trying time. You and others like you will be in our prayers. Stay safe.

[Lessismore]

I wouldn't want to be one of the folks on "This Old House" who spent thousands of dollars fixing up one of those old charmers.

and how about those lovely old homes along St. Charles...

[Palladin]

Yes, that's exactly what it is.

[Dog Gone]

The urgency level needed to be this high no later than Friday. There are going to be thousands of people trapped in the city, perhaps tens of thousands. Many of them are going to perish.

I realize there are more important things to do than to point fingers right now, but the fact is that ordering an evacuation a half day before a Category 5 storm hits the most vulnerable city in America is criminal.

[Michael Goldsberry]

"OMG..UP to 100,000 people stuck in New Orleans."

When FOX reported that, I nearly fell out of my chair.

This is a nightmare.

Prayers.