Hurricane Katrina Live Thread, Part VI

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

[NautiNurse]

Extremely dangerous Hurricane Katrina is bearing down on the North Central Gulf of Mexico and New Orleans metro area. Thousands of people did not evacuate New Orleans. Outer bands of Katrina are reaching the Louisiana coast.

Due to the size and intensity of this storm, all interests in the North Gulf of Mexico should be in their safe locations.

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:

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

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

[kenth]

That's all we can do. Wherever it hits will be devastated. So we pray that He weaken it. I can't get over all those children in line at the Superdome.

[MikefromOhio]

I;d believe it

I have Cable and IT'S having trouble today for some reason so everything is slow and FR is slow today too...making it worse....

[TomGuy]

Rain coming down, now. Literally, thousands still outside the Super Dome. Officials blew this one. They should have opened the SD much, much earlier. People are standing in line 2-3 hours.


Haze in pic is the rain.

[mhking]

Only "just about"?

Yeah, "just about" -- the center lane of 10 is still passable, plus knowing Shep, he'd demand that the local Fox affiliate fly him out on a chopper.

[True Republican Patriot]

No, they are explaining that tears LP over its levees filling the city with its waters.Shep addressed that about 15 minutes ago.They said all of the planners agreed on this being the Worse Case Scenario.

[bjs1779]

Someone said this is where Shep is staying.

Lots of luck if true.

[Atlas Sneezed]

If the winds blow hard enough on the Superdome structure and create extremely LOW PRESSURE zones, like wings on a plane create low pressure on the wing and cause it to lift UP, then the SuperDome structure will also create LIFT into the low pressure zone as the internal air pressure (under the wing-roof-walls) reacts to the lift...poof, one dome opens up like a JiffyPop!!

---

Don't quit your day job. You are spreading emergency weather myths (about opening windows) and structural engineering ignorance.

For the roof to "pop", you would need a sudden pressure change that could not be relieved quickly enough by air going out the doors and other apertures. (Think bomb, not a hurricane approaching at bicycle speed.)

[WestCoastGal]

Good I didn't think the Guard would go in without food/water/supplies.

Thanks

[Doogle]

Sheps a big time LSU and Saints fan...he goes to NO 10 to 15 times a year..he loves it there...sure he knows his way around NO....


Doogle

[hole_n_one]

Thought Brian Wilson was excellent this morning.

He didn't get choked up one time, all morning.

[steveegg]

Forgot about the Shep ego :-)

[Jeff Head]

the woman who appeared after him

Uh...that was the governor. I was underwhelmed by everyone there except the two-star National Guard General who spoke.

[beyond the sea]

Shep Smith looks as worried as I've ever seen anyone on TV news. Anchor said words to the effect, "We hope this tragedy doesn't unfold..." Shep interrupts, "You think YOU hope!" Talking about taking shelter in the center staircase of the hotel--I can't even imagine.

He's nuts. He better get out of NO.

Is he married? If so, I'll bet his wife is not too thrilled.

[rwfromkansas]

Idiots at eastern weather are going nuts because it is turning more north. They are saying it will hit Mobile instead, cloud tops are warming etc.

Those morons.

[MikefromOhio]

I know....

but that was quite a shift.

I am wrong without a doubt, but I think I was more confused. Look at where the 11AM advisory goes....

[Diddle E. Squat]

I guess the best we can hope for now is for it to pass west of NO far enough to avoid the eye. Looks too far gone to curve east enough to avoid pushing the lake into the city and over the levees.

It is like knowing the World Trade Center is going to collapse in 24 hours, but many wouldn't or couldn't leave, and there is nothing we can do.

[Sonar5]

Bouy 42040
Station 42040 - MOBILE SOUTH 64 nm South of Dauphin Island, AL

http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/station_page.php?station=42040

Wind Direction (WDIR): E ( 100 deg true )
Wind Speed Wind Speed (WSPD): 31.1 kts
Wind Gust Wind Gust (GST): 36.9 kts
Wave Height Wave Height (WVHT): 28.2 ft

28.2 Not Good.

[Enchante]

Does anyone know about the Atchafalaya River through Morgan City and the tale that used to be told in those parts: I spent some time there 25 years ago, and locals said that the Atchafalaya was the likely future course of the Mississippi River if nature ever had her way.... I was told that the potential existed for the entire lower river basin to be re-routed through what is now the Atchafalaya.... if something like that could result from Hurricane Katrina the devastation would be off the charts... but I don't know if that's a serious possibility or a foolish rumor.... am looking for info on the Internet.

http://www.lacoast.gov/geography/at/atch_basdyn.htm

[Recovering Ex-hippie]

This may be a dumb question....why the superdome?
Why could people not be bused or trucked out by the National Guard or whatever? Even if they are ok in there, they will have a very hard time Staying in that dome with ot being able to leave after the hurriciane comes through.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

The Weather Channel just said that the cane is FINALLY starting to take the expected turn to the north!