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

[JimSEA]

This is sadly reminiscent of my last trip to Phang Nga before the tsunami. The hotels there looked like the one in which Shep Smith is staying before the wave hit and looked like piles scrap lumber after. Best hope and wishes for those stuck in the French Quarter and all of NO.

[agrace]

My husband just got a call from his brother who works for CentCom in Tampa (retired Navy Lt-Commander, rehired as civilian), he says he's never seen anything like this, the sheer size/power of the thing - hurricane force winds 200 miles across, twice the width of the FL penninsula. They're getting rain bands in Tampa right now.

[Peach]

See #631. Hope you are safe.

[GRRRRR]

I'm not going to argue with a lawyer....LOL!

I did sleep at a Holiday Inn Express once AND I do some design work on the 'side'...I'm comfortable with my analysis.

G

[Howlin]

Bogey lost power.

[investigateworld]

Amen --- from the Oregon Coast Range mountains.

[RDTF]

It's obviously benefiting/comforting them, or they wouldn't be here. It's the nature of people.

[advance_copy]

Max Mayfield is excellent.

[kx9088]

I thought they did start a voluntary evac last night? If not, then when did they?

[shezza]

The Darwin-Award-Nominees are certainly free to make their own decisions....however, they should not expect authorities to come rescue them when their stupidity puts them in a life-threatening situation.

[Doogle]

This is definitely an annular hurricane.

...with anal retentive reporters


Doogle

[MikefromOhio]

The NO experimental radar for those that can get it...

http://www.srh.noaa.gov/ridge/lix_N0Z_lp.shtml

[Wonder Warthog]

"Yes, so I guess what I'm wondering is if the dams and levees that the Army Corps of Engineers has been using for decades to keep the Mississippi on its present course are vulnerable or not. I have no idea, I'm just wondering what it would take in terms of water flow to overwhelm the existing system, and would that have permanent effects?"

I grew up in north Pointe Coupee, which is just north of the Atchafalya Spillway and south of the Old River Control Structure (which are the main two "flood control structures" to keep the Mississippi from "re-channeling" down the Atchafalaya, and they are designed for (as I recall) an amount of water 3X the 1927 flood (largest of historical record). No hurricane is going to drop that amount of water, and those structures are so massive (and low) that they are invulnerable to wind damage.

[mabelkitty]

I'm betting they end up at the Superdome like the Fox reporter who is doing live interviews. That guy said he was going to be in the Superdome with them, which I think is a good thing. Seeing some well-known, famous, or wealthier people in the shelters may bring a calm to the poor and stranded - like they are all in it together and not being singled out for certain death. That's my opinion.

[solitas]

Shep sounds worried, albeit even scared for himself.

Huh! Didn't think he was capable of understanding "scared".

Humorous story: http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=46009
Apparently ss was chatting up someone in a hotel, asking him why he was there, and the guy (to his credit) said "None of your f-----g business"; on-mic on-air.

[NautiNurse]

yep

[cgk]

Neither have I. I am terrified for everyone in its path!
Sending urgent, almost desperate prayers, and it isn't helping hearing things coming off Fox News like "50,000" casualties... 50% of people stuck/left in New Orleans are children!

[jeffers]

Nice image. See the purple blob SW of the eyewall?

That's tomorrow's energy budget.

If it turns north, then the best we can hope for is for the eyewall to come ashore when the spiral inflow path between that point and the eyewall is feeding the minimum energy into the storm. In other words, when the SW purple blob is halfway from where it is now and being pulled into the eyewall.

[rwfromkansas]

It has turned more northerly, but just more in line with the NHC track. Earlier, it was actually going more to the west of the track.

Unless it starts actually going nne here, there is not much hope for NO, and somebody will get battered in any event.

[Warren_Piece]

Shoot, they've issued an Inland Tropical Storm warning here in TN!