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

[Tarpon]

Or maybe they had no other choice. I thought I heard one of the news guys say the field will be under water if the dikes get breached. They seem to be putting all the folks in the seats.

I wouldn't go there. I had an experience with shelters, sent the wife to one and it got hit and nearly destroyed.Big buildings make big targets. They aren't necessarily the strongest either.

[cgk]

I especially hate that graphic "NO ESCAPE NOW" in a big red banner over the hurricane track/path.

[Atlas Sneezed]

Predictions:
Fatalities in the 1000 range.
Superdome structure intact, few if any fatalities inside from unrest/panic/stress. Stories from dome are mostly uplifting tales of survival, faith, prayer, and song.
Some areas of NO never rebuilt. (But the tourist areas will live again).
Oil released from strategic reserves to reduce price spikes.
The cost dwarfs that of Andrew.

[bored at work]

here's what she looks like from above at this hour. . .

http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/PS/TROP/DATA/RT/float-vis-loop.html

[NautiNurse]

Has the storm made the turn to the north?

[Diddle E. Squat]

I can't wait for FNC's anchor shift change, Paige Hopkins drives me totally nuts. Easily the worst of all.

[cake_crumb]

Apropo of nothing but coincidence, I was just talking to a woman in the grocery store who's daughter lives in Biloxi, MS....and her name happens to be Katrina. She's staying with friends in College Station TX right now.

[MikefromOhio]

agree or disagrew with W all you want, he, at least, makes decisions.

This guy put his head in the sand.

I will be really surprised if he is mayor, or even WANTS to be mayor after this storm.

[CFC__VRWC]

Does it look like it's pulling slightly east to you? Toward Mobile?

[toomanygrasshoppers]

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!

All we can do is pray. Keep the Faith. This is in God's hands.

[steveegg]

TWC - The New Orleans, Biloxi/Gulfport, and Baton Rouge airports are now closed.

[solitas]

He could walk to the Superdome in twenty minutes. I wouldn't go in that thing.

With the kind of battering that thing is supposed to get, can you say "morgue"?

Stay safe, stay dry.

[kitkat]

***What, you want a toaster? LOL***

Contact snugs. That's HER job. LOL! I wonder if she knows what she started on the Dose.

[MikefromOhio]

it appears to have on the radar link...

but these things wobble as you know. but the direction is DEFINTELY more northerly than it was....

[plushaye]

"The governor has that deer in the headlights look. If she's a republican, I'm ashamed, but I'd bet the farm she's a dim dem."

You are correct. I remember following the governor race when Bobby Jindal came close to winning over Kathleen Blanco. Now he's the Republican Representative in Congress for LA. However, things might have been different if he had become governor. Jindal's extremely smart, and a former member of the Bush admin (HHS). I think he would have reacted better to the perceived danger and evacuated the city earlier.

[Revel]

Yes I heard last night from the mayor that there is "one" Generator in the dome.

[buickmackane]

OK, I'm back home with the latest updates from the Alexandria/Pineville area:

http://www.thetowntalk.com/apps/pbcs.dll/frontpage

The Rapides Parish School Board will make a decision later tonight about school closings. I'm hoping they close, because it wouldn't be wise if they change their mind mid-day and send the kids home early. I know from previous experience that it'll be a major hassle to contact the parents on short notice and have them either pick up their children at the school or rush home from work to meet the school bus. Better safe than sorry -- let everyone sleep in on a Monday morning if you ask me.

A friend just called and said that his brother-in-law who works as a paramedic for Medflight (the local helicopter ambulance service) was dispatched from Alexandria to New Orleans to help evacuate hospitals there.

Northbound I-49 has light traffic and is moving smoothly.

Hotel parking lots along MacArthur Drive (US 71/US 165) are jam-packed. There are many pickup trucks bearing Louisiana license plates, pulling trailers loaded with personal effects.

Cajun accents are clearly audible at local stores and fast-food restaurants today. These shoppers are most likely evacuees because Alexandria is about 90 miles north of Lafayette where Cajun speech would be more common.

Remember, hotels are sold out in Alexandria and Pineville, and price gouging has already been reported to the police. If you need an emergency shelter, pull off northbound I-49 ahead of time in Avoyelles Parish to see if room is available in Marksville at Paragon Casino Resort.

There's supposedly also a shelter in Bunkie, but I personally would NOT recommend staying outdoors in that town. The chiggers (aka "redbugs") are brutal this summer. I got in a motor vehicle accident in Bunkie two months ago and, in the course of being transported by ambulance to the local hospital, I got about 40 chigger bites on my arms that still haven't faded away after all these weeks despite various forms of medical treatment. Don't risk it!

I'll let you know the next time there's an update.

[MikefromOhio]

yeah I would imagine that the winds are getting downright scary for aircraft.

[spanalot]

"think that's a little unfair. The people in line at the Superdome seem like they really have no other alternative.

Who expects or plans for a monster like this hurricane?"

earlier posts indicate that the dome is built on a 30' mound. That will help alot.

[mware]