Hurricane Katrina Live Thread, Part VII

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. New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin conceded that as many as 100,000 inner-city residents didn't have the means to leave and an untold number of tourists were stranded by the closing of the airport. At this hour, people are still filing into the Superdome after security screening for weapons and contraband. National Guard have brought in 360,000 MRE (meals ready to eat) to feed the estimated 30,000 storm refugees in the Superdome.

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 Katrina Live Thread, Part VI
Hurricane Katrina Live Thread, Part V
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

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:

Fully-linked version of the live feeds (just in case a few people don't want to first open up WMP to cut-and-paste) -

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 WDSU-TV/DT New Orleans via WESH-TV/DT Orlando - http://mfile.akamai.com/12912/live/reflector:38843.asx

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

[Sidebar Moderator]

Oh yes, that one. Right.

We are lucky to have them.

I like my badge very much.

Colorado Doug, mums the word.

[Jedidah]

Texan here, and isn't Diddle E. Squat one of us, too?

[flying Elvis]

By the time Camille reached Jackson the sustained winds were 75mph. It was downgraded to a tropical storm by the time it reached Tennessee.

[JohnBovenmyer]

No, Louisiana is pretty evenly split.

I presume it is more red without NO. Not the method of reform I'd choose, but if the storm lives up to predictions some votes will move away and some of those will move out of state. But I don't know NO well enough to predict whether red or blue precincts would be harder hit

[BurbankKarl]

He has on the only radio weatherman from the area....

[Diddle E. Squat]

You are the only idiot suggesting evacuees would be sheltered in a field. Just a strawman, because you can see you've been whipped logically, but are to stubborn to quit arguing.

See ya.

[nunya bidness]

No wave height given for the 0050 CDT 42040 upadte.

Look up.

[Tall_Texan]

I don't think any of the typical buildings (schools, hospitals) can be official shelters in New Orleans because they are all below sea level. In a major catastrophe, they could flood out and all could die. That's why the Superdome is being declared a "place of last resort". They mean what they say - last resort. It won't be the Hilton inside there. After a couple of days, it won't even be as good as a Motel 6. No government really wants to be responsible for what could happen in a city like New Orleans which legally they might if certain structures were declared as shelters.

[gpapa]

NOLA.com Times-Picayune Breaking News Weblog
http://www.nola.com/newslogs/breakingtp/index.ssf?/mtlogs/nola_Times-Picayune/archives/2005_08.html#074533
Monday, August 28, 2005
Fire units standing down

Jefferson Parish Fire Department units were ordered to stand down at 12:44 a.m., and the New Orleans Fire Department has followed suit. Superintendent Charles Parent thanked firefighters for all their work, told them to lock down their gear and head for their “refuge of last resort."

[Knitting A Conundrum]

I am sooooo tired, didn't sleep well last night (went to bed late, woke up in the middle of the night and watched the category 4 announcement, then got up early. Still haven't taken a nap.

I feel like I'm on a death watch.

[exhaustedmomma]

Remember how few animals were harmed during the tsunami? There was no warning. Let's hope for the best.

Ya' know what I've been wondering about all day? The sharks that have been biting and attacking people. With the water rising, etc., you know they are really gonna be in a "mood"... wonder what they are gonna do. :0

[janetjanet998]

Ap now reporting on msnbc that 107 mph wind gust now in downtown NO!!!

[eternity]

Smart guy too.

[Right Winged American]

Ask the people in the Carolinas and Florida if they think that mandatory evacuations should be taken lightly. They have been evacuated so many times and had such a hard time getting back that they don't even leave anymore.

I don't think this is an accurate statement.

You are correct, it is not.

I should add though, I rode out Andrew because I didn't know what to expect. I rode out Katrina because when it went through here, we expected it to hit 30 - 50 miles north of me. Instead, the eye went right over my house this time.

I knew both storms were coming, and I still elected to stay in my house — which is of concrete block and steel rebar reinforced concrete construction; my second floor is 9 inches of steel reinforced poured concrete, and the roof is 3/4 in. plywood over 3x12 rafters anchored in steel reinforced concrete. Essentially, it is a bunker. Andrew blew a 6 foot patch in my shingles off, but my roof didn't leak.

On the other hand, the next unit on my right was stripped down to the plywood. (end unit)

[Howlin]

Those that do evacuate have a hard time getting back in to secure their property because the local government wants to make sure the area is "safe".

So, not only is your position that everybody should be responsbile for themselves, now you're advocating that they ignore evacuation orders because "it's too hard" to get back?

There was a thread here on FR last year where a guy in Florida was tasered because he wanted to get to his house.

I don't think that's the ENTIRE story.

[RobbyS]

Let us pray you are wrong. This is my fear also.

[JeffAtlanta]

You are the only idiot suggesting evacuees would be sheltered in a field.

Where would you put them? You have come up with decent sounding but totally unrealistic ideas.

The point is that evacuating a city is not a simple process.

[Chena]

I went to bed and watched more reports and ended up having to get up and pace again. I just can't believe what I'm seeing and hearing. I even heard earlier today that some folks on those barrier islands didn't leave either. Can that be?! I know they've been warned in past hurricanes only to end up getting missed. But still....that doesn't mean a big one will never hit, as is evident right now.

I feel bad for those that decided to stay and worry for their safety, but I worry even more for those who wanted to leave but couldn't. If they are so poor they can't afford to leave, then what sort of housing must they be living in? We can put a man on the moon, but we can't relocate 100,000 people before a major hurricane hits?

God help them all.

[Sender]

I am frequently exposed to 100 MPH winds on my motorcycle. However I hope I am not struck by debris, stop signs, etc.

[Diddle E. Squat]

Probably should be updates at Weather Underground within the next 5-30 minutes. I'm going to bed, but here is the link:

http://www.wunderground.com/tropical/tracking/at200512_5day.html