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Posted on 08/28/2005 8:10:23 PM PDT by 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
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 |
It's not looking good.
...Potentially catastrophic Hurricane Katrina beginning to turn northward toward southeastern Louisiana and the northern Gulf Coast... ...Sustained hurricane-force winds occurring along the southeastern Louisiana coast...
a Hurricane Warning is in effect for the north central Gulf Coast from Morgan City Louisiana eastward to the Alabama/Florida border...including the city of New Orleans and Lake Pontchartrain. Preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion.
A Tropical Storm Warning and a Hurricane Watch are in effect from east of the Alabama/Florida border to Destin Florida...and from west of Morgan City to Intracoastal City Louisiana.
A Tropical Storm Warning is also in effect from Destin Florida eastward to Indian Pass Florida...and from Intracoastal City Louisiana westward to Cameron Louisiana.
For storm information specific to your area...including possible inland watches and warnings...please monitor products issued by your local weather office.
At 2 am CDT...0700z...the center of Hurricane Katrina was located near latitude 28.2 north...longitude 89.6 west or about 70 miles south-southwest of the mouth of the Mississippi River and about 130 miles south-southeast of New Orleans Louisiana.
Katrina is now moving toward the north near 12 mph. This motion is forecast to continue today with a gradual increase in forward speed. A turn toward the north-northeast is expected later tonight and on Tuesday. On the forecast track the center of the hurricane will be very near the northern Gulf Coast later this morning. However... conditions are gradually deteriorating along portions of the central and northeastern Gulf Coast...and will continue to worsen throughout the day.
Maximum sustained winds are near 155 mph with higher gusts. Katrina is now a strong category four hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale. Some fluctuations in strength are likely prior to landfall...but Katrina is expected to make landfall as either a category four or possibly a category five hurricane. Winds affecting the upper floors of high-rise buildings will be significantly stronger than those near ground level.
Katrina remains a very large hurricane. Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 105 miles from the center...and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 230 miles. During the past hour...a wind gust to 83 mph was reported from a University of southern Mississippi buoy located just east of the Chandeleur Islands...a gust to 75 mph was reported at Grand Isle Louisiana...and a wind gust to 60 mph was reported in New Orleans.
The minimum central pressure recently reported by an Air Force Reserve unit reconnaissance aircraft was 910 mb...26.87 inches.
Coastal storm surge flooding of 18 to 22 feet above normal tide levels...locally as high as 28 feet...along with large and dangerous battering waves...can be expected near and to the east of where the center makes landfall. Some levees in the greater New Orleans area could be overtopped. Significant storm surge flooding will occur elsewhere along the central and northeastern Gulf of Mexico coast. NOAA buoy 42040 located about 50 miles east of the mouth of the Mississippi River recently reported waves heights of at least 40 feet.
Rainfall totals of 5 to 10 inches...with isolated maximum amounts of 15 inches...are possible along the path of Katrina across the Gulf Coast and the Tennessee Valley. Rainfall totals of 4 to 8 inches are possible across the Ohio Valley into the eastern Great Lakes region Tuesday and Wednesday.
The tornado threat ahead of Katrina is increasing and scattered tornadoes will be possible today over southeastern Louisiana... southern Mississippi...southern Alabama...and over the Florida Panhandle tonight.
Repeating the 2 am CDT position...28.2 N... 89.6 W. Movement toward...north near 12 mph. Maximum sustained winds...155 mph. Minimum central pressure... 910 mb.
The next advisory will be issued by the National Hurricane Center at 4 am CDT.
Forecaster Stewart
good. Very happy to hear that. I cant imagine folks managed to bring food with them.
Click Baton Rouge Radio (Live Coverage)
Click how to listen and/or watch Hurricanecity & WABN - (Live Coverage)
I think you are right which means NO will get the brunt of the east winds of the hurricane which would be devastating.
Door Number One, Monty.
Are you kidding?
Wait for you?
Eternity is a long time, but I would wait.
I guess you are unable to think it through at all, so I'll note the obvious. In BR, you only have to shelter them inside for the day before and duration of the storm. 2 days. After that they can be moved to temporary tent cities. I take it that you are unaware that such ARE planned for some of the expected refugees that won't be able to return to their homes(or perhaps just remaining land) in New Orleans for weeks if the storm surge fills the bowl. Was discussed earlier this evening.
But hell, that's all a bit difficult and inconvenient, and I'm sure you'll now gripe that they don't have adequate mental relief and color TV's, so just let 'em drown.
Because it is technically less challenging to get pictures from (calm weather) Mars. There are lots of cameras running, and the issue is one of "realtime" communication.
Yep. It was the snakes that did it.
Down to 155 MPH now. Cat 4.
155 MPH @ 2 a.m.; slight weakening.
Storm surge 18-22 feet.
Ft. Polk is 40 miles west of Alexandria. They would have to establsih a tent city there to hold the people.
Good God - can you imagine Norry doing this program?
Art is doing a fine job tonight.
Top of the range Category 4.
New advisory - 155 mph.
910 mb
From a web blog
I just received this email from user Adam Henderson: "My friend is stuck on I-10 and has just called me saying there is a 12 car pile up. His CB is buzzing with news that a 18 wheeler is involved." At this stage, it might be best not to try to evacuate. Being stuck in a traffic jam on I-10 when the winds start blowing 130 mph is probably more dangerous than riding out the storm in the Superdome.
I think it will strenthen again before landfall.
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