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

[Ellesu]

Oh Jesus, I'm scared.

[jeffers]

"there is a post above that says 35 miles from Sulfur Point. Where is that?"

If that was my post, it was a mistake. It should have said Port Sulfur. It's roughly halfway between DT NO and the tip of the peninsula.

[CaptSkip]

WKRG weather dude was just talking about this "dry air infusion" that may continue and MIGHT moderate the severity..."but don't hold your breath".

[NautiNurse]

Better to rely on radar for landfall--

[eastforker]

A levee is a man made dyke to keep water levels from pouring into populated areas. Levees are all up and down the Mississippi river for hundreds of miles.

[DB]

It is really, really unlikely the Super Dome is going to fail mechanically. It may well get flooded.

[TYVets]

there is a post above that says 35 miles from Sulfur Point. Where is that?

Port Sulfur is on the Mississippi River about 30 miles South East of NO.

Not sure if this the same place you are referring to.

[LibertyRocks]

I agree with your thoughts on this Pirogue. Rebuilding the historic buildings and such would be very important. Especially for those whom call New Orleans home, I would imagine... It may take a long time, but it would be worth it, IMHO.

[PureSolace]

Fishtalk, Thanks for writing. First, yes, New Orleans is filled with tons of homeless and poor. It's a dirty crime riddin place, but they have the best food in the world and some of the best music. (But it's too damned hot there) :)

A Levee is basically a man made structure to contain water.

The Levee along the Mississippi River is built to contain the river... cause rivers naturally change course and wind around over time. If you plan on building up a permanant port, you gotta build up alevee to contain the river.

Theres also a levee along the lake to keep the water out as well. :)

check this out...

I lived in louisiana for most of my life, and Levees are the norm down there. I love Louisiana, but I'm glad I don't live there anymore... the culture of poverty and violence at times gets out of control. too much damn crime for my tastes. But my family is down there, so it's home. :) Peace.

[rolling_stone]

http://www.mvm.usace.army.mil/floodcontrol/Levees/levees.htm

I can't answer the rest of your questions but the flood control levees I have seen are earthen dams and some have asphalt or gravel on the top and can be walked on or in some cases wide enough for a car to drive on......

[NautiNurse]

Do you have a safe room?

[sonofatpatcher2]

The levee system was started to try and control the Mighty Missip... Without the Corps of Engineers work on those levees, the Mississippi River would have cut a new channel down the Atchafalaya River and left New Orleans high & dry...

Got to http://www2.sjsu.edu/faculty/watkins/oldriver.htm for more info on The Old River Control Project. My late Father was the Project Manager there in the late 1950s...

[stlnative]

here is a levee with the "tan" path on top of it - yes you can drive - walk - or ride on top of it.
http://www.design.upenn.edu/landscape/student/mississippi/hydraulics/levee/images/aerial%20levee.jpg

[LibertyRocks]

I heard or read something earlier in the night that said due to settling some of the levee walls are only 10ft. high in some places.

[stlnative]

leeve profile
http://www.na.fs.fed.us/spfo/pubs/n_resource/flood/levee-3.gif

[DB]

The affects of this storm are just beginning.

In all likelihood it will cost far more than $22 billion.

For the most part the government can't force people to leave (send in the national guard?). If they refuse to leave, that's their choice - and ultimately their consequence...

[TheSpottedOwl]

Thanks for the link. These levees will be breached, unfortunately : (

[stlnative]

leeve = levee

[Ellesu]

Yes, I'm more scared for those poor people still there, family member's homes in NO, I'm not sure what we will get here, the west side is usually the safer side, but she is so big, who knows. Wonder if there will be any problems with the Mississippi River and levees in BR.

[DB]

It looks like the eye wall is about 10 miles off land from the radar image.