Hurricane Katrina Live Thread, Part VIII

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

Even if they let them back in now, there's a huge window of opportunity for looters while the owners make their way back in.

On the other hand, not letting the owners back in lets the troops have an almost-free-fire zone to suppress looters.

3,461 posted on 08/29/2005 11:30:27 AM PDT by Spktyr (Overwhelmingly superior firepower and the willingness to use it is the only proven peace solution.)

To: Trust but Verify

The government and insurance companies will take care of ..... It is NEVER permissable to help yourself

Yep...thank goodness for the government

3,462 posted on 08/29/2005 11:30:28 AM PDT by CFW

To: The Westerner

Very welcome. I'm not sure how often they are able to update... looks like the last one came in an hour ago.

3,463 posted on 08/29/2005 11:30:46 AM PDT by cgk (We'll have to deal w/ the networks. One way to do that is to drain the swamp they live in - Rumsfeld)

To: maxter; capt. obvious

Both.

I'm not discounting the power of prayer, but as my grandmother used to say "God put the barrier islands along the coast for a reason!"

Here on the southeast coast, the barrier islands often take the brunt of the storm. That's why they are called barrier islands. Hilton Head Island, Kiawah Island, St. Simon's Island, and Sea Island have some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. But since they make beautiful vacation spots they've been widely developed, and now when a 'cane comes our way you can count on property damage and major evacuations.

3,464 posted on 08/29/2005 11:30:50 AM PDT by StillProud2BeFree

To: capt. obvious

Once a hurricane or typhoon reaches land, it tends to gravitate toward the first thing it hits. Try this: put the end of your vacuum's hose just above the floor and turn it on. Then, place you finger on the floor near the nozzle. The nozzle pulls toward your finger since the air can't rush in around your finger as easily as it would otherwise and a higher vacuum is created near your finger. The eye of the storm is just a huge vacuum, pulling everything in toward it and flinging it out in bands as it circulates. The trees, buildings, etc..cause friction for the wind headed into the eye and often steer the storm toward the first land mass it hits. That, and its counter-clockwise motion, usually make these things jog to the east. Once it hits friction from all sides over land, it starts to lose its power as the air can't get into the eye as easily and its major heat source is gone.

3,465 posted on 08/29/2005 11:30:52 AM PDT by SCDockman

I agree - Fox has determined what news we get to hear. They cut off the President as he commented "and I want to say this about immigration".

Fox, as in Vincente?

3,466 posted on 08/29/2005 11:30:52 AM PDT by dfwgator

To: Types_with_Fist

" Yeah they did. "

No they did not, when eye wall hits you or hits very very close, you did not dodge the bullet. And the west wall was just as strong as the east wall, maybe stronger, with this storm.

3,467 posted on 08/29/2005 11:31:02 AM PDT by jpsb

More:

Katrina's fury hits the Gulf shore

From Staff and Wire reports

GULFPORT - Hurricane Katrina pushed water ashore and played with power lines as the storm made landfall.

As people began waking up to the storm, calls came in to television and emergency management officials.
National Hurricane Center Director Max Mayfield said at midmorning the worst flooding from storm surge was on the Mississippi coast, east of the eye, with the highest storm surge recorded so far at 22 feet in Bay St. Louis.

Along U.S. 90, the major coastal route that is home to the state's glitzy casinos, sailboats were washed onto the four-lane highway, which was deserted and flooded in areas.

"This is a devastating hit - we've got boats that have gone into buildings," Gulfport Fire Chief Pat Sullivan said as he maneuvered around downed trees in the city. "What you're looking at is Camille II."

As of 7 a.m., the television station's rain gauge had measured 4 inches.

An emergency transmission tower at Gulf Coast Community Hospital in Biloxi fell over and arced, giving off a big orange glow that looked like a fire.

Power outages were 10,000 customers as of 5 a.m., but no updated numbers are available.

Gov. Haley Barbour said in a telephone call that good news for Missisisippians was that the storm weakened a bit before making landfall, but it's still a very powerful storm.
Dolphins safe at hotel

Three dolphins from the beachside Marine Life park were moved to a local hotel pool to weather Hurricane Katrina.

The dolphins - Katelin, Cayenne and Jonah - usually live in a shallow water tank. They were moved to the Best Western in Gulfport because they needed to be at a higher elevation, said one of their keepers, Dr. Moby Solangi.

Before the storm moved inland Monday, the hotel's human guests enjoyed watching the dolphins.

"I love them. This is my first time ever seeing them this close," said Earlean Winters, who has lived on the Mississippi coast 38 years.

This isn't the first time the sea animals have been hotel guests. Solangi said during any hurricane threat, they are taken to various area hotel swimming pools until danger passes.

Storm surge of more than 20 feet is reported along South Mississippi, with waves as high as 33 feet in some places.

WLOX-TV reported 86-mph winds at their studio about three blocks off the beach.

Water is covering Jones Park and is up to the bottom of the oak trees there, according to Gulfport firefighter Jack O'Brien. There also are reports of water getting into First Baptist Church, which sits on U.S. 90 in Gulfport across from Jones Park.

Gulfport firefighters also reported water in the elevator lobby of Grand Casino Gulfport south of U.S. 90.

Widespread power outages have been reported all along the Coast.

Pascagoula emergency management offiicals report wind gusts of 110 mph about 6:30 a.m.

The water from the Mississippi Sound was crashing against the sea wall, which normally is about 125 to 130 yards down the beach.

Hancock County is under mandatory evacuation and expects to see the worst damage from the storm.

Bay St. Louis Mayor Eddie Favre said emergency personnel got a call asking for help for an evacuation about 6 a.m. at Paradise Point, but they were unable to get out and perform the rescue.

The Cedar Point area, as well as Beach Boulevard, were under water, he said, with the worst of the storm yet to blow through South Mississippi.

"We know there's going to be a minimum of trees down, fencing, damage to buildings and we expect to see a lot of damage, especially along the beachfront and Cedar Point area," Favre said in a telephone interview.

Bay officials got a call about a tree limb that fell on the first block of State Street near the beach, causing a gas leak.

On the whole, however, Favre said emergency officials have received very few calls.

"It's good because people who are in a position of being in jeopardy from flooding or something like that and have to be evacuated.

Col. Joe Spraggins, emergency management director for Harrison County, said in a television interview about 4 a.m. that nearly all of U.S. 90 was impassable because of flooding and that the expected storm surge is imminent.

Most of Harrison and Hancock counties are under tornado warnings and power outages are beginning to take effect as the winds increased.

Forecasters warn that a 25-foot storm surge is possible and predict the area will experience hurricane-force winds for about 12 hours. Tropical storm winds were expected to reach the coast by Sunday eveing.

Some watching the track of Hurricane Katrina believe it will be as catastrophic, if not more so, as Hurricane Camille, the most powerful hurricane to hit land in U.S. history.

The following is an excerpt from a blog on Weather Underground.com, a Web site specializing in weather: "If the eye wall was to shrink to 15 nautical miles in diameter, we would have another Camille - except it is a larger storm than Camille."

"If Katrina maintains a Category 5 intensity all the way to the coast, a storm surge of 24-28 feet will hit the Delta region... this storm will produce the most catastrophic damage in modern times if it maintains its intensity and projected track. The repercussions will be felt nationwide for a very long time."

Harrison, Hancock and Jackson county officials ordered mandatory evacuations in some areas and urge other residents to leave town.

In Harrison County, mandatory evacuations for Zones A and B were effective at 10 a.m. Sunday. Flood zone maps are located on the Harrison County Civil Defense Web site at www.co.harrison.ms.us. They also are printed on page 55 of the 2005 Bellsouth phonebook.

Col. Joe Spraggins, director of the Harrison County Emergency Management Agency, strongly urges all Harrison County residents to get out of town, especially those in mobile homes.

"If you can get out of Harrison County, get out of Harrison County," Spraggins said during an 8 a.m. Sunday briefing.

All shelters in Harrison County opened at noon Sunday. Spraggins said law enforcement officers will go to as many homes as possible asking those who refuse to evacuate to sign paperwork attesting to that effect.

He said casinos closed at 2 a.m. Sunday.

Hancock County officials called for mandatory evacuations beginning at 6 a.m. for the entire county, including the cities of Bay St. Louis and Waveland.

In Pearl River County, Carolyn Nelson, coordinator of Emergency Management said at 9:30 a.m. that there were no mandatory evacuations and none were expected. The first shelter was to open in Picayune at 2 p.m., with others to be opened as needed.

"We're telling callers that if they have good sturdy homes and they not in a flood zone to stay," said Nelson, "Leaving is their call."

In Jackson County, mandatory evacuations were invoked at 8 a.m. Sunday for all areas south of U.S. 90 and in the Flood A zone and all low-lying areas. Darryl Goldmen, radio emergency community coordinator at county emergency management in Pascagoula, said all areas south of I-10 are "highly recommended" for evacuation.

"The people who have been calling haven't been giving me any lip," Goldmen said. "People are recognizing this is another Camille-type event and it has their attention."

In George County, Nancy Smith, administrative assistant to the director of emergency management, said shelters would open at 6 p.m. Sunday.

No mandatory evacuations had been ordered or in Stone County.

3,468 posted on 08/29/2005 11:31:02 AM PDT by conservative in nyc

Sorry, but I completely disagree. This hurricane is an ongoing natural disaster. His speech on immigration can wait, and can be covered or shown in full another time. Fox made the right call to cut away from the speech, it wasn't that important in comparison to the hurricane. We still don't have a good sense of how bad it was, or how well it turned out.

3,469 posted on 08/29/2005 11:31:12 AM PDT by Diddle E. Squat

He's not a happy camper...he'll return however.

3,470 posted on 08/29/2005 11:31:35 AM PDT by shield (The Greatest Scientific Discoveries of the Century Reveal God!!!! by Dr. H. Ross, Astrophysicist)

To: Diddle E. Squat

3,471 posted on 08/29/2005 11:32:06 AM PDT by silentknight

FNC: Louisiana residents could be without power for a month.

I'll vouch for that. After Charlie, some folks here in FL in more remote areas were without power for weeks.

They start repairing the lines where the least amount of effort will restore power to the greatest number of people.

Makes sense, but you can see how folks in the outlying areas get the shaft.

3,472 posted on 08/29/2005 11:32:08 AM PDT by VeniVidiVici (When a Jihadist dies, an angel gets its wings)

No they did not, when eye wall hits you or hits very very close, you did not dodge the bullet.

I don't want to argue with you. You're right, okay? New Orleans was wiped out by thge big one.

3,473 posted on 08/29/2005 11:32:13 AM PDT by Types_with_Fist (I'm on FReep so often that when I read an article at another site I scroll down for the comments.)

3,474 posted on 08/29/2005 11:32:47 AM PDT by CindyDawg

To: conservative in nyc

Bay St. Louis Mayor Eddie Favre

Any relation to Brett?

3,475 posted on 08/29/2005 11:33:07 AM PDT by dfwgator

To: Diddle E. Squat

sat image.....it will probably start turning more due north again and go back on the NHC track, but who knows I guess.

3,476 posted on 08/29/2005 11:33:16 AM PDT by rwfromkansas (http://www.xanga.com/home.aspx?user=rwfromkansas)

Don't know......sorry.

3,477 posted on 08/29/2005 11:33:21 AM PDT by Squantos (Be polite. Be professional. But, have a plan to kill everyone you meet. ©)

To: conservative in nyc

I see a lot of gamblers in withdrawal for a few weeks.

3,478 posted on 08/29/2005 11:33:30 AM PDT by GOP_Proud (Those who preach tolerance most, have the least for my views.)

To: Trust but Verify

It is NEVER permissable to help yourself to other people's property.

Never? That's a pretty absolute statement for a time of emergency. I think if you had someone with a medical condition, it would be permissable to obtain needed supplies by any means possible. One would, of course, attempt to make restitution at a later time, but I would certainly liberate insulin or heart medication from an abandonned pharmacy if it was truly needed.

3,479 posted on 08/29/2005 11:33:43 AM PDT by SoothingDave

Incredible Superdome Pics!

3,480 posted on 08/29/2005 11:34:20 AM PDT by gopwinsin04

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