Posted on 09/15/2004 7:38:29 PM PDT by lainie
Hurricane Ivan Advisory Number 55
Statement as of 10:00 PM CDT on September 15, 2004
...Extremely dangerous Hurricane Ivan coming closer to the northern Gulf Coast...strong winds already moving onshore...
A Hurricane Warning is in effect from Grand Isle Louisiana to Apalachicola Florida...including the greater New Orleans area and Lake Pontchartrain. A Hurricane Warning means that hurricane conditions are expected within the warning area...generally within the next 24 hours. Preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion throughout the entire warning area.
A Hurricane Watch remains in effect from Morgan City Louisiana to west of Grand Isle.
A Tropical Storm Warning remains in effect from Morgan City to west of Grand Isle...and from east of Apalachicola to Yankeetown Florida.
At 10 PM CDT...0300z...the large eye of Hurricane Ivan was centered near latitude 29.3 north... longitude 88.1 west or about 65 miles south of the Alabama coastline.
Ivan is moving slightly east of north near 12 mph...and this motion is expected to continue for the next 24 hours. On the forecast track...the center of the hurricane will reach the coast early on Thursday.
Maximum sustained winds are near 135 mph...with higher gusts. Some fluctuations in intensity are possible prior to landfall...but Ivan is expected to make landfall as a major hurricane...category three or higher. Occupants of high-rise buildings within the Hurricane Warning area can expect higher winds than those experienced at the surface...about one Saffir-Simpson category higher at the top of a 30-story building. After landfall... hurricane force winds could spread inland up to about 150 miles near the path of the center.
People are strongly advised not to venture out from shelter during the calm conditions of the eye...as winds will increase rapidly with little or no warning when the eye passes.
Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 105 miles from the center...and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 290 miles. The Dauphin Island C-man station reported sustained winds of 54 mph with a gust to 83 mph...and Pensacola Naval Air Station reported sustained winds of 51 mph with a gust to 68 mph.
The latest minimum central pressure measured by a NOAA hurricane hunter aircraft was 933 mb...27.55 inches.
Coastal storm surge flooding of 10 to 16 feet above normal tide levels...along with large and dangerous battering waves...can be expected near and to the east of where the center makes landfall. Lesser...but still significant surge values will be experienced where onshore flow occurs west of the center.
Dangerous surf conditions...including rip currents...are likely elsewhere along the Florida Gulf Coast.
Rainfall accumulations of 10 to 15 inches...with isolated higher amounts...can be expected in association with Ivan.
Tornadoes are possible over the next 24 hours in southern Alabama... the Florida Panhandle and Big Bend area...and southwestern Georgia.
Repeating the 10 PM CDT position...29.3 N... 88.1 W. Movement toward...north near 12 mph. Maximum sustained winds...135 mph. Minimum central pressure... 933 mb.
For storm information specific to your area...please monitor products issued by your local weather office.
Intermediate advisories will be issued by the National Hurricane Center at midnight CDT and 2 am CDT followed by the next complete advisory at 4 am CDT.
Forecaster Pasch
$$
Links
nwctwx's excellent list
Weather Underground/Tropical
The Weather Channel Map Room
Intellicast Tropical Page
BoatU.S. Hurricane Tracking
this thread continuing from http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1216382/posts
Gary's on CNN as we speak. He's wearing bright blue.
This is a sample of a J pole antenna that ham radio operators use in a pinch. A lot set them up after Hurricane Charley. Made of brass pipe from Home Depot. Bolt it up on a pole and your good to go. Of course, Motorola won't sell you one, because their systems cost millions....Now Pensacola and Mobile probably both have their towers knocked down.
01:53HRS. There he is. CNN/Gary.
Thanks!
The center of a hurricane is amazingly calm.
It appears, that the western most part of the eye is over Dauphin Island, and the eastern most part of the eye is over Gulf Shores. The long penisula extending from Gulf Shore west towards Dauphin Island appears to be in the center of the eye at this time...
Soon, Bon Secour Bay will be in the center of the eye.
What do you see???
Orange Beach is between Gulf Shores and Perdido Key (aka the "real" Key West!). I went vacationing there just this past May. My sister has a house near Summerdale. I'm afraid it is taking a direct hit. Since it is a wood-frame house, I am losing confidence that it will be habitable when they return (she and her husband fled to relatives in Picayune, MS and last night at this time I thought they were driving into the storm).
My mother lives in a nursing home in Fairhope and my sister said they expected to hunker down and ride out the storm. I don't know if they changed their minds and evacuated everyone or if they kept to their original plan. They need our prayers regardless.
This could be catastrophic for my family.
lol! You're tryin to trick me AREN'T YOU.
(I have no idea, what's the answer?)
Ditto.. Right on!
sensitive leadership @ work
Oh goodness. I certainly will do that. You must be a wreck, poor thing. Have you had any sleep since Monday?
The point at the end of that peninsula is called "Ft. Morgan". Dauphin Island is west of the bay, directly south of Mobile.
The center of a hurricane has very calm winds and usually a clear sky. I would love to learn the name of the first city that reports calm winds.
I hope your going to say that your mom is on the bluffs and not downtown?
I went Vacationing at Orange Beach for a weekend the end of August...
You must admit, Dave Schwartz is pretty subdued tonight ... he knows this is no time for his song-and-dance. I like the guy.
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