Are you in EBRP or Ascension? I have family in Ascension and they are staying.
...Dangerous Hurricane Katrina threatens the north central Gulf Coast...a Hurricane Warning issued...
at 10 PM CDT...0300z...a Hurricane Warning has been issued 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. A Hurricane Warning means that hurricane conditions are expected within the warning area within the next 24 hours. Preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion.
Also at 10 PM CDT...0300z...a Tropical Storm Warning and a Hurricane Watch have been issued from the Alabama/Florida border eastward to Destin Florida...and from west of Morgan City to Intracoastal City Louisiana. A Tropical Storm Warning means that tropical storm conditions are expected within the warning area within the next 24 hours. A Hurricane Watch means that hurricane conditions are possible within the watch area...generally within 36 hours.
For storm information specific to your area...including possible inland watches and warnings...please monitor products issued by your local weather office.
At 10 PM CDT...0300z...the center of Hurricane Katrina was located by an Air Force reconnaissance plane near latitude 25.0 north...longitude 86.2 west or about 335 miles south-southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River.
Katrina is moving toward the west-northwest near 7 mph. A gradual turn to the northwest should begin on Sunday.
Maximum sustained winds remain near 115 mph with higher gusts. Katrina is a category three hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale. Strengthening is forecast during the next 24 hours...and Katrina could become a category four hurricane on Sunday.
Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 45 miles from the center...and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 160 miles.
Latest minimum central pressure reported by an Air Force plane was 939 mb...27.73 inches.
Coastal storm surge flooding of 15 to 20 feet above normal tide levels...locally as high as 25 feet along with large and dangerous battering waves...can be expected near and to the east of where the center makes landfall.
Heavy rains from Katrina should begin to affect the central Gulf Coast Sunday evening. Rainfall totals of 5 to 10 inches...with isolated maximum amounts of 15 inches...are possible along the path of Katrina. The hurricane is still expected to produce additional rainfall amounts of 2 to 4 inches over extreme western Cuba...and 1 to 3 inches of rainfall is expected over the Yucatan Peninsula.
Repeating the 10 PM CDT position...25.0 N... 86.2 W. Movement toward...west-northwest near 7 mph. Maximum sustained winds...115 mph. Minimum central pressure... 939 mb.
An intermediate advisory will be issued by the National Hurricane Center at 1 am CDT followed by the next complete advisory at 4 am CDT.
Forecaster Avila
I am in Ascension. I am staying if the track stays east of us slightly. If it heads to the west, I am toast. I am more worried about trees falling onto the house than anything else. Have some 80 foot trees about 50 feet from the house. Not very comforting. A 75 mile an hour wind might bring em down. So better safe than sorry. If it's dicey at all, I am going.