Hurricane Katrina, Live Thread, Part V

NHC - NOAA ^ | 28 August 2005 | NHC - NOAA

[NautiNurse]

Extremely dangerous Hurricane Katrina is bearing down on the North Central Gulf of Mexico. Mandatory evacuation of New Orleans is finally underway. Louisiana officials are warning of complete failure to levy systems, and pleading with people to leave low lying areas. For those who choose to stay, they are recommending picks and axes for breaking through to access their roofs during flooding.

Due to the size and intensity of this storm, all interests in the North Gulf of Mexico should be rushing hurricane preparations to completion.

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 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:
copy/paste into player:

http://www.wjbo.com - BR radio station. Callers calling in and describing traffic etc.
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

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

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

[al baby]

Are there any live bloggers reporting from New Orleans?"

Sheps talkin to a blogger right now

[SVTCobra03]

Sam is probably a dead man walking.

[Fudd Fan]

That's Sam the Idiot who's at a bar in New Orleans and being interviewed by Shepard Smith!

[BurbankKarl]

Shep is a gay man and a gay journalist.

[jslade]

Shep Smith: The bars on Bourbon Street are packed!

Dead men walking drinking!

[SauronOfMordor]

The buildings could not handle 200 mph sustained winds (in 1969). A taller and larger structure (such as the Superdome) would probably be even more vulnerable.

Judging from the images at The Superdome website, I have low confidence that this thing is going to like Cat 5 winds very much

[HeebrewHammer]

"Shep said a bar on Bourbon St is packed"

Are you kidding me? Those people have a death wish...



Yeah, take a look at this webcam on Bourbon Street in the French Quarter of New Orleans. There are still people walking around and cars driving through. Not a lot but they are there.

http://www.tropicalisle.com/webcam.html

[ken5050]

Question..is there a theoretical, or real limit to how low barometric pressure can fall?

[Sonar5]

may the Lord make their deaths swift, and their pain little.

[Dog]

Allow me to finsh your sentence..

That's Sam the Idiot who's at a bar in New Orleans and being interviewed by Shepard SmithTHE IDIOT!

[steveegg]

Is Shep Smith suicidal?

Either that or he doesn't think the Superdome will survive. The good news is the serious winds haven't started yet. The bad is, they will, and soon.

[DocRock]

"Sam" however was quite knowlegeable about the history of the levees.

I agree, but he was hoping it would come ashore as a Cat 3... the key word was "hoping".

[SauronOfMordor]

The buildings could not handle 200 mph sustained winds (in 1969). A taller and larger structure (such as the Superdome) would probably be even more vulnerable.

Judging from the images at The Superdome website, I have low confidence that this thing is going to like Cat 5 winds very much (sorry neglected the link last post)

[jeffers]

"
The reason I wouldn't want to be in the Superdome is that, even though it's big and strong, in such strong
winds all it takes is large wind-driven debris breaking a hole in the side of the dome and the wind would
continue to break open the hole and then who knows.

There are lots of houses that could withstand winds of average hurricanes but flying debris creates an
entry for the wind and it's downhill from there. That's one of the main reasons we board our windows."

Yes, and it's also why many times a tornado will damage houses on one side of the street, and sweep foundations clean on the other side of the street. A great deal depends on which side of the house the garage door, the usual point of initial failure, is on.

I'm searching for indoor pictures of the dome, and for pictures of the entries. Best guess says the human entries will be glass, the equipment loading doors will be overhead types, and both could probably stand for some short order reinforcement.

I remember accounts from a certain church and orphanage in Galveston, but with nearly everyone else (including the facts, data, and forecast models) painting such a gloom and doom picture, today, I've decided to be a ray of hope.

It's a tough job but someone has to do it.

[pax_et_bonum]

:-)

[toomanygrasshoppers]

Shep got snarky with Brian earlier when Brian had to cut him off right in the middle of a sentence. Shep said "Well I guess you have to cut me off then". He's not a happy camper today.

[jeffers]

"
The reason I wouldn't want to be in the Superdome is that, even though it's big and strong, in such strong
winds all it takes is large wind-driven debris breaking a hole in the side of the dome and the wind would
continue to break open the hole and then who knows.

There are lots of houses that could withstand winds of average hurricanes but flying debris creates an
entry for the wind and it's downhill from there. That's one of the main reasons we board our windows."

Yes, and it's also why many times a tornado will damage houses on one side of the street, and sweep foundations clean on the other side of the street. A great deal depends on which side of the house the garage door, the usual point of initial failure, is on.

I'm searching for indoor pictures of the dome, and for pictures of the entries. Best guess says the human entries will be glass, the equipment loading doors will be overhead types, and both could probably stand for some short order reinforcement.

I remember accounts from a certain church and orphanage in Galveston, but with nearly everyone else (including the facts, data, and forecast models) painting such a gloom and doom picture, today, I've decided to be a ray of hope.

It's a tough job but someone has to do it.

[Northern Yankee]

You're right... Parishes describe the areas.

I miss spoke/miss typed.(?)

Guess the question is that they are referring to areas as parishes in New Orleans. Is that in lieu of counties?

[who knows what evil?]

Shep Smith: The bars on Bourbon Street are packed!

Shep went to NO??? I wonder who his replacement on the 7 o'clock news is going to be? Even Cantore had the brains to get the hell out of there.

[Black Tooth]

Oh, yeah. $ is what it's all about. We'll see if they are left to spend any.