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

[dawn53]

250 or 215?

[Black Tooth]

My first point was that Katrina is causing the earth to shake right now.

That may be correct, much like a sonic boom would do. But lets be clear, it's not causing, and hurricane's do not cause earthquakes.

actually nobody knows what can trigger large earthquakes. But it's theorized that other remote earth tremors and maybe lots of water over a fault can.

Yeah, anyone can come up with theories. I guess even water over a fault could be one.

So it's quite a longshot, but a huge hurricane shaking the earth and dumping a million tons of water on a fault that's ready to pop can't be ruled out as a zero probability.

Again, there is no proof of this, and the common accepted understanding here, is that hurricanes, and rain for that matter, do not, and have never caused earthquakes.

[Howlin]

I swear, some people just search FR to find places to pontificate and damn the rest of us to hell, don't they?

[LibSnubber]

"Louisiana is going to be one BIG swamp..."

Louisiana was basically one big swamp. Then people drained it and built cities. And, when it rains or storms, it naturally wants to revert back to being one big swamp.

[MizSterious]

Disease--yes. And since a lot of the dead are buried above ground, there will be a good number of coffins/corpses washing up in odd places. This happened with hurricane Betsy. (Even those buried beneath the ground may well surface.)

[kitkat]

***I heard on WDSU that the dome was going to be open to all comers (in dire need) at 12pm today, central.***

Someone else has posted that they're taking in anyone in need. Who knows? Prayers, frequent prayers, are up for the New Orleans people.

[NautiNurse]

Please post a source for the 215mph post. Thanks.

[Ingtar]

The mayor said last night that the Superdome is rated for 200 mph.

[silentknight]

Winds are GUSTING to 215 miles per hour. They are NOT gusting to 250.

[TheOtherOne]

My bad, I should have posted thumbnails

[asp1]

Yes they are! I am always amazed by how generous and self-sacrificing Americans are. May it always be so. :o)

More prayers for all.

[tutstar]

LOL... went to church and over a thousand posts. Needless to say I'm not backtracking.

[browardchad]

I was listening to the press conference (Jefferson Parish), and the various officials kept repeating that they've been studying such a catastrophe for years -- with what results, I wonder, since the best advice they offer is "Get out!" at roughly six or seven hours before the projected hit.

They're also forcing a lot of traffic north through Mississippi or east to Florida, just to clear the NO area -- I hope to God those people realize they had better get a move on, since I-10 to the panhandle will have high winds for miles beyond NO, and the path north through MS is exactly the predicted path of the storm, at least for now.

Yeah, this is a major disaster in the making; and not just in NO.

[mware]

Superdome Statistics
Total Land Area: (building, garages, and grounds) 52 acres
Height: 273 feet (82.3 meters)
Diameter of Dome: 680 feet (210 meters)
Area of Roof: 9.7 acres
Interior Space: 125,000,000 cubic feet
Total square footage: 269,000 sq. ft. (82,342 sq. meters)
Main Arena: 166,180 sq. ft. (50,685 sq. meters)
Convention Concourse: 76,711 sq. ft. (8,261 sq. meters)
Concrete: 169,000 cubic yards (131,820 cubic meters)
Structural Steel: 20,000 tons (18,200 metric tons)
Air Conditioning: 9,000 tons (8,190 metric tons)
Meeting Rooms (200 Loge Level): Four 19,000 square foot quadrant rooms (each divisible into 6 individual rooms, 28 smaller reception rooms)
Rest rooms: 102 (51 women's & 51 men's)
Private Box Suites: 137
Parking Capacity: 5,000 cars & 250 buses
Air Conditioning: 9,000 tons
Lighting: 19,507 fixtures utilizing 27,869 lamps
Video System: 2 DiamondVision panels, each 28'7"x 36'3"
Scoreboards: 4 message/scoreboards, each 8'x 88' 2 out-of-town scoreboards, each 4.5'x 46'
Electrical Wiring: 400 miles (640 kilometers), including fiber optic lines
Anodized Aluminum Siding: more than 550,000 sq. ft.
Escalators: 42
Elevators: 14 (9 passenger & 5 freight )
Maximum Seating Capacity: football 69,703, expanded football 72,003, arena concerts 20,000, basketball 55,675, baseball 63,525
Press Seating: 334 (football & baseball press boxes, and 11 broadcast/spotting booths).
Artificial Turf: Momentum by SportExe, installed July 2004

[Black Tooth]

Sorry, 262 was met for spycatcher.

[headsonpikes]

I visited NO on my first trip to the US way back in 1976. Praying for you from Scotland.

My one and only visit was during Mardi Gras 1966. I visited Preservation Hall and a couple of oyster bars. ;^)

God preserve this city and her people.

[tomkat]

I hope I didn't miss anyone cussing me out for something I said

We'd re-ping ya to something like that.
FReepers are considerate that way.

[beyond the sea]

wind gusts may approach 235-240 MPH at the superdooms roof assuming 200 surface wind gust

"superdoom's roof" --- foreshadowing?

[Bogey78O]

I'm moving to a more secure location just north of Covington right now. Nothing is going south and all the ack roads are starting to get jammed up.

Bringing lots of power backup gear so I can stay in touch during the hurricane. Hopefully internet and telco infrastructure holds...if not I can fix it ;)

[Torie]

We will just have to disagree on this one. Jwalsh07 suggested sending in the military. It is too late now. The matter is moot.