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

Just curious, I wonder about the nuke powerplant in Taft, LA which is in the storms path. I m surprized the Media hasn't glommed onto this.
For another hurricane link try www.hwn.org. Lower traffic than official govt. sites.
barbra ann

21 posted on 08/29/2005 2:58:48 AM PDT by barb-tex (Why replace the IRS with anything?)

Better than several hours ago, for sure.

22 posted on 08/29/2005 2:59:22 AM PDT by NautiNurse ("I'd rather see someone go to work for a Republican campaign than sit on their butt."--Howard Dean)

Sorry, NN. It's true..:(

23 posted on 08/29/2005 2:59:39 AM PDT by spectre (Spectre's wife (God Save New Orleans)

24 posted on 08/29/2005 3:00:07 AM PDT by NautiNurse ("I'd rather see someone go to work for a Republican campaign than sit on their butt."--Howard Dean)

StreetcarCam just looked really bad

Yeah, we need to get someone to get out there to clean the lens off. Maybe Shep Smith can hop the Charles St. Streetcar and do us a favor :)

25 posted on 08/29/2005 3:00:18 AM PDT by benjaminjjones

Two! Get more coffee :)

26 posted on 08/29/2005 3:00:48 AM PDT by spectre (Spectre's wife (God Save New Orleans)

25 thousand people in the Superdome

That's a lot of people, but still far fewer than the numbers I was hearing yesterday.

27 posted on 08/29/2005 3:01:21 AM PDT by Bahbah (Praying for all in Katrina's path, from St. Louis)

28 posted on 08/29/2005 3:01:42 AM PDT by NautiNurse ("I'd rather see someone go to work for a Republican campaign than sit on their butt."--Howard Dean)

That AMIGO commerical is on every morning right before Fox & Friends comes on.

Not the best way to advertise a language course if you ask me. BA-RAT-TOE

29 posted on 08/29/2005 3:02:19 AM PDT by mware (Trollhunter of Note)

Hurricane Katrina Discussion Number 26
Statement as of 5:00 am EDT on August 29, 2005

 
Air Force recon has been investigating Katrina this morning and has
reported some mechanical problems which has prevented making a
complete assessment of the intensity in the northeast quadrant.
However...flight-level winds of 132-134 kt have been reported in
the southeast quadrant...while NOAA Doppler radar velocities from
WFO Slidell exceeding 123 kt have been observed in the northeast
quadrant between 12000-16000 ft. These wind values would support at
least 125 kt surface winds. Although the central pressure has
continued to increase and is now 915 mb...this would usually
support about 145 kt surface. The initial intensity of 130 kt is a
blend of these values.

 
The initial motion is 360/13. Katrina is moving northward around the
western periphery of a large-scale mid- to upper-level ridge
located over the Florida Peninsula and extending northwestward
across the southeastern United States. The combination of the
strong ridge and an approaching mid-level trough from the west
should act to keep Katrina moving generally northward for the next
12 hours or so. By 24 hours...the hurricane is expected to turn
northeastward as a stronger trough lifts out the system and
transitions it into an extratropical low over the Great Lakes
region. The official forecast track is just a little to the left of
the previous track and is similar to the NHC model consensus.

 
Some fluctuations in intensity are possible right up until landfall
occurs. However...it appears that Katrina will make landfall as a
category 4 hurricane later this morning. The cloud pattern in
satellite imagery has eroded on the west side due to dry air
entrainment...and the eyewall has opened up to the south and
southwest in radar imagery. However...the water remains quite warm
underneath the center...and convection can easily redevelop and the
eyewall close off again before landfall occurs. Some disruption of
the circulation will occur once the center moves over southeastern
Louisiana. However...the forecast track keeps the eye close enough
to warm water near the Louisiana and Mississippi coasts. The
upper-level outflow pattern remains quite impressive and even
contains a rare 200 mb indraft anticyclone to the east near Tampa
Bay. The combination of the outflow regime and the close proximity
to warm water may be enough to keep Katrina a major hurricane when
it reaches the Louisiana-Mississippi border area this afternoon.
Just because Katrina is no longer a catgeory 5 hurricane does not
mean that extensive damage and storm surge flooding will not occur.
This is still an extremely dangerous and potentially deadly
hurricane!

 
Forecaster Stewart

30 posted on 08/29/2005 3:02:40 AM PDT by NautiNurse ("I'd rather see someone go to work for a Republican campaign than sit on their butt."--Howard Dean)

nuke powerplant in Taft, LA

I saw an article that they had shut down an LA nuke plant in anticipation of the storm.

31 posted on 08/29/2005 3:03:56 AM PDT by benjaminjjones

Haven't heard a peep about the nuclear plant.

Nice website--if only I had seen it 20 minutes ago...

32 posted on 08/29/2005 3:04:19 AM PDT by NautiNurse ("I'd rather see someone go to work for a Republican campaign than sit on their butt."--Howard Dean)

I see those goofy Mathew Lesko commercials on different stations at different times. I only see that Spanish language commercial on FNC at about the same time every day. I thought it was only just on my local cable company, but it looks like it's nationwide.

33 posted on 08/29/2005 3:05:28 AM PDT by Hillarys Gate Cult ("Of the four wars in my lifetime, none came about because the U.S. was too strong." - Ronald Reagan)

34 posted on 08/29/2005 3:05:30 AM PDT by benjaminjjones

Looks like Cantore might have put himself on ground zero after all. Should have known that :)

35 posted on 08/29/2005 3:05:33 AM PDT by spectre (Spectre's wife (God Save New Orleans)

To: NautiNurse; All

Shep is making me nervous. He is talking like NO has "dodged" the mother0fallstorms. I wish he wouldn't talk that way, for he might make Momma Nature want to show him who is boss...

I do hope he is right, but worry that he might be wish-casting.

36 posted on 08/29/2005 3:05:43 AM PDT by jacquej

37 posted on 08/29/2005 3:06:02 AM PDT by NautiNurse ("I'd rather see someone go to work for a Republican campaign than sit on their butt."--Howard Dean)

and is now 915 mb

Every little bit helps.

38 posted on 08/29/2005 3:06:17 AM PDT by Glenn (What I've dared, I've willed; and what I've willed, I'll do!)

Every little bit helps.

Said the same thing one the last thread.

39 posted on 08/29/2005 3:07:34 AM PDT by NautiNurse ("I'd rather see someone go to work for a Republican campaign than sit on their butt."--Howard Dean)

To: benjaminjjones

Oops Drudge link Nuke Plant Shut Down is broken

40 posted on 08/29/2005 3:07:54 AM PDT by benjaminjjones

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