[steveegg]

It looks like it will be at sea for at least 36 more hours. If the eye wall replacement weakens it overnight it will have all day tomorrow and night to rebuild over the warm water of the gulf.

I don't necessarily see an eyewall replacement on the satellite loops (of course, I'm just an untrained observer, but I haven't heard anything about an ERC from the pros lately), but if it happens soon, she'll come right back out of it probably as strong as before.

[ImphClinton]

Katrina only took 20 minutes to replace it's eye-wall.

Things are different for Cat 5 Storms. An EWR seldom decreases the winds and doesn't take long either.

Each update has made this storm far more dangerous. I would be surprised if it doesn't break all records. I would plan on a Strong Cat 4 as it hits shore.