[alancarp]

They're still suggesting 165 mph sustained top winds, but this pressure drop is much more in sync with a crazy number like 175-180 mph... they just haven't found that windspeed yet.

By the way, I'll bet a gallon of gasoline that Katrina's landfall will eventually be upgraded to that of a Cat 5 system -- by the pressure alone, it was stronger than Andrew at landfall... took a few years for the NHC to re-evaluate Andrew.

[steveegg]

Fresh Vortex Data Message (still no new Max Flight Level winds) -

000
URNT12 KNHC 212358Z
VORTEX DATA MESSAGE
A. 21/2313Z
B. 24 DEG 31 MIN N
   86 DEG 46 MIN W
C. 700 MB 22472 M
D. 80 KT
E. 213 DEG 24 NM
F. 305 DEG 142 KT
G. 198 DEG 11NM
H. 899 MB
I. 8 C/ 3053 M
J. 28 C/ 3042 M
K. 01 C/ NA
L. CLOSED WALL
M. C20
N. 12345/7
O. .02/1 NM
P. NOAA3 WX18A RITA OB 23
   MAX FL WIND 161 KT NE QUAD 1932Z

[Strategerist]

By the way, I'll bet a gallon of gasoline that Katrina's landfall will eventually be upgraded to that of a Cat 5 system -- by the pressure alone, it was stronger than Andrew at landfall...

I'd bet you considerable money it isn't. The SOLE measure of a storms Saffir-Simpson category is sustained wind speed.

And pressure has nothing to do with the wind speed of a storm. It's the pressure DIFFERENCE between the region outside of the storm, and the storm itself. Andrew was in an environment surrounded by a higher background pressure.