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

[pollyannaish]

I have a really weird question...but I have no experience with hurricanes so go easy on me.

Why have they not opened up ALL the lanes of the highway to outgoing traffic. (They could keep one open for incoming emergency vehicles or something.) And why didn't they bring in buses from every place they could think of in the surrounding areas—yesterday—to help get some of these people out of there.

Finally, what the heck are they thinking putting so many people in the Superdome. Are they nuts??

TIA.

[Flyer]

unfortunately, smoking is not allowed inside the Superdome.

That, and no pets allowed, is why many folks don't go to shelters.

I guess avoiding a little second hand smoke is more important.

[hole_n_one]

What?

I think I was pretty clear.

[Dog]

I see Americans who may be dead this time tommorrow.

That is what I see.

[justche]

I saw that, it would make sense to not want guns and knives in there. I'm kind of surprised at how orderly it is as people wait.

[TomB]

That front to the West isn't strong enough to turn this baby.....watch out Houston....New Orleans could escape if it doesn't turn.....

Huh?

[Txsleuth]

Shep lives in that area, so he probably was home for the weekend, or asked to go because he is so "attached" to the area.

[Veto!]

When they started cleaning the church out to rebuild...they found most of the A&P's meat dept. inside the church! I will never forget those kinds of stories.

Good one. Everyonbe should take those stories seriously. An elderly neighbor of mine was a kid in Key West when the big one hit in 1935. The day after the 'cane, they found the railroad tracks a hundred yards inland and bodies draped over tree branches looking like a Salvador Dali surrealist painting.

Everyone should RUN, not walk, if there's any chance at all that a 'cane might change its mind and veer into your area. It's that veering that gets a lot of smug/stupid people killed.

[pax_et_bonum]

Hi, sfimom!

Prayers are the most any of us can do at this point.

[alancarp]

Sure - the Superdome might actually be one building that COULD survive this, given that shape.

[fishntex]

Jim Cantore on TWC is talking about gridlock on the interstate and is very worried. TS winds will be upon them within a few hours.

[kx9088]

My wife's aunt is in Birmingham, AL. She called earlier and they said it's voluntarily evactuations right now. She said her husband went an filled the car up with gas, did a few things around the yard and house to prepare and then started packing a bag, she turned and told him "sit your ass down, we're not going anywhere". LOL!

They moved there from Orlando last year.

[cyncooper]

Me, too, Dog, and I have a care for all of them.

[Crowcreek]

"Is that drop in pressure, from the 944 to the 902mb, is that what's referred to as explosive deepening?" Explosive Deepening: A decrease in the minimum sea-level pressure of a tropical cyclone of 2.5 mb/hr for at least 12 hours or 5 mb/hr for at least six hours. (http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutgloss.shtml)

[Fudd Fan]

I'm sure that's true, and whew! I have some newfound respect for Janice Dean. I never disliked her, but I guess her mettle wasn't tested to this level before. She is just great.

[eastforker]

You are correct dog, that is what I se.

[IndyTiger]

Some unrest in lines...people chanting "let us in"

[Dog]

So do I..

[Peach]

The poor, poor people standing in line for hours. A woman holding an infant in her arms. OMG

Hungry, hot, tired, thirsty, worried. It's heartbreaking.

[dfwgator]

Let's just pray that the Superdome doesn't become a Super death trap.