Live Thread - Hurricane Katrina, Part IV (Update: Now a Category 5 )

NOAA - NHC ^ | 27 August 2005 | NOAA - NHC

[NautiNurse]

Hurricane warnings and watches are posted. Hurricane Katrina continues to strengthen in the Gulf of Mexico. The forecast models continue to converge upon New Orleans. However, all interests in the northern Gulf of Mexico should follow the path of this very large and dangerous storm, and be prepared for a major hurricane landfall. There have been reports of coastal animals leaving in droves for higher ground. Meanwhile, New Orleans continues to suggest that residents evacuate.

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:

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

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

[NautiNurse]

Thank you--I know a lot of folks in Lafayette. You are all in my prayers.

[dogbyte12]

New Map

[Bahbah]

in the days after Katrina, we will start to hear calls that W is NOT doing enough to help rebuild the area..instead we are sending billions to rebuild Iraq.

Ten steps ahead of the LSM as usual, ken.

[Patriot from Philly]

Hate to get political at a time like this but....

After the sad performance by the officials yesterday including the governor, Senator Landieu (sp) was on the air. She is much smarter than the other clowns and she must have been distressed at their performance.

Well, she's already talking about the National Guard being in Iraq....so we have the talking points. They will want to take the spotlight off the delay in evacuating and on to the National Guard.

[pax_et_bonum]

How big are the waves?

Big.

[cyborg]

That's amazing!

[NautiNurse]

Thank you for that update--you called this one spot on. I'm hoping it gets over this phase well before landfall.

[mware]

I heard they were partying in New Orleans last night.

If that is a Cat 5 those fools better be getting out of town now.

[jsh3180]

""Fearless prediction...in the days after Katrina, we will start to hear calls that W is NOT doing enough to help rebuild the area..instead we are sending billions to rebuild Iraq.. I expect that Sheila Jackson Lee is composing her words now..""

You can also be sure to hear them say, "we told you so, global warming is causing stronger hurricanes"

[newzjunkey]

I remember when a San Diego station sent a reporter miles and miles into Mexico to report 'live' on a hurricane / major storm. Anything to do the Dan Rather "tied to a lamp post" coverage. "It's windy! It's raining! I'm losing my hairpiece! Back to you in the studio."

[R. Scott]

And just a bit frightening for the people in its path.

[NautiNurse]

Hi dogbyte--are you evacuating?

[Lessismore]

Thanks for that info--makes me feel a little better.

It shouldn't make you feel too good. What the wide spread of low probabilities means is that the uncertainties in the models are such that the center could pretty much go anywhere between a little east of you to a little west of Mobile.

While the concern is to evacuate New Orleans due to the large number of people and the relatively few freeways out of town, the rest of the warning area should also "rush preparations to completion".

[cyborg]

All we need is Geraldo sporting his hairy chest and the trifecta will be complete.

[dawn53]

Nauti,

Yesterday, the teenager and I went to some yard sales over on Coquina Key. The water level at the boat ramp at 6th street south and 39th Ave S was as high as I've ever seen it, just about to spill over the seawall.

Downtown around the pier the Bay was especially choppy, and all that with the hurricane far away from us.

[dogbyte12]

Probably evacuating to Alexandria. I still have time for that. I can hop onto LA 30 into Baton Rouge and head North. I still have quite a few hours to decide. Loaded and ready to go in case.

[janetjanet998]

Yes but..this one isn;t done bombing yet and has a very large eye...the next thing that will happen is the eye should begin to shrink and the winds get even HIGHER..then the replacement cycle begins and it should weaken...unless of course this a one of those rare canes where the eye stays huge and no replacement cycle hapens and those usually happen when the upper outflow is great like this one is

[Carolinamom]

Let's hope that those folks heading north can/will peel off further up the road to head east and west.

[NautiNurse]

oh yes--there were plenty of people in the French Quarter last night. Last night was surreal...listening to the mayor blather about talking to his lawyers about whether he had the legal authority to order a mandatory evac.

[cyborg]

Look at that wall behind the Fox reporter. Water's about to come over the edge.