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

[Dog]

Now that is spooky..

[Lessismore]

Be it NO, Slidell, Gulfport, Biloxi or pascagoula...some place is going to get wiped off the map.

There is too much focus on New Orleans. All of these places may cease to exist.

[AD from SpringBay]

As I was following this thread you wrote...

The public, the media, the local officials, and even we here have been conditioned to expect government to be the source of our direction and safety.

...took the words right out of my mouth.

[Vermont Lt]

I was absolutely in the middle of that! Best three day vacation in my life!

But, for the past thirty years, every time it snows people start worrying its going to be the '78 Blizzard all over again.

My point is that the media hype on weather is so intense, that when it really matters some folks dont pay attention.

[BurbankKarl]

They better tell those people to bring Hefty bags....no plumbing means NO PLUMBING

[Txsleuth]

Yeah, it was a catagory 1 when it crossed Florida and killed 5, knocked out electricity for millions and did a billion dollars damage...a CAT. ONE, 1!!!!

[chet_in_ny]

That should be soon (3 hours). I just got in touch with my aunt and her family and they made it to Memphis (her family lives on the other side of the causeway- north of Lake Ponch). My cousin lives in the garden district and made it to Austin. Thankfully. My grandparents are laid to rest in NO. I hope I will have somewhere to pay respects the next time I visit...

[Dr. Eckleburg]

The TV just said there's a lone trumpeter in the empty French Quarter playing "Amazing Grace."

This is heart-breaking. It's like the Titanic.

God protect them.

[kingu]

It's a shame they never made plans for a Mass evacuation, using public transportation and tent cities for these people to go to.

The tent cities would have had to be put up west of Houston or east of Pensecola, and if they really did try to do this, the ACLU would have likely gotten a court order forbidding it.

When this is all done with, our nation needs to take a serious look at our emergency system and actually put into place a series of enforceable laws to declare mandatory evacuations, to seize public and private transport to put those evacuations into effect, and the material to set up shelters for millions of people.

Woulda, coulda, shoulda - too late for this storm, but with the way the world is today, it won't just be for natural disasters that these systems need to be in place and ready to be used.

[Mr. Jeeves]

This is one mean lady (Hurricane Katrina). Let's hope for a Lili scenario (Cat 3 storm diminishes to Cat 1 just before landfall).

Lili hit a patch of cooler water just offshore. This time, there isn't any.

[tet68]

Ah, Morning Call, you remember it too.

The marble, the mirrors, the 100watt bulbs.
Sure hated to see it gone.

We used to go to a place called Buster Holm's for
red Beans and rice, ultra cheap but filling.

I lived in an little apt over a mom and pop gro on
Jackson street, used to watch ZULU form up in front
of my stoop.

My prayers are with them.

[katykelly]

bookmark

[nwctwx]

FEMA is likely being told this by NHC.

[spectre]

"Did I just hear the Fox reporter say that they are playing Amazing Grace throughout the city????"

I just lost it..

sw

[Man50D]

The following is a quote from the National Weather Service for the New Orleans area.

"Maximum Sustained Winds In Excess Of 140 Mph Can Last For 2 To 3 Hours.

[Peach]

Hi, spectre. I wouldn't want to be in that superdome...there's just no way of knowing if it will withstand the storm. I feel for those folks who can't afford to leave and the city made no plans to help them with transportation to safer/higher ground.

[topher]

I don't believe the superdome can withstand the expected wind pressure. I think the sides and the entire structure will go.

I agree. That's what happened with Hurricane Camille in 1969 -- the coastline got wiped out. The buildings could not handle 200 mph sustained winds (in 1969).

A taller and larger structure (such as the Superdome) would probably be even more vulnerable.

[sheikdetailfeather]

Here in Central Fla. the sun is shining, but low rumbling thunder in the rain bands in the distance and billowy clouds. Occasional rain falling.

[El Gran Salseron]

""I'm gonna git that Plazma TV I always wanted..."

ROFL

You must be a native New Orleanian, as am I, or at least know the mindset of some of those people.

[fishntex]

"The 1935 Labor Day Hurricane struck the Florida Keys with a minimum pressure of 892 mb--the lowest pressure ever observed in the United States. Hurricane Camille struck the Mississippi Gulf Coast causing a 25-foot storm surge, which inundated Pass Christian."


That comes from a NWS Saffire Simpson cat5 description. There is a patch of very warm water just south of the coast which could serve to feed this storm a little more and break the 892MB record.

God save those in the path of this storm.