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

[NittanyLion]

It seems the airlines threw in the towel rather early. Why couldn't they continue flights until at least early today?

Probably no ground personnel to service equipment.

[beyond the sea]

Did she hear "Sugar Lips"?

[mhking]

DUers are speculating that the hurrican damage will cause oil prices to spike and hurt the President's approval number.

The hell with DU. I'm more concerned with the loss of life and the safety of my relatives than with DU and what they think or say.

[Tarpon]

Camille hit 190 mph sustained, gusts were mostly unmeasurable, but thought to be 225+ mph. The water between Katrina and landfall are favorable for strengthening, 90-92 degrees, so who knows. There appears to be little upper atmosphere shear on the sat photos. All bad signs. They haven't had much luck predicting Katrina since it was off Miami.

In Andrew they postulated the gusts may have clocked 300mph as Andrew had lots of tornadoes and down drafts that before no one knew about. That's why one house was flat, and next door a similar house was still standing.

This storm is a RUNNER, get out.

[Dog]

LOL!

[Fudd Fan]

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

I missed that, I've been surfing. If so, doesn't it sound like the band on Titanic. Even those of us who are nowhere near the area feel very affected. And we are praying.

[MamaB]

7500 people are ready to move in for repair work.

[Moose4]

That means that the estimated barometric pressure at the center of the hurricane is 902 millibars, or 26.63 inches of mercury. "Standard" atmospheric pressure is 1000 millibars, or 29.92 inches of mercury. The lower the pressure at the center of a hurricane, the stronger the winds are and the stronger the storm generally is, so it's used as an indication of how powerful a hurricane we're dealing with.

902 mb is exceptionally low. I think that makes Katrina the fourth or fifth strongest Atlantic hurricane ever recorded...with twelve more hours of 90-degree water between it and the coast.

Dear God.

}:-)4

[randita]

Wonder when the news stations will start pulling their reporters and camera people from the scene. At this point, they won't be able to evacuate the city. I guess they'll just ride the storm out in the SuperDome or other designated haven like the rest of the ill-planned or less fortunate.

[knak]

what time is this thing supposed to hit

[mware]

Now that is spooky..

Yeah, kind of reminds me of the movie On The Beach, when they played Waltzing Matilda at the end of the movie.

[janetjanet998]

dont be fooled by the slight decrease on winds was 166knots at flight level now "only" 160(184MH)...the pressure is still dropping rather fast..it ispossible once it levels off winds will be 185 MPH at the surface...and over 200 at flight level..
its picking up speed....will hit way earlier then they exected yesterday

[blu]

using the Superdome as a shelter

Or as a place to make location of missing easy. The more people you have in one place, the more homes you don't have to search. If this is as bad as Fox is hyping (which is always my clue that the disaster won't be as bad as Fox would like it to be) the Super Dome is the last place I would want to be. Best wishes to all in Katrina's path.

[Tarpon]

Uh huh, we were three miles from a 250 room 2 story all concrete Holiday Inn beach hotel. In Camille it even took the foundation.

[max_rpf]

I just transcribed the following from my TIVO, does anyone have a link to the actual text from the National Weather Service? Fox read this out on the wire @ 2:02PM EST. I think they may have just read out an internal memo or something to that effect as I have never heard anything so frank issued from a govt entity. Many of you that read this will find a pit in your stomach as you read on, but my intention here is to determine if this is genuine, and if so get the link...

Transcribed from TIVO of Fox News Channel 2:02 EST:

Urgent Weather Message from the National Weather Center in New Orleans:

Hurricane Katrina a most powerful hurricane with unprecedented strength, rivaling the intensity of hurricane Camile in 1969. Most of this area will be uninhabitable for weeks, perhaps longer. At least one half of well constructed homes will have roof and wall failure. The majority of industrial buildings will become non-functional, partial to complete wall and roof failure is expected. All wood framed low rising apartment buildings will be destroyed. High rise office and apartment buildings will sway dangerously, a few to the point of total collapse. All windows will be blown out. Airborne debris will be widespread and may include heavy items such as household appliances even light vehicles. The blown debris will create additional destruction, persons, pets and livestock exposed to the winds will face certain death if struck. Power outages will last for weeks, as most power poles will be down, and transformers destroyed. Water shortages will make human suffering incredible by modern standards.

[abb]

WWL Helicopter still showing bumper to bumper. Some ppl may get caught in their cars.

[Diva]

I'm spending my day praying and remember NO the city of my youth and my early marriage. I love that place I pray we will yet see her again. My husband is pretty depressed right now and very worried; his mother's family hae been in NO since the 1700s, his father's since the early 1800s. Such a heritage a place where so many fine cultures grew up together in this country; French, Spanish, African, Irish, Italian, German, Jewish and many more.

[Howlin]

She's a super storm now and still feeding, with the warmest waters yet to come, plus absolutely NO wind sheer.

[trillabodilla]

We rode north up to St. Francisville, LA today on Highway 61, and there were about 6 - 8 empty prisoner transport buses from Dixon Correctional heading south with police escort and everything. I bet they are heading down to evacuate prisoners.

[Doohickey]

This is awesome stuff. Thanks.