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

[El Gran Salseron]

"especially those who must for some reason stay."

The "must" for most people down there is, unfortunately, a combination of stupidity, hard-headedness and because the roots growing out of their butts go very deep into the wet soil.

My roots were shallow. I was able to break free years ago.

[LibFreeOrDie]

Not only snakes, but fire ants...

[mewzilla]

Do I understand this right? Did the POTUS really tell LA's gov and NO's mayor to order the evac?

[Torie]

I suspect a 100,000 or so. The media says that many don't have transportation. NO is the poorest metro area in the US, with a large underclass. That is why I am so pissed there was not a coordinated public transportation exit strategy put into place yesterday morning at the latest. Bush should have ordered it when the locals dropped the ball. That is what I would have done. Starting yesterday morning this storm really started scaring the hell out of me. Now I am absolutely terrified. It will be like that movie The Day Ffter Tomorrow.

[Nita Nupress]

From the other thread:

There was a caller into 870 AM...her brother in law is in a nursing center behind the Jefferson Hospital(ground floor). Only one nurse was left to take care of all the patients. This caller had 2 family members going over to help feed and care for the patients. Heartbreaking!

The mayor & govenor need to be charged with negligent homicide for having ZERO disaster preparations for these poor souls. I hope this radio station keeps announcing this horrific news!

This is nuts. And it's probably typical of other nursing homes in the area who are shortstaffed or don't have adequate evacuation plans in place.

Just out of curiosity I found where Jefferson Hospital is and found that it's very close to the Superdome. If you'll notice on the satellite photo below (click on it to enlarge), look at the white arrow at the bottom of the picture. When I captured the image with Google Earth, I positioned the cursor directly over the hospital to determine its elevation. It says "0," but I'm sure it's way below that. (The elevation function doesn't go below zero.)

[spectre]

But all the history and charm of that wonderful old City will be gone forever. That's heart-breaking..

sw

[bannie]

The animals know that they're responsible for themselves: Some of the people think that someone will just have to save them.

[seekthetruth]

Good opportunity to read the historical accounts of the Storm of 1900 which almost destroyed the island of Galveston, TX. After that storm, the City of Galveston on the island was raised about 15 feet and the Seawall was built to protect Galveston from future hurricanes.

There were no real warnings back in those days. My brother-in-law's grandmother was a child of 9 at the time. She and her family did survive in a three story house with water coming up through the third floor! She passed away at the age of 90, and we will always remember her story about that terrible hurricane in Galveston.

[janetjanet998]

WKRG showed live coverage of Dauphin Island... 6 foot waves and the roads are already flooded... Residents are unable to get to their houses.

[agrace]

Basically the gist of it was this - as a meteorologist he experienced 3 hurricanes in the NO area - Camille, Betsy and a third whose name escapes me right now. He said he most remembers the dead bodies, not caused by flooding or damage but by snake bites. Those who made it to higher ground often had to share the space with thousands of poisonous snakes, and the snakes won.

I was watching coverage over lunch with my kids til that point. Thankfully my 8 year old wasn't really listening well.

[Danette]

http://www.superdome.com/piclib/277.jpg

Overall, the Louisiana Superdome has withstood the test of time; it has a surprisingly undated look to it, even as fixed domed stadium construction began to fade in the early 1990s and others having even been closed. The Superdome is built to withstand catastrophes; the roof is built to stand up to 200 MPH wind and even deep flood water wouldn't reach the second level 35 feet from the ground. It has thus been used as an emergency shelter but is not designed for the task; in 1998 during Hurricane Georges problems included looting and supplying 14,000 people with necessities.

[sweetliberty]

"Why doesn't a category 6 exist?"

Because there'd be no one alive to report on it? Just a guess, mind you.

[tomahawk]

It's doomsday for SE Louisiana.

Prayers up.

[TheOtherOne]

Some images of the area

[LibSnubber]

"Mercy Hospital is where I was born. Hotel Dieu? See? That is "uptown!"

DOH!!! :)

Thanks for the smile, FRiend...

[IndyTiger]

...if the pumps still worked.

If electricity is out for days or weeks, all that standing water and sewage...disease certain to follow.

[TomGuy]

annoyed by President Bush blathering on about Iraq

I was. 30 seconds about Katrina, the worst impending natural disaster NO has ever faced, but 5 minutes of the templated Iraq speech. It seemed 'out of touch'.

[RDTF]

I think so but it is a formality needed to declare the emergency

[Howlin]

The pumps will be overwhelmed in short time.