Official Hurricane Katrina Thread

[Trainwreck2100]

All I know is the French, Germans, Brits, Russkies, etc. better be stepping up to help with disaster relief.

We've been picking countries up and dusting them off from natural disasters for decades now, let's see some love in return.

I've have been wondering that for awhile now,

[gospursgojas]

All I know is the French, Germans, Brits, Russkies, etc. better be stepping up to help with disaster relief.

We've been picking countries up and dusting them off from natural disasters for decades now, let's see some love in return.

:tu

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

I'm thinking the gulf is too damn big to get contaminated.


Like spilling a cap of bleach in a floor tub.

Someone obviously doesn't know jack shit about currents. Hadn't even thought about this aspect, but it will adversely affect the Gulf ecosystem.

[boutons]

The New York Times

August 29, 2005

Oil Tops $70 As Katrina Nears Louisiana
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Filed at 12:17 a.m. ET

NEW YORK (AP) -- Crude oil futures spiked to more than $70 a barrel for the first time as Hurricane Katrina took dead aim on America's oil and refinery operations Monday, shutting down an estimated 1 million barrels of refining capacity and sharply curbing offshore production in the region.

Light, sweet crude for October delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange climbed as much as $4.67 a barrel in electronic after-hours trading in Singapore to hit a high of $70.80 a barrel. Gasoline traded at $2.14 a gallon, up 21 cents, while heating oil rose more than 17 cents to $2.01 a gallon.

The area targeted by Katrina is crucial to the United States' energy infrastructure -- offshore oil and gas production, import terminals, pipeline networks and numerous refining operations throughout southern Louisiana and Mississippi.

The Category 5 storm was still churning in the Gulf of Mexico but was on a path to hit New Orleans early Monday.

Last September, Hurricane Ivan also swept across the region causing heavy damage and reducing the region's output for months.

Katrina's winds were fiercer.

( huh? were? is Katrina already past tense? )

Oil companies evacuated workers and shut down more than 600,000 barrels of daily production in the Gulf. Refiners closed down more than 1 million barrels of refining output by Sunday, but that amount could be higher because not every producer reports data, said Peter Beutel, an oil analyst with Cameron Hanover.

''This is the big one,'' he said. ''This is unmitigated, bad news for consumers.''

Along with oil and gas futures spiking Monday, natural gas was up. The ''out of control'' buying is spurred by the prospect that the region's numerous refineries could be idled for weeks by flooding, power outages, or both, Beutel said.

The U.S. has ample crude oil supplies, even if major hurricane destruction trims Gulf oil output and foreign imports, but refining capacity is extraordinarily tight. As a result, prices for gasoline, heating oil, jet fuel and other products have flirted with records and could go even higher this week.

''If this thing knocks out significant quantities of refining capacity ... we're going to be in deep, dark trouble,'' said Ed Silliere, vice president of risk management at Energy Merchant LLC in New York.

The market has been on edge for months, with traders and speculators buying on the slightest fear. With Katrina, all those fears could be realized, Beutel said.

''Basically I could spill a can of oil at my local gas station and you'd see the price of crude go up by $1 per barrel,'' he said.

Crude settled at $66.13 a barrel Friday on the New York Mercantile Exchange, down $1.36 after hitting $68 last week.

On Friday, Katrina had been expected to be inconsequential to the energy industry, with many traders selling. That all changed Saturday, when the system gained power and charged west, directly toward areas of offshore oil production.

ChevronTexaco Corp. completed evacuations of all workers in the eastern and central Gulf of Mexico and nonessential workers in the western Gulf late Saturday, company spokesman Matt Carmichael said.

Chevron has about 2,100 employees and contractors working in the Gulf, Carmichael said. Chevron will continue to produce 90 percent of its normal production by remote as long as weather cooperates, he said.

The Louisiana Offshore Oil Port, which processes loads from tankers too large for mainland ports, evacuated all workers and stopped unloading ships on Saturday morning said Mark Bugg, the terminal's manager of scheduling. The LOOP, 20 miles offshore, is the nation's largest oil import terminal and handles 11 percent of U.S. oil imports.

Royal Dutch-Shell Group evacuated more than 1,000 offshore workers by Saturday. Only those in the far west remained, the company said on its Web site. BP PLC and ExxonMobil Corp. also brought workers ashore Saturday.

Shell estimated 420,000 barrels of oil and 1.35 million cubic feet of gas per day will be shut in at its central and eastern Gulf facilities. Exxon Mobil said it has ceased daily production of 3,000 barrels of oil and 50 million cubic feet of gas.

Valero Energy Corp. evacuated all but a few workers at its 260,000-barrel-a-day St. Charles refinery on Saturday. Murphy Oil Corp. also shut down its 120,000-barrel-a-day Meraux, La., refinery, and Exxon Mobil Corp. planned to shut down its 183,000-barrel-a-day refinery in Chalmette, La.

Motiva Enterprises, a joint venture of Royal Dutch Shell PLC and state-owned Saudi Arabian Oil Co., began implementing hurricane contingency plans at its 225,000-barrel-a-day Norco refinery on Saturday. Motiva also was exploring contingencies for its 235,000-barrel-a-day Convent refinery, about 45 miles west of New Orleans, Dow Jones Newswires reported.

* Copyright 2005 The Associated Press

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

Times-Picayune Monday early edition.

http://www.nola.com/hurricane/829_page1.pdf

[gospursgojas]

The New York Times

August 29, 2005

Oil Tops $70 As Katrina Nears Louisiana
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Filed at 12:17 a.m. ET



Katrina's winds were fiercer.

( huh? were? is Katrina already past tense? )


* Copyright 2005 The Associated Press

Hes probally writing this to go in tomorrows Paper

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Damn, coastal roads along Missisippi and Alabama (Gulf Shores) are under 5 ft. of water already.

[gospursgojas]

Just a question... where are you all getting your info??? weather chan, Cnn, on the internet, any place possible???

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Measuring station in Southwestern Pass, LA..... 80 MPH sustained winds, gusts to 90.

[kris]

Over at FARK.com, there is a Farker who is in NO and didn't leave.

He's posting as long as his power stays on.

Search the thread for djrezin8.

http://forums.fark.com/cgi/fark/comments.pl?IDLink=1641841

I just talked to the guy who was staying on yahoo messenger. He just signed off. He said he would stay on until power went out.

kris: hey man I am reading your story and I just want you to know that I really really hope you are ok and i'll be praying for you, i feel like i am witnessing history through your words
microserf23 : hehehe
microserf23 : thanks
kris: i'm a law student from san antonio
kris: have you been getting lots of ims?
microserf23 : tons

That was he.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

I've got a Houston news station on for the most part (they have crews in Baton Rouge, NO, and Shreveport), but flipping back and between with Fox and CNN.

My wind/wave data is coming from offshore weather buoys..

Here's some more for you...

Buoy 20 nautical miles (nm) Southeast of Biloxi, MS... 20 foot waves, sustained winds of 45 mph, gusts of 55.

(!) Measurements from the Shell platform 200 nm south of NO were knocked out at 6:30 PM CDT with a last reported measurement set of 30 ft. waves, sustained winds of 100 mph, gusts to 120.

http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/images/Stations/42363.jpg

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

And why the hell do we have to use knots in wind measurements for our buoys? I keep having to bust out the calculator :lol

[Jelly]

All I know is the French, Germans, Brits, Russkies, etc. better be stepping up to help with disaster relief.

We've been picking countries up and dusting them off from natural disasters for decades now, let's see some love in return.

:lol
don't hold your breath.

but that's okay... we can take care of our own.

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

Price gouging has started. WWL.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Here's another link showing tidal observations (data will continually update until data stations get knocked out)...

Grand Isle, LA is already up 3 ft. over predicted.

http://tidesonline.nos.noaa.gov/index.html

Readings from buoy 100 miles south of the southernmost edge of La.

http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/plot_wind_pres.php?station=burl1&uom=E

[Trainwreck2100]

It's supposed to hit land btw 6-8 right?

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Working web cams...



http://www.portno.com/webcamnew_out.htm

http://www.nola.com/beadcam/

http://www.nola.com/bourbocam/classic/

http://www.nola.com/beadcam/

http://www.nola.com/rivercam/

http://www.nola.com/bridgecam/
http://www.nola.com/fqcam/

http://www.wdsu.com/weather/livecams/index.html

http://www.tropicalisle.com/webcam.html

http://www.wdsu.com/wxcam/1475332/detail.html

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Data from Metairie, La (just west of NO).

http://members.cox.net/spider4/

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Damn (from Houston news... (KHOU is now broadcasting the WWL feed))...

Storm will still be a tropical storm in the Tennessee river valley, tropical depression in Ohio.

Some emergency management dude: "when we get through with this storm we will have a new permanent shortline in Louisiana."

[Manu'sMagicalLeftHand]

Working web cams...



http://www.portno.com/webcamnew_out.htm

http://www.nola.com/beadcam/

http://www.nola.com/bourbocam/classic/

http://www.nola.com/beadcam/

http://www.nola.com/rivercam/

http://www.nola.com/bridgecam/
http://www.nola.com/fqcam/

http://www.wdsu.com/weather/livecams/index.html

http://www.tropicalisle.com/webcam.html

http://www.wdsu.com/wxcam/1475332/detail.html


The second webcam you posted has the clearest image and live video feed (looks like power didn't go down where the cam is located). It seems it's starting to pour (it was a drizzle or light rain a couple of hours ago).

Hope that people will be safe and the damage minimum, but sadly it looks the other way :depressed . Good luck to anyone with relatives and/or friends in the area.

EDIT: I just saw a guy walking in the streets like "Oh, what a lovely night for a walk". Some people are just....

[Kori Ellis]

What are the latest estimates when it will hit? 6am, San Antonio time?

[2pac]

Well - its basically already hitting. When will the eye hit? Probably 6-8cst.

2pac is dead.

[Kori Ellis]

When will the eye hit? Probably 6-8cst.

Yes, that's what I was asking.

[MannyIsGod]

The eye won't get to NO untill later than that. Probably around noon. That is when it will be over the delta of the river.

[Kori Ellis]

The eye won't get to NO untill later than that. Probably around noon. That is when it will be over the delta of the river.

:wtf They just said within six hours. So I'm not sure what's the case.

[MannyIsGod]

The eye won't be to New Orleans by then. At 1, the storm was still over 120 miles from NO and moving north about 10 mph. There is no way it will reach them by 7am. That is when it will reach Grand Isle which is at the southern portion of LA.

[2pac]

Look at the Foxnews deal, the eye is about to hit the delta.

[timvp]

So is the current track of the storm a worst or best case scenario?

[2pac]

Houston hotels are now booked.

[2pac]

So is the current track of the storm a worst or best case scenario?

Worst.

Expect destruction to be on par with the atomic bomb that hit Nagasaki.

[Kori Ellis]

2pac - did your whole family get out?

[timvp]

The bad thing is New Orleans is probably the least capable city in the US to survive such a national disaster. If it's a direct strike, so many people will have no chance.

[Horry For 3!]

I'm watchin CNN and this lady was interviewing some lady who came from NO she was in Port Allen on here way to Houston, TX.

[MannyIsGod]

The Fox News thing must be messed up. I'm watching NWS radar and the eye is still hours from landfall.

[TheWriter]

Mardi Gras anyone?

Shut the fuck up dude. No time to be facetious.

[TheWriter]

Worst.

Expect destruction to be on par with the atomic bomb that hit Nagasaki.

Are you serious?

[Kori Ellis]

When did it get changed to a level 4?

155 mph is the top end of the range for category 4. 156 mph starts category 5. So it's waivering between - and it really doesn't make a difference.

[2pac]

2pac - did your whole family get out?

They were out yesterday. Dad and I are planning to get back in on Friday and clear the way for my grandma to go home.


When did it get changed to a level 4?


Mardi Gras anyone?

You seriously need to be permanently banned. Maybe when you are an adult, you will understand how big of a deal this is.


Manny, just looked closer than it was on the small map.

[MannyIsGod]

155 mph is the top end of the range for category 4. 156 mph starts category 5. So it's waivering between - and it really doesn't make a difference.
Exactly.

[2pac]

155 mph is the top end of the range for category 4. 156 mph starts category 5. So it's waivering between - and it really doesn't make a difference.

Typical is for it to slow down, then speed back up.

It went down to 165, then shot back to 175. Its wind - it isnt consistant.

[TheWriter]

So it's probably in eye replacement mode.

[TheWriter]

2pac, do you mean the life lost will be up their with Nagasaki or just the destruction to the city core.

[2pac]

Are you serious?

Absolutely.

40% chance the Superdome wont make it 48 hours.

Probably 40-60k people stuck in their homes with no way out.

I fully expect for most homes to be completely destroyed, many large buildings and 40-50k people to die.

[timvp]

I'm guessing that after this is over, a significant percentage of the population won't bother moving back.

[TheWriter]

I'm guessing that after this is over, a significant percentage of the population won't bother moving back.

It seems like they won't have any homes to move back into.

Damn.

Life for everyone is about to change it seems.

The butterfly effect.

[HB22inSA]

There is no way 40-50k people die, let's be realistic. There aren't even that many people left in the city.

[Kori Ellis]

Felix - there's supposedly between 100-200K people left in the city.

[HB22inSA]

It's getting pretty bad

Current New Orleans conditions:

Heavy Rain Fog/Mist and Windy

78°F
(26°C) Humidity: 90 %
Wind Speed: NE 52 G 68 MPH
Barometer: 29.32" (992.9 mb)
Dewpoint: 75°F (24°C)
Heat Index: 80°F (27°C)
Visibility: 1.00 mi.

[2pac]

There is no way 40-50k people die, let's be realistic. There aren't even that many people left in the city.

80-100k have no form of transportation.

There will be floods in the entire path of katrina - from new orleans through ohio and the northeast - places that arent used to getting hit by tropical storms.

When Camille hit in 1969, over 100 people died in virginia from flash floods.

Katrina isnt JUST hitting NO - it is 1/5 of the country.

[HB22inSA]

Felix - there's supposedly between 100-200K people left in the city.
That doesn't seem right.

Where is that info?

[MannyIsGod]

There are more people than that left in the city. And there are going to be a lot of people in a tent city after this and the conditions are going to be less than sanitary

I've said it 34098340938 times today; most people simply do not grasp the magnitude of this situation and how horrible it is.

[Kori Ellis]

I heard it on CNN and read it somewhere that they estimated less than 1M people got out. 30K of those who got left behind are in the Dome but there's supposedly another 100+K (minimum) around the city who didn't get out.

The population is around 1.3M - so maybe 300K people are still there.

[MannyIsGod]

There are at least 200k in there. They anticipated an 80% evacuation of the metro area, and that still leaves almost 300k.

[2pac]

I gotta sign off for a while. All this is really getting to me.

I'll check in later.

Take care all and pray for NO.

[HB22inSA]

heard it on CNN and read it somewhere that they estimated less than 1M people got out. 30K of those who got left behind are in the Dome but there's supposedly another 100+K (minimum) around the city who didn't get out.

The population is around 1.3M - so maybe 300K people are still there.
That really sucks.

In 24 hours, New Orleans and the rest of the state will be in total shambles.

[Aristotle Yogurt]

That doesn't seem right.

Where is that info?

You are going off of your idea of how many will be dead. You are clueless.

Mannyisgod, we got it. You know all about the seriousness of the storm. Thanks pal. Repeat yourself after you do more than talk about it.

[TheWriter]

This is awful

What? You couldn't come up with something fucking stupid to say.

Yeah, totally awful.

[MannyIsGod]

If anything comes out of this crazy hurricane season, it is the amount of information we have gotten from the monitoring of storms. We have an enourmous amount of info that will lead to better forcasting and the saving of lives.

Every cloud has a silver lining.

[HB22inSA]

[/QUOTE]All this is really getting to me.
[QUOTE]
Yeah, I'm not feeling too good right now, either.

Kinda makes you feel sick.

[MannyIsGod]

You are going off of your idea of how many will be dead. You are clueless.

Mannyisgod, we got it. You know all about the seriousness of the storm. Thanks pal. Repeat yourself after you do more than talk about it.
:wtf

[HB22inSA]

Maybe it's just that I'm in serious denial about it, but I don't think more than 300-400 people dying.

That in and of itself is tragic, but you guys are making it sound like some biblical storm.

[Kori Ellis]

Maybe it's just that I'm in serious denial about it, but I don't think more than 300-400 people dying.

That in and of itself is tragic, but you guys are making it sound like some biblical storm.

Well I don't want to think anyone is going to die. But it's on direct path to New Orleans and there's a lot of people still there. It's close to, if not, the worst storm in US history. It's not going to be good.

There's not much to do now, but pray.

[Aristotle Yogurt]

Maybe it's just that I'm in serious denial about it, but I don't think more than 300-400 people dying.

That in and of itself is tragic, but you guys are making it sound like some biblical storm.

And the last horse crosses the finish line.

[TheWriter]

Maybe it's just that I'm in serious denial about it, but I don't think more than 300-400 people dying.

That in and of itself is tragic, but you guys are making it sound like some biblical storm.


Who said 300-400k dying?

Biblical storm? No, this is a real storm.

This thing is going to really fuck up New Orleans. Everything bad that needs to happen in a natural disaster are happening.

[MannyIsGod]

I really hope the Superdome holds up. That in itself could be catastrophic.

[Aristotle Yogurt]

I bet less people die than expected. i bet very few will

Thanks for the forecast eminem.

[MannyIsGod]

And the last horse crosses the finish line.
You're picking a bad night to be an asshole.

[TheWriter]

I bet less people die than expected. i bet very few will

Yeah, a storm 1 mile off from being a CAT 5 now is going to kill a few people. Esp, in a city like New Orleans.

Hey, wanna go check up on how many a weaker storm named Andrew killed in 1992. It wasn't a "few."

[MannyIsGod]

I hope those of you who are optomistic are right.

[Kori Ellis]

I really hope the Superdome holds up. That in itself could be catastrophic.

True - that scares me. Putting 30-40K people in there and telling them to stay in the upper deck could be a recipe for disaster. I hope not.

[TheWriter]

And the last horse crosses the finish line.

Kori, couldn't you ban this shithead for the rest of the day.

[TheWriter]

True - that scares me. Putting 30-40K people in there and telling them to stay in the upper deck could be a recipe for disaster. I hope not.

And there's a lot of children in that place.

[Aristotle Yogurt]

You're picking a bad night to be an asshole.

Why don't you tell everybody you knew I was going to be 382349174 times? That will accomplish everything.

[TheWriter]

I have a gut feeling. People will die but it will be the elderly.

Elderly, baby boomers, 20 somethings, teens, and children.

[MannyIsGod]

For the first time in history, I'm using the ignore feature. I'm not in the mood for this shit tonight.

[Kori Ellis]

Aristotle - slow your roll.

There's plenty of other threads for nonsense. This one isn't it.

[MannyIsGod]

One thing that was mentoined was the structural integrity of the high rise buildings in downtown NO.

If it floods, there will be waves of at least 10 feet (probably much higher) hitting the buildings constantly. That will produce force on the structures close to that of an earthquake. Combine that with the winds, and you might see some of those structures collapse.

Thats pretty damn horrible.

[Tek_XX]

I really hope the Superdome holds up. That in itself could be catastrophic.


I don't know, i would assume it would take a category 10 to do serious damage to the Superdome.

[Das Texan]

why am i still awake?


anyone watching on msnbc? there is this one lady in houma which is supposedly further south than NOLA, and the law enforcement folks dont seem 'overly' worried about the storm, overly being there wont be total destruction.

and why is there a news person in that joint? are they truly not aware of the magnitude of this storm?

[Kori Ellis]

One thing that was mentoined was the structural integrity of the high rise buildings in downtown NO.

Yeah, I saw that a bunch of tourists in high rise hotels were moved up to the 5th floor. I think I would have just go the fuck out. Even if I had to just start running as of yesterday.

[TheWriter]

I don't know, i would assume it would take a category 10 to do serious damage to the Superdome.

The Superdome is old and in shitty shape. And I believe they only tested the Superdome against CAT 3 winds. Nothing higher.

[Das Texan]

One thing that was mentoined was the structural integrity of the high rise buildings in downtown NO.

If it floods, there will be waves of at least 10 feet (probably much higher) hitting the buildings constantly. That will produce force on the structures close to that of an earthquake. Combine that with the winds, and you might see some of those structures collapse.

Thats pretty damn horrible.



it would make for an interesting picture of it all happening, not one wanted, but a pretty interesting picture.

hopefully the superdome does hold up, that itself collapsing may be the most destructive thing ever....what i dont get is why are people on the turf, isnt that supposed to be underwater if nothing else happens to that place?

[Kori Ellis]

The Superdome is old and in shitty shape. And I believe they only tested the Superdome against CAT 3 winds. Nothing higher.

Well they are saying the bottom level will likely be flooded. All that water plus the winds and the condition of the dome isn't a good scenario. Hopefully it holds up.

[Tek_XX]

The Superdome is old and in shitty shape. And I believe they only tested the Superdome against CAT 3 winds. Nothing higher.

Still, do you expect it to fall apart?

[Das Texan]

Still, do you expect it to fall apart?


the thing is that nobody knows.

[MannyIsGod]

The Superdome was given a 60% chance to survie against 165mpg winds Tek.

The lastest RECON flight shows the storm even weaker. there is shear in the atomsphere that is increasing thanks to the front coming across the country, and that is helping weaken the storm.

This is pretty damn good news. Also, they suspect preassure is up to 915mb.

[TheWriter]

Atleast the news media is covering something worthy. I'm tired of the nonstop missing white girl or the mad mom in Crawford.

Anyone see Greta cover this storm?

[Das Texan]

The Superdome was given a 60% chance to survie against 165mpg winds Tek.

The lastest RECON flight shows the storm even weaker. there is shear in the atomsphere that is increasing thanks to the front coming across the country, and that is helping weaken the storm.

This is pretty damn good news. Also, they suspect preassure is up to 915mb.


no doubt...still unless this thing gets down to cat 3 strength things may be finished for NOLA as we know them...just gives those in the city a greater chance of survival which is a good thing obviously.

[Tek_XX]

Atleast the news media is covering something worthy. I'm tired of the nonstop missing white girl or the mad mom in Crawford.

Anyone see Greta cover this storm?

More importantly, will Greta's plastic surgery hold up?

[MannyIsGod]

The latest sat images of the storm show it looking VERY ragged on the western sides. I'm not so sure a drop to a catagory 3 is out of the question.

[HB22inSA]

They're saying that by noon tomorrow, it will look like an atomic bomb went off in New Orleans.

This is very disheartening.

[TheWriter]

More importantly, will Greta's plastic surgery hold up?

:lol :lol

She needs to fix her mouth. Man... And that one woman on MSNBC who sounds like a 60 year old woman who has been smoking for 55 years, pretty much she sounds like a guy.

[Kori Ellis]

The latest sat images of the storm show it looking VERY ragged on the western sides. I'm not so sure a drop to a catagory 3 is out of the question.

I just heard that it went back up to almost 165 mph.

I guess we just have to wait.

[HB22inSA]

The latest sat images of the storm show it looking VERY ragged on the western sides. I'm not so sure a drop to a catagory 3 is out of the question.
Don't all hurricanes "weaken" and get a bit disorganized at night, though?

[TheWriter]

I just heard that it went back up to almost 165 mph.

I guess we just have to wait.

165? Damn.

Where'd they report this?

[HB22inSA]

Looks like it is going straight north now and will track just East of the city of NO.

[Tek_XX]

Looks like it is going straight north now and will track just East of the city of NO.

That might as well be a direct hit, at least the eye of the storm would give a slight reprieve.

[Kori Ellis]

165? Damn.

Where'd they report this?

On something that LJ was listening to on his computer.

It seems like it's been fluctuating between 155-170 all day.

It's going to suck no matter what.

[Das Texan]

I just heard that it went back up to almost 165 mph.

I guess we just have to wait.




ya kori where? from what i see its looking a hell of a lot uglier.

[MannyIsGod]

No, all hurricanes become more compact at night, but not ragged. They go through diurnal (day and night) cycles, but this looks more like shear or dry air intrustion because the convection didn't become compact, it is flat out disapearing.

[MannyIsGod]

Kori, the lastest message from the plane in there does not support winds that fast. No way.

[Das Texan]

ya the entire west side has gone adios. and its become a hell of a lot smaller in size compared to just 8 hours earlier.

[Tek_XX]

Hmm interesting, the weather channel reports that 59% of hurricane deaths are caused by flooding, everything else was in single digits.

[Kori Ellis]

I don't know Manny - they said they just got the latest report. *shrug* Just repeating what I heard.

[MannyIsGod]

If the convection reforms and the eye closes off again, it could jump up to 165 or higher before said and done, but it only has a couple of hours to do that, and I don't think it is going to happen.

[Tek_XX]

Wouldn't the land by the reason that Hurricanes lose power in this situation.

[MannyIsGod]

http://www.ghcc.msfc.nasa.gov/GOES/GOES07452005241kJQfBv.jpg

Do you see how broken that storm looks on that side? It actually looks a bit better than just 15 minutes ago, so it could ramp back up, but I just don't think it has the time.

[TheWriter]

Wasn't worst case for NO the storm coming in land east of the city.

If so... it's coming in east of the city.

[MannyIsGod]

Tek, land interaction can and does hurt hurricanes, but there is very little land here to hurt it. What land there is is very flat and swampy, which is almost as good as the ocean, but the damage being done to this storm I'm fairly certain is being casued by shear.

[Das Texan]

http://www.ghcc.msfc.nasa.gov/GOES/GOES07452005241kJQfBv.jpg

Do you see how broken that storm looks on that side? It actually looks a bit better than just 15 minutes ago, so it could ramp back up, but I just don't think it has the time.


if that thing re-wraps its on again. and ya that does look a lot better than just a few minutes ago before taking that stupid test i just did. could be good could be bad....still too early to call.

[HB22inSA]

CNN is saying that they are worried about the Lake North of NO being breached because of all the winds all day forcing water into that lake.

[Das Texan]

Tek, land interaction can and does hurt hurricanes, but there is very little land here to hurt it. What land there is is very flat and swampy, which is almost as good as the ocean, but the damage being done to this storm I'm fairly certain is being casued by shear.


ya that would be it, that dry air mass has battered this son bitch badly.

[Das Texan]

oh ya, i think weatherbug in NOLA is dead. I have the accurate time but I have 14 mph winds.....ya thats not likely.

[Tres_Till_it_MHz]

Never been, but is it true that ninty % of cemetaries are above ground type deals? Could this mean coffins will be floating all over the place?

I should go to sleep now.

[MannyIsGod]

Yeah, you'll have coffins floating around. Crazy shit.

HB, yeah, all the water is being forced into the lake right now and will keep being forced into there most of the morning. Then when the eye gets closer, the winds will shift and start forcing that piled up water south, right into New Orleans.

Worst case scenario.

[HB22inSA]

HB, yeah, all the water is being forced into the lake right now and will keep being forced into there most of the morning. Then when the eye gets closer, the winds will shift and start forcing that piled up water south, right into New Orleans.

Damn. New Orleans is just not in a favorable position for something like this.

[TheWriter]

So the storm taking a east of NO path was worst case, correct?

[Tek_XX]

Weren't there coffins floating around when the mississippi flooded a decade ago?

[MannyIsGod]

Yeah, east side was worst case.

[HB22inSA]

Portions of NO already have between 3 and 4 inches of rain.

[Slo spurs fan]

Weren't there coffins floating around when the mississippi flooded a decade ago?

Can someone explain to me what does coffins mean? Please! Thanks.

Uh and all my prays and good hopes are with you fellow Americans. :depressed

[Das Texan]

Can someone explain to me what does coffins mean? Please! Thanks.

Uh and all my prays and good hopes are with you fellow Americans. :depressed



well in lousiana for a long ass time people were buried above ground.

[Slo spurs fan]

well in lousiana for a long ass time people were buried above ground.

Shit! :depressed

[timvp]

It looks like it's breaking up a little bit. On the NO channel I'm listening to, they are rooting for it to go East. They say that if it goes West, it's going to be the worst case.

[Manu'sMagicalLeftHand]

Can someone explain to me what does coffins mean? Please! Thanks.

Uh and all my prays and good hopes are with you fellow Americans. :depressed

This is a coffin:
http://www.vintagecoffins.com/Resources/StrommenClosedWebsite.jpg

What they mean is that cemeteries could be flooded since they are in low lands which have a muddy composition. Then coffins could be seen floating around the city.

[SLOVENIAN 8]

Some Slovenian site says that Katrina will reach NO at 12.00 euro time, so that is in about 1.5h .

[MannyIsGod]

LJ, they probably want it to go further east. The further east it goes now the better for New Orleans because it will go farther away.

It's an angles game. Right now it's moving North, but a move to the east will keep the strongest winds away from NO and lessen the flooding. But if it keeps moving north the eye will pass right over the east side of NO and that is the worst case scenario we keep talking about.

[HB22inSA]

Over 10 inches of rain in extreme southern louisiana so far.

Approaching 6 inches in and around NO.

[HB22inSA]

The CNN weather guy just blew up at the anchorwoman.

"Let me talk!!!" and throws down his papers.

[Manu'sMagicalLeftHand]

Let me post the webcam link again:

http://www.nola.com/beadcam/index.ssf?video

It is rainning reeeeally hard now, a water curtain descending on New Orleans.

[SLOVENIAN 8]

http://www.cnn.com/2005/WEATHER/08/29/hurricane.katrina/index.html

Free Video:http://www.cnn.com/

[MannyIsGod]

The last VORTEX message from the RECON flight put the winds at about 140-145mph which is still catagory 4. And from what I can tell, that eye is closing off. I don't know if it can strengthen before landfall, but I think its done getting weaker.

[Kori Ellis]

Well 145 still sucks. If it's not going to get weaker, I guess the only hope is that it somehow goes a little further east. 145 and hitting just East of NO seems to be still horrific.

[Kori Ellis]

The newest report that they are reading on the NO station says it's 150 mph and it's 915 milibars.

[Kori Ellis]

They said that the longitude was exactly the same as 2 hours ago. So it's still heading directly into the East side of NO.

[MannyIsGod]

Some fluctuations in intensity are possible right up until landfall
occurs. However...it appears that Katrina will make landfall as a
category 4 hurricane later this morning. The cloud pattern in
satellite imagery has eroded on the west side due to dry air
entrainment...and the eyewall has opened up to the south and
southwest in radar imagery. However...the water remains quite warm
underneath the center...and convection can easily redevelop and the
eyewall close off again before landfall occurs. Some disruption of
the circulation will occur once the center moves over southeastern
Louisiana. However...the forecast track keeps the eye close enough
to warm water near the Louisiana and Mississippi coasts. The
upper-level outflow pattern remains quite impressive and even
contains a rare 200 mb indraft anticyclone to the east near Tampa
Bay. The combination of the outflow regime and the close proximity
to warm water may be enough to keep Katrina a major hurricane when
it reaches the Louisiana-Mississippi border area this afternoon.
Just because Katrina is no longer a catgeory 5 hurricane does not
mean that extensive damage and storm surge flooding will not occur.
This is still an extremely dangerous and potentially deadly
hurricane!


That eye is already closed off, and its still over water. This storm isn't going to weaken anymore, and I woudln't be suprised a small rise in preassure.

What sucks, is that the planes are having problems and can't measure things well.

One thing to possibly be worried about is that the preassure of 915 usually suports winds over 155mph, or category 5 status. But because the eye wall had been open, it will take a while for those winds to increase.

[timvp]

I was watching Fox News and they were saying that everything is looking better. The eye isn't as strong, it's moving faster and the pressure isn't as bad. They say that the models that show destruction don't look as likely right now.

Still scary, but good news I guess.

[Kori Ellis]

This storm isn't going to weaken anymore

Well if it's going to hang around 145-150, that can't be a good thing. Category 5 is 156, so people shouldn't celebrate that it's staying a Category 4 now. Not much difference in the big picture.

[Manu'sMagicalLeftHand]

I was watching Fox News and they were saying that everything is looking better. The eye isn't as strong, it's moving faster and the pressure isn't as bad. They say that the models that show destruction don't look as likely right now.

Still scary, but good news I guess.

They just said the exact opposite on CNN. I guess we can only wait, reports are contradicting.

[Kori Ellis]

I'm going to only listen to Manny - not CNN or Fox :)

[timvp]

I wonder how many times Manny has watched Twister.

:)

[Manu'sMagicalLeftHand]

I'm watching the New Orleans webcam, the street lights just went down, but the webcam is still working (huh? It may be working on an alternate generator).

[HB22inSA]

Not good:

New Orleans Lakefront Airport
Last Update on Aug 29, 3:53 am CDT


Fog and Windy

78°F
(26°C) Humidity: 93 %
Wind Speed: NE 54 G 85 MPH
Barometer: 29.12" (986.1 mb)
Dewpoint: 76°F (24°C)
Heat Index: 81°F (27°C)
Visibility: 0.50 mi

NO has gotten between 6-8 inches of rain so far, and climbing quickly.

[MannyIsGod]

:lol

I love/hate twister with a passion.

The storm isn't going to get weaker. The radar presentation is improving by the minute.

[HB22inSA]

Manny, what radar do you view?

Is there a local website which has a closer view of the NO city radar?

I'm viewing noaa.gov, but that radar is pretty wide.

[MannyIsGod]

http://www.wunderground.com/radar/radblast.asp?num=6&scale=1&delay=50&noclutter=0&showstorms=0&showlabels=1&ID=LIX&lat=29.95751953&lon=-90.07685852&label=New+Orleans%2C+LA&type=N0R&zoommode=pan&map.x=400&map.y=240&centerx=400&centery=240&prevzoom=zoom

[Kori Ellis]

Here's the official report from 4am .. the next one will come at 6am.


000
WTNT32 KNHC 290850
TCPAT2
BULLETIN
HURRICANE KATRINA ADVISORY NUMBER 26
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
4 AM CDT MON AUG 29 2005

...EXTREMELY DANGEROUS CATEGORY FOUR HURRICANE KATRINA MOVING
NORTHWARD TOWARD SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA AND THE NORTHERN GULF
COAST...
...TROPICAL STORM-FORCE WINDS LASHING THE GULF COAST FROM
SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA TO THE ALABAMA-FLORIDA BORDER...

A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTH CENTRAL GULF COAST
FROM MORGAN CITY LOUISIANA EASTWARD TO THE ALABAMA/FLORIDA
BORDER...INCLUDING THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS AND LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN.
PREPARATIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY SHOULD BE COMPLETED THIS
EVENING.

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING AND A HURRICANE WATCH ARE IN EFFECT FROM
EAST OF THE ALABAMA/FLORIDA BORDER TO DESTIN FLORIDA...AND FROM
WEST OF MORGAN CITY TO INTRACOASTAL CITY LOUISIANA.

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS ALSO IN EFFECT FROM DESTIN FLORIDA
EASTWARD TO INDIAN PASS FLORIDA...AND FROM INTRACOASTAL CITY
LOUISIANA WESTWARD TO CAMERON LOUISIANA.

FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...INCLUDING POSSIBLE
INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED
BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE.

AT 4 AM CDT...0900Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE KATRINA WAS LOCATED
NEAR LATITUDE 28.8 NORTH... LONGITUDE 89.6 WEST OR ABOUT 90 MILES
SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF NEW ORLEANS LOUISIANA AND ABOUT 120 MILES
SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF BILOXI MISSISSIPPI.

KATRINA IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH NEAR 15 MPH... AND THIS
MOTION IS FORECAST TO CONTINUE TODAY. A GRADUAL TURN TOWARD THE
NORTH-NORTHEAST AT A SLIGHTLY FASTER FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED
LATER TONIGHT AND ON TUESDAY. ON THE FORECAST TRACK...KATRINA WILL
MOVE ONSHORE THE SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA COAST JUST EAST OF GRAND
ISLE THIS MORNING... AND REACH THE LOUISIANA-MISSISSIPPI BORDER
AREA THIS AFTERNOON. CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE TO STEADILY
DETERIORATE OVER CENTRAL AND SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA...SOUTHERN
MISSISSIPPI...AND SOUTHERN ALABAMA THROUGHOUT THE DAY.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 150 MPH...240 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER
GUSTS. KATRINA IS A STRONG CATEGORY FOUR HURRICANE ON THE
SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. SOME FLUCTUATIONS IN STRENGTH ARE LIKELY
PRIOR TO LANDFALL...BUT KATRINA IS EXPECTED TO MAKE LANDFALL AS
A CATEGORY FOUR HURRICANE. WINDS AFFECTING THE UPPER FLOORS OF
HIGH-RISE BUILDINGS WILL BE SIGNIFICANTLY STRONGER THAN THOSE NEAR
GROUND LEVEL.

KATRINA REMAINS A VERY LARGE HURRICANE. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND
OUTWARD UP TO 105 MILES FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE
WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 230 MILES. RECENTLY...A SUSTAINED WIND
OF 53 MPH WITH GUST TO 91 MPH WAS REPORTED AT GRAND ISLE LOUISIANA
...AND A WIND GUST TO 71 MPH WAS REPORTED IN NEW ORLEANS.

THE MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE RECENTLY REPORTED BY AN AIR FORCE
RESERVE UNIT RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT WAS 915 MB...27.02 INCHES.

COASTAL STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 18 TO 22 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE
LEVELS...LOCALLY AS HIGH AS 28 FEET...ALONG WITH LARGE AND DANGEROUS
BATTERING WAVES...CAN BE EXPECTED NEAR AND TO THE EAST OF WHERE THE
CENTER MAKES LANDFALL. SOME LEVEES IN THE GREATER NEW ORLEANS AREA
COULD BE OVERTOPPED. SIGNIFICANT STORM SURGE FLOODING WILL OCCUR
ELSEWHERE ALONG THE CENTRAL AND NORTHEASTERN GULF OF MEXICO COAST.
NOAA BUOY 42040 LOCATED ABOUT 50 MILES EAST OF THE MOUTH OF THE
MISSISSIPPI RIVER RECENTLY REPORTED WAVES HEIGHTS OF AT LEAST 46
FEET.

RAINFALL TOTALS OF 5 TO 10 INCHES...WITH ISOLATED MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF
15 INCHES...ARE POSSIBLE ALONG THE PATH OF KATRINA ACROSS THE GULF
COAST AND THE TENNESSEE VALLEY. RAINFALL TOTALS OF 4 TO 8 INCHES
ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE OHIO VALLEY INTO THE EASTERN GREAT LAKES
REGION TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY.

THE TORNADO THREAT AHEAD OF KATRINA CONTINUES TO INCREASE AND
SCATTERED TORNADOES WILL BE POSSIBLE TODAY OVER SOUTHEASTERN
LOUISIANA... SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI...SOUTHERN ALABAMA...AND OVER
THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE.

REPEATING THE 4 AM CDT POSITION...28.8 N... 89.6 W. MOVEMENT
TOWARD...NORTH NEAR 15 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED
WINDS...150 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 915 MB.

INTERMEDIATE ADVISORIES WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL
HURRICANE CENTER AT 6 AM CDT AND 8 AM CDT FOLLOWED
BY THE NEXT COMPLETE ADVISORY AT 10 AM CDT.

FORECASTER STEWART

[Ginofan]

I'm about to head off to work...looks like we are going to be seeing the hit come pretty soon...before 8am I would expect. The eye looks to be getting ragged on the radar...is that just because of the radar...or is that how it really is shaping up?

[Kori Ellis]

The eye looks to be getting ragged on the radar...is that just because of the radar...or is that how it really is shaping up?

Manny said that it was ragged (increasing the pressure and decreasing the winds) but it has closed now and will likely stay with about this same winds (145-150 mph).

[Kori Ellis]

The next official report will come out at 6am. I guess we'll know if it's holding steady then.

[Kori Ellis]

This is the report for Jackson, MS - I'm posting it because this is where Guru of Nothing lives.


000
WTUS84 KJAN 290951
HLSJAN
MSZ025>033-036>039-042>066-072>074-291100-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
HURRICANE KATRINA LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
450 AM CDT MON AUG 29 2005

...EXTREMELY DANGEROUS HURRICANE KATRINA VERY CLOSE TO THE COAST
LINE OF SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA...

...DETERIORATING CONDITIONS ANTICIPATED ACROSS SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI
THIS MORNING...

...AREAS AFFECTED...
THIS STATEMENT APPLIES TO PEOPLE IN CENTRAL AND EASTERN MISSISSIPPI.

...WATCHES/WARNINGS...
INLAND HURRICANE WARNINGS REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR MARION...LAMAR...
FORREST...LINCOLN...LAWRENCE...JEFFERSON DAVIS...COVINGTON...
JONES...COPIAH...SIMPSON...SMITH...JASPER...CLARKE ...RANKIN...
HINDS...MADISON...SCOTT...NEWTON...LAUDERDALE...LE AKE...NESHOBA AND
KEMPER COUNTIES.

INLAND HURRICANE WATCHES HAVE BEEN UPGRADED TO INLAND HURRICANE
WARNINGS ATTALA...WINSTON...NOXUBEE...CHOCTAW...OKTIBBEHA.. .
LOWNDES... WEBSTER AND CLAY COUNTIES.

INLAND TROPICAL STORM WARNINGS REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR ADAMS...
FRANKLIN...JEFFERSON...CLAIBORNE AND WARREN COUNTIES.

INLAND TROPICAL STORM WATCHES HAVE BEEN UPGRADED TO INLAND TROPICAL
STORM WARNINGS FOR GRENADA...CARROLL...MONTGOMERY...HOLMES AND YAZOO
COUNTIES.

A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF CENTRAL AND EASTERN
MISSISSIPPI.

A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON FOR JEFFERSON DAVIS...
MARION...COVINGTON...FORREST...JONES...AND LAMAR COUNTIES.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 4 AM CDT...THE EYE OF HURRICANE KATRINA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE
28.8 NORTH...LONGITUDE 89.6 WEST. THIS POSITION IS ABOUT 90 MILES
SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF NEW ORLEANS. KATRINA IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH
NEAR 15 MPH...AND A GRADUAL TURN TO THE NORTH NORTHEAST IS EXPECTED
TONIGHT AND TUESDAY. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 150 MPH...WITH
HIGHER GUSTS. THIS MAKES KATRINA A STRONG CATEGORY FOUR STORM ON THE
SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. SOME FLUCTUATIONS IN INTENSITY ARE
ANTICIPATED...BUT KATRINA IS FORECAST TO MAKE LANDFALL AS A CATEGORY
FOUR HURRICANE JUST EAST OF GRAND ISLE WITHIN A FEW HOURS.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
WHILE THE HURRICANE WILL WEAKEN AS IT MOVES INLAND TODAY...THE
HURRICANE WILL LIKELY STILL BE A CATEGORY TWO HURRICANE UP TO THE
HIGHWAY 98 CORRIDOR. KATRINA WILL STILL BE A HURRICANE WELL INTO
CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI...AND A STRONG TROPICAL STORM AS IT MOVES INTO
NORTHERN MISSISSIPPI.

THE SERIOUSNESS OF THIS SITUATION CANNOT BE OVEREMPHASIZED! WHILE
HURRICANE KATRINA HAS WEAKENED SLIGHTLY...IT IS STILL ALMOST AS
STRONG AS HURRICANE CAMILLE WHEN IT MADE LANDFALL IN 1969. THE
HURRICANE IS EVEN LARGER IN SIZE THAN CAMILLE...MEANING THE
POTENTIAL DAMAGE MAY COVER A MORE EXTENSIVE AREA. IT IS BECOMING
INCREASINGLY LIKELY THAT KATRINA WILL CAUSE EXTENSIVE DAMAGE ACROSS
PARTS OF CENTRAL AND EASTERN MISSISSIPPI ON MONDAY AND MONDAY NIGHT.

THIS IS A POTENTIALLY LIFE THREATENING SITUATION...DO NOT TAKE IT
LIGHTLY! PEOPLE RESIDING IN HOMES THAT ARE NOT WELL CONSTRUCTED
SHOULD HAVE MOVED TO A SAFER ALTERNATIVE LOCATION TO RIDE THE
PASSAGE OF THE STORM OUT...PARTICULARLY OVER AREAS SOUTH OF
INTERSTATE 20 AND EAST OF INTERSTATE 55 WHERE THE VERY STRONGEST
WINDS COULD OCCUR. PLEASE FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS OF STATE...COUNTY
AND LOCAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS WITH REGARD TO EVACUATIONS
AND PREPAREDNESS ACTIVITIES.

...WIND IMPACTS...
IN THE HURRICANE WARNING AREA ALONG AND SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 20...
WINDS OF 75 TO 100 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS...APPEAR LIKELY. IN
ADDITION TO DOWNING THOUSANDS OF TREES AND CAUSING EXTENSIVE POWER
OUTAGES...THESE WINDS COULD ALSO CAUSE STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO
BUILDINGS AND DESTROY LESS WELL CONSTRUCTED STRUCTURES.

IN THE HURRICANE WARNING AREA NORTH OF INTERSTATE 20...WINDS OF 50
TO 75 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS...WILL LIKELY OCCUR...WITH THE
STRONGEST WINDS ALONG AND EAST OF THE PATH OF THE HURRICANE. IN THE
TROPICAL STORM WARNING AREA...WINDS OF 40 TO 60 MPH WITH GUSTS TO
HURRICANE FORCE MAY OCCUR. WIND DAMAGE COULD BE EXTENSIVE IN THESE
AREAS AS WELL...WITH WIDESPREAD POWER OUTAGES AND DAMAGE TO
STRUCTURES POSSIBLE.

TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS SHOULD BEGIN TO OVERSPREAD THE BROOKHAVEN
TO HATTIESBURG REGION DURING THE EARLY MORNING HOURS TODAY...REACH
THE INTERSTATE 20 CORRIDOR DURING THE MIDDAY HOURS...AND THE HIGHWAY
82 CORRIDOR TOWARD THE LATE EVENING. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS SHOULD
ARRIVE IN THE PINE BELT REGION DURING THE MIDDAY HOURS WITH THE
WORST CONDITIONS DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS MONDAY. A
SEVERAL HOUR PERIOD OF SUSTAINED HURRICANE FORCE WINDS ARE POSSIBLE
IN THIS AREA. THE WORST CONDITIONS FOR THE INTERSTATE 20 CORRIDOR
WILL LIKELY BE LATE THIS AFTERNOON INTO TONIGHT.

IT IS IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE THAT ALTHOUGH THE LANDFALL OF KATRINA
IS LESS THAN 6 HOURS AWAY...SOME CHANGES COULD STILL OCCUR TO THE
FORECAST TRACK. AT THIS TIME...THE MOST LIKELY TRACK FOR THE CENTER
OF THE HURRICANE WOULD BE ALONG A LINE FROM PURVIS...TO RALEIGH...TO
NEAR WEST POINT...BUT REMEMBER...THIS IS A LARGE HURRICANE...AND ITS
EFFECTS WILL BE FELT OVER THE ENTIRE AREA.

...INLAND FLOODING IMPACTS...
TORRENTIAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 5 TO 10 INCHES...WITH LOCALIZED
GREATER AMOUNTS...WILL OCCUR IN THE AREA ALONG AND TO THE EAST OF
THE TRACK. THIS COULD CAUSE URBAN FLOODING AND FLASH FLOODING OF
SMALL STREAMS AND CREEKS. RIVER FLOODING IS EXPECTED TO BE MINIMAL
UNLESS HEAVIER RAINFALL THAN FORECAST OCCURS.

...INLAND TORNADO IMPACTS...
THE RISK OF TORNADOES WILL EXPAND TO COVER MUCH OF EASTERN AND
CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI LATER TODAY AND TONIGHT AS KATRINA MOVES INLAND.
AN ENHANCED RISK OF TORNADOES WILL LIKELY EXIST ALONG AND EAST OF A
MONTICELLO TO COLUMBUS LINE.

...PROBABILITY OF TROPICAL STORM/HURRICANE CONDITIONS...
THE EXPERIMENTAL PROBABILITY OF TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS ASSOCIATED
WITH KATRINA FOR JACKSON IS 93 PERCENT. THE PROBABILITY OF HURRICANE
FORCE WINDS IS 37 PERCENT.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT UPDATE WILL BE ISSUED BY 7 AM CDT.

$$

GERARD

[Kori Ellis]

The power went out in the Superdome, but the backup generator is working - no air conditioning though.

[Ginofan]

The power went out in the Superdome, but the backup generator is working - no air conditioning though.
It's gonna get hot as hell in there with all those bodies, hopefully they have adequate medical services for all those ederly and special needs people.

[Kori Ellis]

The latest report is still 145-150 mph. They are still saying the storm surge will be 18-24 feet. The west edge of the eye wall should be still be just a little East of N.O. - so that's good at least.

Gusts in N.O. are 84 mph right now.

[DesiSpur_21]

Where are you guys watching on the web?

[Samr]

I'l still really not likeing this Superdome idea.

If people die (elderly and such), what will you do? It'll be hard not to spread the disease.

[Ginofan]

Where are you guys watching on the web?


http://www.wwltv.com/

[Samr]

Looks like NOLA is getting (relatively) spared. Mississippi is in deep trouble though.....

No one is out of the woods yet, but with the wind speeds slowing and the storm changing path a bit, the Atlantis Scenario is seeming really out of the question.

[angel_luv]

Looks like NOLA is getting (relatively) spared. Mississippi is in deep trouble though.....

No one is out of the woods yet, but with the wind speeds slowing and the storm changing path a bit, the Atlantis Scenario is seeming really out of the question.


Thank you Jesus! = )

[Shelly]

From what they said this morning, the worse is yet to come. The flooding hasn't started yet.

[Slo spurs fan]

NOLA = New Orleans, Lousiana? Is this correct?

[SpursWoman]

yes

[Slo spurs fan]

Thanks

[Ginofan]

Did you guys check out these 3 dolphins that they had to move to the Holiday Inn's pool? That's really odd!

[Slo spurs fan]

Pumps in NO are out!

[kolko]

Apparently, there is water entering in the Superdome.

[Shelly]

Looks like Biloxi is going to get hit the hardest. The video from there is incredible.

[Slo spurs fan]

Link, Shelly, please!

[TheTruth]

Big time trouble at the superdome. Major leaks, moving people to one side of building..

[2pac]

They're saying that by noon tomorrow, it will look like an atomic bomb went off in New Orleans.

This is very disheartening.

Where did you hear that first?

[Ginofan]

From the 8am Adivisory update:

REPEATING THE 8 AM CDT POSITION...29.7 N... 89.6 W. MOVEMENT
TOWARD...NORTH NEAR 15 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...135 MPH.
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 923 MB

[2pac]

Part of the Superdome roof peeled off.

God save those people.

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

I couldn't stay up and I wake up to part of the Superdome roof being ripped off.

God help Louisiana.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

From WWL...


A LEVEE BREACH OCCURRED ALONG THE INDUSTRIAL CANAL AT TENNESSE STREET. 3 TO 8 FEET OF WATER IS EXPECTED DUE TO THE BREACH...LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO ARABI AND 9TH WARD OF NEW ORLEANS.

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

Monday, August 29, 2005



Hurricane damage: Collapsed buildings, massive flooding
During a morning teleconference, emergency preparedness officials from across southeast Louisiana reported flooding, building collapses, power outages and fires.

Here's a run-down of what they reported:
- In New Orleans, water topped a levee along the Industrial Canal. The city's 911 emergency system was out of service and Charity Hospital was on emergency power and windows had been blown out on five floors. The Police Department was operating on a backup power system. Three to four feet of water was reported on St. Claude Avenue at Jackson Barracks. And a 20-foot tidal surge knocked out four pumping stations; only one was able to get back into service.

Also in New Orleans, a bridge connecting a parking garage to Memorial Hospital collapsed.

- In Jefferson Parish, there was a report of a building collapse in the 200 block of Wright Avenue in Terrytown. Parish officials could not provide details other than to say they had been notified that people were inside the building.

- In St. Charles Parish, significant flooding was reported on the east bank.

- In Arabi, up to 8 feet of water was reported, and people are climbing into their attics to escape the flooding. "We're telling people to get into the attic and take something with them to cut through the roof if necessary,'' said Col. Richard Baumy of the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff's Office. "It's the same scenario as Betsy.''

Baumy said 100-plus mph winds were preventing rescue efforts.

At Bayou Bienvenue, water levels were reported at 9 1/2 feet, almost twice normal levels.

- In St. John, massive power outages are reported.

- In Gramercy, there was extensive damage to the town's 1 1/2-year-old fire station.

- Terrebonne Parish reported a fatality from a heart attack.

http://www.nola.com/newslogs/breakingtp/index.ssf?/mtlogs/nola_Times-Picayune/archives/2005_08.html#074728

[Shelly]

Link, Shelly, please!

Category 4 Katrina Pounds New Orleans

By ADAM NOSSITER, Associated Press Writer

Monday, August 29, 2005

An infrared satellite image shows the center of Hurricane... Members of the National Guard hand out meals to some of t... Displaced residents take cover from Hurricane Katrina at ... Displaced residents take cover from Hurricane Katrina at ...

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Hurricane Katrina

Katrina slams New Orleans

Superdome shelters city's poor

Katrina targets oil, refinery operations

Oil surges above $70 a barrel

Catastrophic damage feared

New Orleans Times-Picayune weather log

Photos

Katrina at a glance

See storm radar

(08-29) 05:33 PDT NEW ORLEANS, (AP) --

Hurricane Katrina turned slightly to the east before slamming ashore early Monday with 145-mph winds, providing some hope that the worst of the storm's wrath might not be directed at this vulnerable, below-sea-level city.

Katrina, which weakened slightly overnight to a Category 4 storm, turned slightly eastward before hitting land, which would put the western eyewall — the weaker side of the strongest winds — over New Orleans.

But National Hurricane Center Director Max Mayfield warned that New Orleans would be pounded throughout the day Monday and that Katrina's potential 20-foot storm surge was still more than capable of swamping the city.

Katrina, which a day before had grown to a 175-mph, Category 5 behemoth, made landfall about 6:10 a.m. CDT east of Grand Isle in the bayou town of Buras.

The storm hammered the Gulf Coast with huge waves and tree-bending winds. Exploding transformers lit up the predawn sky in Mobile, Ala., while tree limbs littered roads and a blinding rain whipped up sand on the deserted beach of Gulfport, Miss.

Katrina's fury also was felt at the Louisiana Superdome, normally home of professional football's Saints, which became the shelter of last resort for about 9,000 of the area's poor, homeless and frail.

Electrical power at the Superdome failed at 5:02 a.m., triggering groans from the crowd. Emergency generators kicked in, but the backup power runs only reduced lighting and cannot run the air conditioning.

About 370,000 customers in southeast Louisiana were estimated to be without power, said Chenel Lagarde, spokesman for Entergy Corp., the main energy power company in the region.

At the hotel Le Richelieu in New Orleans' French Quarter, the winds blew open sets of balcony doors shortly after dawn. Seventy-three-year-old Josephine Elow pressed her weight against the broken doors as a hotel employee tried to secure them.

"It's not life-threatening," Mrs. Elow said as rain water dripped from her face. "God's got our back."

The wind in New Orleans was blowing the rain sideways, and debris was carried up more than 100 feet. Power was on and off in sections of the city, and emergency vehicles patrolled the main streets, their blue and red lights flashing.

"I'd rather watch this than watch a movie," said Steven Grades, 22, one of the Superdome evacuees as he looked out through the windows at the gathering storm.

Mayor Ray Nagin said he believed 80 percent of the city's 480,000 residents had heeded an unprecedented mandatory evacuation as Katrina threatened to become the most powerful storm ever to slam the city.

"It's capable of causing catastrophic damage," Mayfield said. "Even well-built structures will have tremendous damage. Of course, what we're really worried about is the loss of lives.

"New Orleans may never be the same."

Crude oil futures spiked to more than $70 a barrel in Singapore for the first time Monday as Katrina targeted an area crucial to the country's energy infrastructure, but the price had slipped back to $68.95 by midday in Europe. The storm already forced the shutdown of an estimated 1 million barrels of refining capacity.

Terry Ebbert, New Orleans director of homeland security, said more than 4,000 National Guardsmen were mobilizing in Memphis and would help police New Orleans streets.

The head of Jefferson Parish, which includes major suburbs and juts all the way to the storm-vulnerable coast, said some residents who stayed would be fortunate to survive.

"I'm expecting that some people who are die-hards will die hard," parish council President Aaron Broussard said.

The evacuation itself claimed lives. Three New Orleans nursing home residents died Sunday after being taken by bus to a Baton Rouge church. Don Moreau, of the East Baton Rouge Parish Coroner's Office, said the cause was likely dehydration.

Katrina, which cut across Florida last week, had intensified into a colossal Category 5 over the warm water of the Gulf of Mexico, reaching top winds of 175 mph before weakening as it neared the coast.

The storm held a potential surge of 18 to 28 feet that would easily top New Orleans' hurricane protection levees, as well as bigger waves and as much as 15 inches of rain.

A hurricane warning was in effect for the north-central Gulf Coast from Morgan City, La., to the Alabama-Florida line. Tornado warnings were posted for Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida.

For years, forecasters have warned of the nightmare scenario a big storm could bring to New Orleans, a bowl of a city that's up to 10 feet below sea level in spots and dependent on a network of levees, canals and pumps to keep dry from the Mississippi River on one side, Lake Pontchartrain on the other.

The fear is that flooding could overrun the levees and turn New Orleans into a toxic lake filled with chemicals and petroleum from refineries, as well as waste from ruined septic systems.

Nagin said he expected the pumping system to fail during the height of the storm. The mayor said the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was standing by to get the system running, but water levels must fall first.

"We are facing a storm that most of us have long feared," he said. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime event."

Major highways in New Orleans cleared out late Sunday after more than 24 hours of jammed traffic as people headed inland. At the peak of the evacuation, 18,000 people an hour were streaming out of southeastern Louisiana, state police said.

On inland highways in Louisiana and Mississippi, heavy traffic remained the rule into the night as the last evacuees tried to reach safety. In Orange, Texas, Janie Johnson of the American Red Cross described it as a "river of headlights."

In Washington, D.C., the Nuclear Regulatory Commission said it has been advised that the Waterford nuclear plant about 20 miles west of New Orleans has been shut down as a precautionary measure.

New Orleans has not taken a direct hit from a hurricane since Betsy in 1965, when an 8- to 10-foot storm surge submerged parts of the city in seven feet of water. Betsy, a Category 3 storm, was blamed for 74 deaths in Louisiana, Mississippi and Florida.

Evacuation orders also were posted all along the Mississippi coast, and the area's casinos, built on barges, were closed early Saturday. Bands of wind-whipped rain increased Sunday night and roads in some low areas were beginning to flood.

"Hopefully, it will take a turn and we'll be spared the brunt of it, but it just don't look like that," said James Bosco, who was packing up a final few items from his beachfront apartment in Gulfport. "I just hope everybody makes it all right. We can always rebuild."

Alabama officials issued mandatory evacuation orders for low-lying coastal areas. Mobile Mayor Michael C. Dow said flooding could be worse than the 9-foot surge that soaked downtown during Hurricane Georges in 1998. Residents of several barrier islands in the western Florida Panhandle were also urged to evacuate.

Katrina hit the southern tip of Florida as a much weaker storm Thursday and was blamed for nine deaths. It left miles of streets and homes flooded and knocked out power to about 1.45 million customers. It was the sixth hurricane to hit Florida in just over a year.

___

Associated Press reporters Mary Foster, Holbrook Mohr, Brett Martel and Allen G. Breed contributed to this report.

___

On the Net:

National Hurricane Center:

[Shelly]

From what I understand, it's the areas east of the eyewall that get the most damaging winds.

[SWC Bonfire]

What they have to worry about is the rain, rather than the storm surge. They get 20-30+ inches of rain in 24 hrs and they have serious problems.

Hopefully this won't come to pass, and the friends and business associates that I have in Southern LA and AL will be OK.

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

Anybody talked with GoN?

EDIT: Just noticed you're watching the thread right now. Are you doing okay, GoN?

[2pac]

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=9th+ward,+new+orleans&ll=29.962150,-90.025887&spn=0.017872,0.029680&num=10&start=0&hl=en

This is where the levy broke.

[Ginofan]

On the Superdome peeling thing...WWL reported that it was just an outside 1st layer that was peeling off...if that makes a difference.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

More from WWL...


St. Bernard Parish spokesman Larry Ingargiola says the parish's two shelters at Chalmette High and St. Bernard High are suffering major damage. He said Chalmette High shelter is losing its roof, and St. Bernard High has plenty of broken windows and glass. He estimates 300-plus refugees at the two sites.

[ObiwanGinobili]

On CNN they are acting all surprised that there is any damage so far to the dome at all....... uh.. didin't we all see this coming like yesterday???

[sa_butta]

http://www.cnn.com/2005/WEATHER/08/29/hurricane.katrina/index.html

Roof leaking at Superdome.

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

Total structural failure in NO...gusts up to 120 mph.

[Shelly]

They said the next 60-90 minutes will be when NOLA will get the worst of it.

[Flea]

I love NO, hopefully the damage is not too intensive.

[Clandestino]

wow, all those people in the superdome and no air conditioner.. going to be a hot one

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

Today's front pages...

http://www.newseum.org/todaysfrontpages/

[Ginofan]

They said the next 60-90 minutes will be when NOLA will get the worst of it.

Since there are already some levee breaches (according to the front page of WWL) does anyone think they are going to hold up in the next 60-90 minutes?

[2pac]

On the Superdome peeling thing...WWL reported that it was just an outside 1st layer that was peeling off...if that makes a difference.


THe Dome's roof has ALWAYS leaked in the same place - ever since they built it.

The roof lining is a plasticy foam type deal that is sprayed on - liken it to a RhinoLiner. Cheap, light and fairly durable.

[Extra Stout]

What they have to worry about is the rain, rather than the storm surge. They get 20-30+ inches of rain in 24 hrs and they have serious problems.

Hopefully this won't come to pass, and the friends and business associates that I have in Southern LA and AL will be OK.I think the storm surge still would be the worst problem, at least in the eastern parishes. A storm surge eight feet higher than the levee will just sweep down into the city with tremendous force.

From what I understand, they expect to levees to hold in Jefferson Parish, in which case the rain would be the concern.

[2pac]

FWIW: In the Terminator 2, Judgement Day was August 29.

[samikeyp]

Pumps in NO are out!

Does anybody know about these pumps? I have always heard about them....where do they pump the water to?

[Extra Stout]

A part of the Superdome roof just got torn off, and water is pouring into the building.

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

Fox just said that some homes in NOLA were flooded to the ceilings.

[SPARKY]

Well, it looks like the fact that the storm hit farther east won't mean that much in relief for NO and now the Mississippi coast will be destroyed.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

wow, all those people in the superdome and no air conditioner.. going to be a hot one

I think they've got a lot bigger problems than the A/C right now with the roof tearing.

[Extra Stout]

Does anybody know about these pumps? I have always heard about them....where do they pump the water to?They pump the water back into Pontchartrain.

Obviously, they are useless until the storm surge subsides.

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

Does anybody know about these pumps? I have always heard about them....where do they pump the water to?

Back into the river and lake, AFAIK.

[samikeyp]

They pump the water back into Pontchartrain.

Obviously, they are useless until the storm surge subsides.

That is what I was figuring. Oh man....my heart goes out to those folks.

[Hook Dem]

The Louisiana Governor is reporting that the levees have been breached and the water is rising one foot per hour. How much worse it gets is anyones guess.

[SWC Bonfire]

Yeah, it will probably do hundreds of dollars worth of damage in Biloxi.

(Just kidding, I hope that they all make it out all right with as little damage as possible.)

[SpursWoman]

What can you say? This is unbelievably horrible. :(

[Clandestino]

I think they've got a lot bigger problems than the A/C right now with the roof tearing.

not really... especially for the elderly or sick...

[2pac]

Does anybody know about these pumps? I have always heard about them....where do they pump the water to?

They are all electric pumps that pump water through the canal system to the outlying areas - basicaly they pump water East.

Problem is they can only do about a 1/2 inch of water an hour, adn with massive flooding - the electricity goes out and the pumps go underwater - since they are below sealevel. Huge catch 22.

Cant start them without electricity and when they are underwater. Cant get them out from underwater until they are pumped clear.

[Hook Dem]

Water is 7 feet over HWY 90(beach hwy) and has inundated the bottom floor of the Beaux Rivage according to NBC News.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

not really... especially for the elderly or sick...

Dude, if the Superdome goes Texas Stadium on them with all those people inside, they're screwed.

Plus you got the levees busted and water rising, not a good place to be.

[Extra Stout]

They are all electric pumps that pump water through the canal system to the outlying areas - basicaly they pump water East.

Problem is they can only do about a 1/2 inch of water an hour, adn with massive flooding - the electricity goes out and the pumps go underwater - since they are below sealevel. Huge catch 22.

Cant start them without electricity and when they are underwater. Cant get them out from underwater until they are pumped clear.This is the Catch-22.

There's no quick way to pump out the flooding once it occurs. The city could be underwater for weeks.

[2pac]

Even with no roof, the dome is probably the safest place in NO.

[SWC Bonfire]

Well, the city being underwater can be corrected with time. Hopefully, the loss of life will be mitigated.

[boutons]

cnn etc reports the Superdome's dome is coming apart, daylight and rain coming in, refugees herded to area under concrete terraces.

[SWC Bonfire]

Even with no roof, the dome is probably the safest place in NO.

That's what I was thinking. The foundation of that thing is amazing.

[Extra Stout]

Dude, if the Superdome goes Texas Stadium on them with all those people inside, they're screwed.

Plus you got the levees busted and water rising, not a good place to be.Luckily the Superdome is 25 feet above sea level, so flooding isn't as much of an issue.

I guess the biggest concern would be roof failure. That's disaster-movie bad.

[SPARKY]

Water is 7 feet over HWY 90(beach hwy) and has inundated the bottom floor of the Beaux Rivage according to NBC News.


That is fucked up. Hwy 90 sits up above the beach in MS. The entire beachfront is going to be wiped out. Hopefully some of those casinos will go away permanently.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

WWL says 3 ft. of water on the road outside the Superdome.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

f*ck! WWL also reporting 12 ft. of water in some parts of NO already.

[Clandestino]

Pumps are now failing in NO

[missmyzte]

FWIW: In the Terminator 2, Judgement Day was August 29.
That's freaky.

[2pac]

The pumps fail in normal storms. This isnt a suprise. They really dont have a place to pump to for a day or two anyway.

[Trainwreck2100]

That's freaky.


That's why the pumps are failing, the machines are revolting.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

WWL: "HUGE layers of the roof peeling off the Superdome."

[Shelly]

What is a parish?

[SWC Bonfire]

Well, there are alot of concourse areas and rooms/boxes for people to go to inside the Superdome.

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

What is a parish?

I figured it was a subdivision (IE: Leon Valley, etc.).

[SpursWoman]

What is a parish?


I was going to ask, too....I don't think they mean members of a Catholic church. :oops


This is some scary shit.

[2pac]

Parish is a french county

[SPARKY]

Parish ~ County

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

I stand corrected...thanks.

[SWC Bonfire]

What is a parish?

Same thing as a county. I believe the Catholic Church divided LA into parishes and they kept the names & divisions for their gov't.

[Hook Dem]

I was in McElroy's restaurant 2 weeks ago. It is just down the street from the Beaux Rivage. I'm sure the water level is over the roof by now (if it wasn't already blown away).http://img206.imageshack.us/img206/9484/im0020886ai.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

Anderson Cooper is on live on CNN right now in the middle of the storm.

[SWC Bonfire]

Parish is a french county

That's a much more likely explanation.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Buoy off the shore just east of NO logged 55 ft. wave.

http://www.buoyweather.com/wxnav.jsp?region=GC&program=nww3BW1&grb=wna&latitude=29.75&longitude=-89.25&zone=-5&units=e

Buoys at the mouth of the Mississippi logging 60 footers.

http://www.buoyweather.com/wxnav.jsp?region=GC&program=nww3BW1&grb=wna&latitude=29.5&longitude=-89.0&zone=-5&units=e

[2pac]

Bexar, Comal, etc - Counties
Jefferson, Orleans, etc - parishes

[SpursWoman]

.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

WWL-TV reporter inside the Superdome: outer layer of the roof is completely gone, National Guard desperately moving people up into the concourse/under the concrete overhang.

[Ginofan]

http://us.news3.yimg.com/us.i2.yimg.com/p/rids/20050829/i/r697857377.jpg
A New Orleans city police car with its rear window broken is abandoned in flood waters on Canal Street in downtown New Orleans August 29, 2005, in advance of Hurricane Katrina. Hurricane Katrina slammed into the Louisiana coast on Monday with 140 mile per hour (224 kph) winds as the powerful storm came ashore from the Gulf of Mexico and took aim at low-lying new Orleans. REUTERS/Rick Wilking

http://us.news3.yimg.com/us.i2.yimg.com/p/ap/20050829/capt.msjb10108291347.hurricane_katrina__msjb101.jp g
Waves crash against a boat washed onto Highway 90 as Hurricane Katrina hits the Gulf Coast Monday, Aug. 29, 2005 in Gulfport, Miss. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

http://us.news3.yimg.com/us.i2.yimg.com/p/ap/20050829/capt.msjb10208291355.hurricane_katrina__msjb102.jp g
Winds from Hurricane Katrina damage a building in Gulfport, Miss., Monday, Aug. 29, 2005 in Gulfport, Miss.. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

[2pac]

"If the Superdome roof was a pie, a slice the size of 1/12 has been taken out"

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Buoys south of Gulfport, MS logging over 60 foot waves. Crazy.

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

This CNN reporter in Biloxi, MS is angling for a bigger job.

[ObiwanGinobili]

What is a parish?


a parish is a county.
they just call they're county's parish's cause they are special.

[2pac]

7 Feet of water in East Jefferson Hospital

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=east+jefferson+hospital,+new+orleans&ll=29.956761,-90.074618&spn=0.017873,0.029680&num=10&start=0&hl=en

[Shelly]

Thanks for the parish explanations!

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Geez, winds have shifted out of the east (blowing west), water from Pontchartrain lapping at the top of the levees.

Things going from bad to worse.

[ObiwanGinobili]

on CNN... Gary Tuchman has a death wish. no job is worht that.

[Shelly]

Who's the dude on Fox? Every 5 seconds he's all, "Woah!"

I'd be all "Holy Shit! I'm getting the fuck out of here!"

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Kickin' link... 4 vid feeds (just use the mute to select which one you want to hear)

http://www.weatherserver.net/livevideo.htm

[2pac]

Shep Smith and Dan Rather both got famous by braving a hurricane.

[boutons]

parish is from "paroisse", from the French colonial period.
Just like a county, a parish is a local administrative unit, separate from municipal units.