Stand by FL Panhandle...You're next

[pmreed]

According to the NWS, things aren't looking good for the FL panhandle west to LA. Latest predictions are for a possible Catagory 3 storm making landfall in the Pensacola area within 72 hours. Subject to change of course...ask Poodle about that one. Ya wanna evacuate, come on down. I'll make room for you and your Donzis. Forrest, maybe time to get your stuff off the ground floor again.

Phil

[Magicallbill]

Just got the latest from TWC...
Cat#4-145MPH winds--
A couple models take it to Cat#5 just before landfall around N.Orleans.
The Gulf is 85-90 drgrees..Perfect conditions.
Weight down anything you don't want airmailed to Atlanta...

[gcarter]

I borrowed this from the Drudge Report...pretty interesting!!
http://www.crownweather.com/katrinawind.gif

[Cuda]

If it hits New Orleans directly as a Cat 4 or 5, the damage will be horrific. We can only hope the forecasters are wrong, as they have been all along about this storm. They should quit wasting money trying to forecast these things, hell, I can guess as closely as they can. They should just say there is a hurricane out there, and be prepared.

[txtaz]

If anyone evacuating needs a place to stay, we are in San Antonio and have plenty of room.
Jim, If your brother in law needs help, let me know I owe him one for the help last year.
Wes
210-681-3557

[mattyboy]

god speed and all our prayers to all on the gulf coast

[Chili 18]

Hold Fast. But know when to run...

Ohh. See its cat5 now. Perhaps the time to be smart, not brave...

Good luck Y'all...

[mattyboy]

just watched the press conf with the mayor and gov. scary stuff
RUN, RUN NOW!!!


God Bless

[Lenny]

WOW :eek:
THE AIR FORCE HURRICANE HUNTERS JUST MEASURED A 166 KT FLIGHT LEVEL
WIND IN THE NORTHEAST EYEWALL...WHICH REQUIRES AN ADDITIONAL UPWARD
ADJUSTMENT OF THE CURRENT INTENSITY TO 150 KT. A DROP IN THE EYE
GAVE A CENTRAL PRESSURE OF 907 MB. KATRINA IS COMPARABLE IN
INTENSITY TO HURRICANE CAMILLE OF 1969...ONLY LARGER.

[Chili 18]

Beyond the potential for great cathostrophe... this wont help help gas prices any if offshore rigs are damaged or refineries and disrtibution disrupted. Those NY oil traders are just looking for an excuse to spike prices higher.

Hopefully it will stall out and reverse out to sea and all this speculation will have been for nothing. But it doesent seem thats very likely huh. Hope noone in its path is reading this now.

Cant imagine if New Orleans went six feet underwater like some say is possible. Phew...

[BUIZILLA]

NOLA is 6' under sea level at static tides.... with a 28' surge that puts the water level on the street at 34' above the street, or about halfway in the 4th floor of any building... anything less than 4 floors will be completely submerged. The surge up the Mississippi river wil be dramatic, but when the surge tops out and starts to recede, it may have tsunami style effects on the receding cycle as it rushes back into the gulf. I'm very concerned about the Lake Ponchatrain bridge. This one may make Andrew look like a rain event... as of 2pm, gusts are at 212 and climbing, sustained at 176.

[Magicallbill]

NOLA is 6' under sea level at static tides.... with a 28' surge that puts the water level on the street at 34' above the street, or about halfway in the 4th floor of any building... anything less than 4 floors will be completely submerged. The surge up the Mississippi river wil be dramatic, but when the surge tops out and starts to recede, it may have tsunami style effects on the receding cycle as it rushes back into the gulf. I'm very concerned about the Lake Ponchatrain bridge. This one may make Andrew look like a rain event... as of 2pm, gusts are at 212 and climbing, sustained at 176.

Buzilla..
TWC gave latest info as of 1:33PM--
902 Central Pressure,Sustained 180MPH Winds...
I can't even begin to imagine that.
It's still growing....That 85-plus water temp is rocket fuel for these things..

[txtaz]

I have never seen a pressure that low. Maybe we should start a fund drive for relief efforts.
Wes

[Lenny]

apparently heading into 90+ degree water shortly. :eek:

[Formula Jr]

This is not looking good. 11% of the US Supply of Oil just got turned off for a month or so. Looks like we're about to find out if the Superdome was built to spec.

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/refresh/graphics_at2+shtml/084619.shtml?5day

[Lenny]

Interesting to watch the wave heights again and tidal surge.

http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/station_page.php?station=42040

http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/radial_search.php?lat1=26.9N&lon1=89.0W&dist=250&time=3

[Formula Jr]

These three should be interesting to watch tonight.

Grand Island is in the predicted land fall.

http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/station_page.php?station=42001

http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/station_page.php?station=BURL1

http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/station_page.php?station=GDIL1

[Lenny]

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 160 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. KATRINA
IS A CATEGORY FIVE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. SOME
FLUCTUATIONS IN STRENGTH ARE LIKELY PRIOR TO LANDFALL...AND KATRINA
IS EXPECTED TO MAKE LANDFALL AT EITHER CATEGORY FOUR OR FIVE
INTENSITY. 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. A WIND GUST TO 90 MPH WAS
RECENTLY REPORTED FROM SOUTHWEST PASS LOUISIANA.

ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 904 MB...26.70 INCHES. AN
AIR FORCE RESERVE UNIT RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT WILL BE REACHING THE
CENTER OF KATRINA VERY SHORTLY.

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.



...unreal... :(