Hurricane Katrina Thread: Any LA Gaffers?

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Right to anyone near this thing, get the fuck out of its way. This is a true nightmare storm. Take the worst hurricane you have experienced and make it a lot worse and that katrina. This is VERY VERY bad, I was right about it hitting cat 5 and it looks like it will hot sub 900 pressure making it possible the most powerful hurricane ever measured.
 
I'm in Baton Rouge. I've pretty much stopped caring about hurricanes cause we haven't had a real hit here in over 10 years, but this one looks like it might nail us.

What level is the Mississippi at this time of year?
Actually, at the moment, the Mississippi is at an almost historic low according to The Weather Channel, so that's a nice coincidence. They're more worried about storm surge from Lake Ponchatrain at this point.
 
Dude You need to get to safety right now. Or make sure your well prepaired. This storm is your worst nightmare. This is Like Camille was and that was horrific. This has the chance to be ever worse.
 
You don't measure hurricane strength by how it looks on the sattelite. What matters are the maximum sustained wind speeds at the middle for categorization, and then air pressure for general hurricane strength(and at 935mb they are not bullshitting) Everything else is secondary.

You are absolutely right, we do measure strength of storms via wind speed and pressure. However, the dvorak technique outlined here demonstrates an explicit way to test a storms strength via satellite and one that has had some success. When I originally made that post, Katrina's eye wall was ragged and so was her convection. It didn't support that jump in winds quite yet on satellite. I was saying that it was possible for the National Hurricane Center to make an anticipatory adjustment to Katrina's winds in order to demonstrate its power. I wouldn't necessarily put it past the politics of centers like that.

All that said, Katrina is now a monster Cat 5 with 160 winds. It is rare for a hurricane to maintain that strength for long, so New Orleans or wherever it hits might luck out (especially since there may be indications that convection is decreasing on satellite). However, it looks perfect on visible satellite and even may have had a double eye wall for a time. As a precaution, many many people should be evacuating ahead of this beast.
 
Unbelievable, I'm supposed to move right to the "Tue." dot on Scalemail Ted's chart on Tuesday next week. That problem pales in comparison to coastal residents in the path of this monster though.

The utility of having a port at the mouth of the Mississippi outweighs the risk of hurricanes. And there is no "bumpkinville" along the coast of Mississippi. It's valuable, developed real estate surrounded by population centers employed at the casinos, restaurants, and resorts along the coast. Not as many as in New Orleans, but it's not Mayberry.
 
There's still on this forum in New Orleans?! Get the fuck out of there! Are you crazy?
 
There's still on this forum in New Orleans?! Get the fuck out of there! Are you crazy?


You don't know how right you are. The thing that a lot of people forget about hurricanes is that when a weather service reports a wind of 160 MPH, that is a SUSTAINED wind. That differs from a gust in that a sustained wind blows at that speed for up to 60 seconds at a time, as opposed to a gust which happens in something more of an instant. It sounds like a small difference, but when you experience it, it is like a whole other world. The atmosphere around you is completely ominous and you quickly exit your comfort zone because nothing seems constant. With a storm this strong, such a change could bring panic...and panic is the last thing one wants to do in the face of this monster.
 
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This thing has exploded in the last 24-36 hours, and the well-defined eye is really not a good sign either. To anyone in it's path, stay safe!
 
I am shocked. While the Central Dense Overcast appears to be decreasing on satellite, the hurricane is still strengthening. 175 MPH now. That is...UNHEARD OF as a landfall in modern times. People need to leave.
 
I just talked to most of my folks and they are all either out of the city or finishing boarding up to leave the city. This storm is going to be very nasty given its proximity to New Orleans whether or not the eye comes over it or not - there is no longer any question that anyone who can get out, should be out. Category 5 + 175mph winds + New Orleans/Gulf Coast do not mix. There are entire ships on the gulf coast that are several miles inland from hurricanes like this. The area of Louisiana where it is expected to his is low so you won't get the same effect as when it comes ashore in Florida, it will be much more severe in all the low areas.

The biggest concern is that people saw it YESTERDAY as a Category 3, and you can ride out a category 3. Today its a steadily increasing category 5, but its also not a long time from landfall so many of the people who might want to still get out are stuck because you just cannot get out... at least not quickly.

If you can get out and can make your way to Atlanta but need somewhere to stay, send me a PM - I'll put you up. But don't try ride this one out.
 
I'm watching CNN and there's showing live pics of interstates/highways. They are bumper to bumper...

But what I don't understand is that the other side is pratically empty. They should open the other side for out only. Perhaps leave one lane for the original direction.
 
teh_pwn said:
I'm watching CNN and there's showing live pics of interstates/highways. They are bumper to bumper...

But what I don't understand is that the other side is pratically empty. They should open the other side for out only. Perhaps leave one lane for the original direction.

That will be changing shortly. Now that the evacuation of the city is mandatory, only outbound traffic will be allowed. It just takes time to set up the detours down in MS and such.
 
Hurricane Katrina is officially a category five hurricane with winds hitting 175 mph.

It you are in L.A., word is to head north or west.

I have an ominous feeling about tonight, but I will keep the people of L.A. in my prayers.
 
teiresias said:
Oh, how nice, a little propoganda for the President and administration to go with the evacuation order.

Louisiana is going to need an assload of federal funds once this storm is over, so best to pucker up and start kissing now :)
 
Lonestar said:
just saw where Katrina's down to 903mb, is that possible?!?
Hurricane Camille hit very close to the projected path of Katrina at 901mb with winds sustained at 190mph. It's eerily similar.
 
MIMIC said:
I just turned on the TV.

175 sustained winds.

If you plan to "ride this out," you're a fool.


You're absolutely right.
It's a category 5 now. Any LA GAFers with no place to go can come stay with me in Houston. I'm not even kidding about that.

Is this the strongest storm of the season?


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holyshit
 
Anyone have any predictions on what the storm surge is supposed to be? My guess based on how shallow the water is is around 20ft high breaking waves along the coast.
 
olimario said:
Is this the strongest storm of the season?

Measured by it's central pressure readings, this is the 2nd strongest hurricane in U.S. history (only a little weaker than the 1935 Florida Keys hurricane).
 
Not only is it nearly record breaking in strength, but it's likely going to hit one of the most vulnerable places.
 
teh_pwn said:
Not only is it nearly record breaking in strength, but it's likely going to hit one of the most vulnerable places.


No kidding. "Hey! Let's build us a city below sea level! Where a hurricane can potentially hit!"
 
teh_pwn said:
Not only is it nearly record breaking in strength, but it's likely going to hit one of the most vulnerable places.

As far as hurricanes go, hitting NO is the most vulnerable place. They mentioned earlier that it'd be like a strong earthquake happening San Francisco.
 
olimario said:
No kidding. "Hey! Let's build us a city below sea level! Where a hurricane can potentially hit!"

Seemed like a good idea in the 1700s when the city was founded and people didn't know jack about hurricanes :D
 
Measured by it's central pressure readings, this is the 2nd strongest hurricane in U.S. history (only a little weaker than the 1935 Florida Keys hurricane).

Do you know offhand what type of catastrophic effects that hurricane caused? Can we expect the same type of effects this time? Elevation differences play a role in this right?

News coverage is not giving perspective on this hurricane from what I am watching.
 
My GAWD! I've been interested in hurricanes since Gilbert in 1988.

Gilbert was a Cat 5 but only in the carribean and when it hit mexico.


this Katrina is already approaching Gilbert in windspeed and pressure. but unlike Gilbert this one might actually hit New Orleans as a Cat 5..... it could be worse than Camile in '69.

hopefully Katrina will act like Hurricane Opal of 1995,.... Opal was a Cat 5 but then quickly weakened to Cat 3 as it hit the U.S...

I'm in shock because Catrina was a mere tropical storm over the bahamas.. usually these things form into hurricanes alot farther south and further out in the Atlantic.
 
Shawnwhann said:
Do you know offhand what type of catastrophic effects that hurricane caused? Can we expect the same type of effects this time? Elevation differences play a role in this right?

News coverage is not giving perspective on this hurricane from what I am watching.

From Weather.com:

The Florida Keys Hurricane Of 1935
The 1935 Florida Keys Hurricane was the strongest hurricane to hit the United States coastline this century.

The 1935 Storm became a tropical storm on August 29th just to the north of Hispaniola. It tracked westward during the next four days and reached hurricane status north of Cuba on September 1st. It then intensified very rapidly and turned more northward toward the Florida Keys.

The storm struck with great ferocity, especially in the middle Keys. The eye of the hurricane passed over the middle Keys on September 3. Wind gusts were estimated at an incredible 150 to 200 miles per hour on some of the Keys. Many railroad workers, mostly World War I veterans, lost their lives trying to evacuate as their railroad cars were swept off their tracks by the storm surge. The death toll exceeded 400.

The Florida Keys hurricane was a Category 5 on the Saffir-Simpson Scale, one of two hurricanes this century to reach the United States at that intensity. The other was Hurricane Camille in 1969.

After passing the Keys, the hurricane weakened and made landfall north of Cedar Key, Florida late on September 4th. The storm weakened to tropical storm strength as it reached Georgia. It became a hurricane again after if passed back out over the North Atlantic Ocean near Norfolk, Virginia.
 
Hmmm...

Wikipedia is saying that the Florida Keys Hurricane (a.k.a. The Labor Day Hurricane of 1935) had max sustained winds of 160 mph.

Guess Katrina is the strongest hurricane on record, measured by wind speeds.

EDIT: N/M Camille had winds of 190 mph; and Gilbert had 195.

I totally forgot about those :lol
 
907mb according to the latest on weather channel, pressure still dropping, and the cane is still strengthening. Its definitely Camille in power at this point.
 
xexex said:
My GAWD! I've been interested in hurricanes since Gilbert in 1988.

Gilbert was a Cat 5 but only in the carribean and when it hit mexico.


this Katrina is already approaching Gilbert in windspeed and pressure. but unlike Gilbert this one might actually hit New Orleans as a Cat 5..... it could be worse than Camile in '69.

hopefully Katrina will act like Hurricane Opal of 1995,.... Opal was a Cat 5 but then quickly weakened to Cat 3 as it hit the U.S...

I'm in shock because Catrina was a mere tropical storm over the bahamas.. usually these things form into hurricanes alot farther south and further out in the Atlantic.
Heh, I actually got caught in Opal. I was on a trip in Houston and was supposed to go deep-sea fishing. :|

The mayor of NO is expecting it will take over 2 weeks to pump the water out. He also said NO produces ~25% of domestic oil, and that he expects prices to significantly rise (>$1.00) in the next week if the city remains shutdown.
 
This is absolutely retarded. I'm in central Florida, and juts narrowly avoided the bands of Katrina. My god, it was just this past FRIDAY where I saw the hurricane at barely Cat 1 strength. Isn't a rapid growth like this unprecented in Atlantic hurricane history?
 
This is absolutely retarded. I'm in central Florida, and juts narrowly avoided the bands of Katrina. My god, it was just this past FRIDAY where I saw the hurricane at barely Cat 1 strength. Isn't a rapid growth like this unprecented in Atlantic hurricane history?


No. I believe Hurricane Mitch in 1998 went from a 100 mph hurricane to a 180 mph hurricane in 36 hours. I'm not sure on my facts though. Mitch is the only monster to which this hurricane can be compared.

I still don't understand how that hurricane is spitting 175 mph winds. Maybe the circulation is really tight, but its convection (thunderstorms) just don't support that speed.
 
This is unbelievably scary.. I just hope there's something left of New Orleans after this. I watched a special on TLC a few years back that said a low-end cat 4 hurricane would pretty much devastate the city (by flooding). :/
 
I'm in Baton Rouge, but most of my family is in New Orleans. My grandfather and uncle evacuated yesterday and are staying with me. My parents were going to ride it out, but when that thing exploded this morning, they got out of town.
 
I still don't understand how that hurricane is spitting 175 mph winds. Maybe the circulation is really tight, but its convection (thunderstorms) just don't support that speed.
More like the data doesn't support your method. :P
 
Amazing--I have family in Florida, and when a hurricane comes near them they usually call me to mention it. Katrina didn't even merit a phone call from my parents, and now it's turned into a Category 5.

I loved the city of New Orleans during the week I spent there a few years ago--the people and the culture make it one of my favorite cities in America. My prayers are with anyone who's in the path of this storm.
 
xexex said:
My GAWD! I've been interested in hurricanes since Gilbert in 1988.

Gilbert was a Cat 5 but only in the carribean and when it hit mexico.
Gilbert hit my city in 1988, we couldn't get out on time because we live a few hundred kilometers from the coast, but the storm was so big that it caught us, it was the worst day in my life.
 
Well the people in the city aren't SOL. The New Orleans Superdome is one of the country's largest shelters and the city will set up pick-up points for people who don't have cars but are still within harms way. The superdome is a tough structure and can accomodate a large number of people, so even in the worst case scenario - any stragglers or those who just couldn't get out will at least be in a safe place.
 
A little bit of good news. This was on WWLTV Channel 4.

A low pressure disturance/ripple whatever has been detected over the South Eastern (NO/Lake Ponchatrain) area of Louisiana. The storm made a nudge to the East, so all we can do is pray that the low pressure ripple keeps on steering the eye of the storm away from the NO area. We would still get blasted, but avoiding a direct hit only helps....
 
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