**Official thread: Hurricane Katrina**

It's not just the refineries and platforms. They also said on Fox that most of the ports that can take the big oil tankers are down in that area..

(Note - I am not trying to glorifying Fox by quoting just them. It is just the only way I get local US news here in the UK! They are on the Sky satellite system here. CNN is useless for local US stuff as they have CNN International on the satellite here.).

 

The director also mentioned that there may be alligators swimming around the city in the event of high enough flood waters.



Someone should inform PETA, you can't issue a lawsuit on a force of nature, just in case.

 

u know does the south ever get a break from hurricanes? when I used to live in Florida we never had any hurricanes now it's like all of a sudden there are just tons of them hitting that whole area!!

Two words: Global Warming. Actually, it doesn't have to do with the number of hurricanes, but it is increasing the intensity of hurricanes. It was reported on Yahoo! a month or so ago.

 

Two words: Global Warming. Actually, it doesn't have to do with the number of hurricanes, but it is increasing the intensity of hurricanes. It was reported on Yahoo! a month or so ago.

Somewhat. It could just be a natural cycle the earth goes through though, so honestly we cannot completely say...

 

I am lucky I escaped the hurricane. I was vacationing in the Bahamas when it was a tropical storm and I was lucky that my plane ride wasn't delayed. I think my family just missed it.

 

I'm a keen weather observer and I have been keeping an eye on this hurricane for some time. This has the potential to be the most catastrophic weather event in modern times. The potential for loss of life is grave, and with sustained winds of 180mph and gusts of 200mph+ storm surges are inveitable - With New Orelans lying below sea level there will be severe and extensive flooding, and with such sustained winds mass destruction of buildings is certain. Anybdy in that area should get out now and find safety. This is gravest situation for that city.

 

Somewhat. It could just be a natural cycle the earth goes through though, so honestly we cannot completely say...

Global Warming is undisputed fact now - Even George Bush has accepted it. Really, with the wealth of evidence out there, you cannot argue with it anymore. Its happening and it will almost certainly get worse.

 

My mother has Fox News on and Shepard Smith is on Bourbon Street where people are still partying. He went up to one guy who was out on the street and asked him why he was still there when a C5 storm was approaching and the guy said:

"None of your ****ing business"

The F-bomb got through on TV!

But seriously, a bunch of drunk people facing a serious storm makes for a bunch of dead people very soon.

 

I heard that too.

It's too bad some people just aren't worried. I don't think they can fathom what's coming.

 

Heres the latest warning from the New Orelans Weather Service. Makes for chilling reading:

490
WWUS74 KLIX 281550
NPWLIX

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW ORLEANS LA
1011 AM CDT SUN AUG 28 2005

..DEVASTATING DAMAGE EXPECTED


HURRICANE KATRINA
A MOST POWERFUL HURRICANE WITH UNPRECEDENTED
STRENGTH...RIVALING THE INTENSITY OF HURRICANE CAMILLE OF 1969.

MOST OF THE AREA WILL BE UNINHABITABLE FOR WEEKS...PERHAPS LONGER. AT
LEAST ONE HALF OF WELL CONSTRUCTED HOMES WILL HAVE ROOF AND WALL
FAILURE. ALL GABLED ROOFS WILL FAIL...LEAVING THOSE HOMES SEVERELY
DAMAGED OR DESTROYED.

THE MAJORITY OF INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS WILL BECOME NON FUNCTIONAL.
PARTIAL TO COMPLETE WALL AND ROOF FAILURE IS EXPECTED. ALL WOOD
FRAMED LOW RISING APARTMENT BUILDINGS WILL BE DESTROYED. CONCRETE
BLOCK LOW RISE APARTMENTS WILL SUSTAIN MAJOR DAMAGE...INCLUDING SOME
WALL AND ROOF FAILURE.

HIGH RISE OFFICE AND APARTMENT BUILDINGS WILL SWAY DANGEROUSLY...A
FEW TO THE POINT OF TOTAL COLLAPSE. ALL WINDOWS WILL BLOW OUT.

AIRBORNE DEBRIS WILL BE WIDESPREAD...AND MAY INCLUDE HEAVY ITEMS SUCH
AS HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCES AND EVEN LIGHT VEHICLES. SPORT UTILITY
VEHICLES AND LIGHT TRUCKS WILL BE MOVED. THE BLOWN DEBRIS WILL CREATE
ADDITIONAL DESTRUCTION. PERSONS...PETS...AND LIVESTOCK EXPOSED TO THE
WINDS WILL FACE CERTAIN DEATH IF STRUCK.

POWER OUTAGES WILL LAST FOR WEEKS...AS MOST POWER POLES WILL BE DOWN
AND TRANSFORMERS DESTROYED. WATER SHORTAGES WILL MAKE HUMAN SUFFERING
INCREDIBLE BY MODERN STANDARDS.

THE VAST MAJORITY OF NATIVE TREES WILL BE SNAPPED OR UPROOTED. ONLY
THE HEARTIEST WILL REMAIN STANDING...BUT BE TOTALLY DEFOLIATED. FEW
CROPS WILL REMAIN. LIVESTOCK LEFT EXPOSED TO THE WINDS WILL BE
KILLED.

AN INLAND HURRICANE WIND WARNING IS ISSUED WHEN SUSTAINED WINDS NEAR
HURRICANE FORCE...OR FREQUENT GUSTS AT OR ABOVE HURRICANE FORCE...ARE
CERTAIN WITHIN THE NEXT 12 TO 24 HOURS.

ONCE TROPICAL STORM AND HURRICANE FORCE WINDS ONSET...DO NOT VENTURE
OUTSIDE!

MSZ080>082-282100-
HANCOCK-HARRISON-JACKSON-
1011 AM CDT SUN AUG 28 2005

 

Global Warming is undisputed fact now - Even George Bush has accepted it. Really, with the wealth of evidence out there, you cannot argue with it anymore. Its happening and it will almost certainly get worse.

It is happening, but we don't know WHY...no doubt we do not help matters, but it could just be apart of a natural cycle the Earth goes through, you cannot definitively say.

There has been a study that traces the correlation of sun spot activity on the sun to the rise in the earth's temperature...which is interesting. I am not sure that is THE cause, but one of the many factors...

And who cares what GWB says?

 

So FOX News is on. Shep Smith is in New Orleans, reporting via phone. He's out on the street, where people are partying like crazy. He asks some guy what he's going to do when the storm comes through and he says "None of your ******* business," live on national TV.

Honestly, I had a hunch that would happen as soon as I heard him interviewing people on the street. I'm really surprised no one at the network had their finger ready on the dump button.


EDIT: Dark_Lady_Jada beat me to it.

 

My mother has Fox News on and Shepard Smith is on Bourbon Street where people are still partying. He went up to one guy who was out on the street and asked him why he was still there when a C5 storm was approaching and the guy said:

"None of your ****ing business"

 

Latest Advisory...

000
WTNT32 KNHC 282041
TCPAT2
BULLETIN
HURRICANE KATRINA ADVISORY NUMBER 24
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
4 PM CDT SUN AUG 28 2005

...POTENTIALLY CATASTROPHIC HURRICANE KATRINA HEADED FOR THE
NORTHERN GULF COAST...

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 PM CDT...2100Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE KATRINA WAS LOCATED
NEAR LATITUDE 26.9 NORTH... LONGITUDE 89.0 WEST OR ABOUT 150 MILES
SOUTH OF THE MOUTH OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER.

KATRINA IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 13 MPH...AND A GRADUAL
TURN TO THE NORTH IS EXPECTED OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS. ON THIS
TRACK THE CENTER OF THE HURRICANE WILL BE NEAR THE NORTHERN GULF
COAST EARLY MONDAY. HOWEVER...CONDITIONS ARE ALREADY BEGINNING TO
DETERIORATE ALONG PORTIONS OF THE CENTRAL AND NORTHEASTERN GULF
COAST...AND WILL CONTINUE TO WORSEN THROUGH THE NIGHT.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 165 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS.
KATRINA IS A POTENTIALLY CATASTROPHIC CATEGORY FIVE HURRICANE ON
THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. SOME FLUCTUATIONS IN STRENGTH ARE LIKELY
UNTIL LANDFALL. KATRINA IS EXPECTED TO MAKE LANDFALL AT CATEGORY
FOUR OR FIVE INTENSITY. WINDS AFFECTING THE UPPER FLOORS OF
HIGH-RISE BUILDINGS WILL BE SIGNIFICANTLY STRONGER THAN THOSE NEAR
GROUND LEVEL.

KATRINA IS A 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. SUSTAINED TROPICAL STORM FORCE
WINDS ARE OCCURRING OVER THE SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA COAST. SOUTHWEST
PASS...NEAR THE MOUTH OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER...RECENTLY REPORTED
SUSTAINED WINDS OF 48 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 53 MPH.

A NOAA HURRICANE HUNTER PLANE REPORTED A MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE OF
902 MB...26.64 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.

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.

ISOLATED TORNADOES WILL BE POSSIBLE BEGINNING THIS EVENING OVER
SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF LOUISIANA...MISSISSIPPI...AND ALABAMA...AND
OVER THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE.

REPEATING THE 4 PM CDT POSITION...26.9 N... 89.0 W. MOVEMENT
TOWARD...NORTHWEST NEAR 13 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...165 MPH.
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 902 MB.

AN INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE
CENTER AT 7 PM CDT FOLLOWED BY THE NEXT COMPLETE ADVISORY AT 10 PM
CDT.

FORECASTER PASCH

$$

It has dropped 10 mph in sustained winds, but its pressure, unfortunately, is still dropping.

 

darth_solo, I'm not going to hijack this thread with an AGW discussion. If you don't believe that fossil fuels are causing Warming then fair enough. There is a wealth of evidence to say that it is, but at this time, with a city the size of New Orelans facing a catastrophe like this, it hardly matters whether AGW is happening or not.

 

It's cool G-FETT..

Why the hell did the NHC lower the intensity? The pressure is still at 902mb and is continuing to drop...

They tend to be really conservative, but...eh. I don't know.

902 mb can sustain 190mph winds. Maybe they don't have the concrete data to say definitively.

 

It's good news that they have lowered the wind speeds slightly, lets hope this is the start of a trend to downgrade the speeds further, though with such a low pressure reading I seriously doubt it.

 

The only thing that can possibly weaken this storm right now is an Eye Wall Replacement Cycle...

The problem is, it is not showing any signs of gonig through one at the present. Of course this could change, but its not looking good right now.

 

I've just been told by someone who works in the UK weather service that the reason is the winds have dropped slightly is because the wind field has increased again. Hurricane force winds now extend 105 miles from the centre.

Katrina is still growing!

 

Grrr... kicks board

Stupid thing wont let me post


Edit: There... apparently I had too much markup it didnt like.

G-FETT posted on 8/28/05 2:01pm

---

darth_solo, I'm not going to hijack this thread with a AGW discussion. If you don't believe that fossil fuels are causing Warming then fair enough. There is a wealth of evidence to say that it is, but at this time, with a city the size of New Orelans facing a catastrophe like this, it hardly matters whether AGW is happening or not. [hr][/blockquote]

I doubt it is [i]causing[/i] Global Warming but more likely [i]helping[/i] a natural cycle along. We are still in an ice age, you know. 10,000 years ago was the beginning of the end of the glacerial period and beginning of the interglacierial period where the earth starts to really warm up. Just adding that interesting tidbit to satisfy you both. [face_wink]

Anyway... I really wonder if the Super Dome is really a safe place to be in New Orleans. Is it located in the higher area of New Orleans and how structurely strong is the building against hurricane force winds and gusts of the magnitude that Katrina is producing?

 

I knew it was growing, but that is interesting I didn't know that! That is very interesting. Thanks for that!

I the damage will be widespread, and most likely will be the worst storm to ever hit the US.

 

From what I have heard today on various news channels about the Superdome:

It was built only to withstand against a level 2 hurricane and has never been tested.

 

I'm not sure if it will stand up to this - I certainly wouldn't want to be there right now to test it out.

 

Edit: Moving to next page.