History in the making?

[John D Harris]

Well for as long as I can remember of my 43+ years on this dustball, Katrina looks like the one they've been warning New Orleans about. Cat 5 Hurricains hit the northern Gulf Coast about ever 40 years or so. This puppy is going to make everything else look like childs play if she doen't weaken, Like Opal, Dennis, Ivan. 200 mile diameter Hurricain force winds, that a huge Hurricain, When Dennis hit earlier this year it was about 50 mile diameter HFW, IIRC Ivan was about 100 mile diameter HFW. We'll get Cat 1 winds in Tuscaloosa, Al 200+ miles inland when she passes by.

Satellite loop
http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/PS/TROP/DATA...-ir4-loop.html (long load Time if you got dailup)

[Ziroc]

Yep, after this storm, I have a bad feeling they will have to update maps, because LA.'s south landmass will be underwater forever.

This storm is scary . Stronger than Andrew too!
Hope all are safe.

[Thoran]

300,000 decided to stay in New Orleans... which is BELOW sea level. NOT a decision I would have made... the dikes that hold out the Gulf are 19 feet tall, storm surge is currently running 28 feet. I've run the numbers on my supercomputer and come to the conclusion that things are NOT going to go well for New Orleans.

I hope I'm wrong.

[ 08-29-2005, 10:50 AM: Message edited by: Thoran ]

[Morgeruat]

The Dikes were designed for a Cat 3 storm or less, things are definitely not going to be pleasant in what's left of New Orleans.

[Zebodog]

Listening to the news it sounds like many single story dwellings are already under water.

[John D Harris]

Well it seems to have gone east of the Big Easy, the Mississippi coast got the snot beat out of them. Tuscaloosa, Alabama has been getting 50+ sustained winds, gusts to near 70, for the last 5 hours. We're 150 miles inland, 50+ miles from center of circulation. We just got our power back on vs the people down south that will be without power for up to several more weeks. I've been through several Cat 1's(Direct hit and glancing blows), a couple of Cat 2's and a direct hit from a Cat3 (Opal) before I moved away from the coast. 150 miles makes a world of differance. Good thing she made landfall during her weaking phase. She sure was a pretty thing though perfectly symetrical, huge wind field. Just amazing power! One of my partners has a condo in Orange Beach Alabama, 100 or so miles from the center of circulation they got 85+ sustained winds 16-18 ft storm surge. Those people are still cleaning up from Ivan last year. My mother-in-law has a couple of limbs through her roof, my brother-in-law lost his warf, dock house and boat, when the surge came through Mobile Bay, they'll probibly find the boat somewhere washed up on the northern end of Mobile Bay, if it doesn't get washed back out to sea.

[Ziroc]

What worries me is that this storm is following the Mississippi all the way up, and most of the rain will go into the Mississippi river, and where does it all go? New Orleans and around that area.. The news isn't covering this second punch thats coming.

I wonder if the moved the Delta Queen up the Mississippi.. Anyone know?

[Thoran]

Good point Z, I'm travelling to Mid-Ohio later this week and they're predicting 2 inches of rain... it will be interesting to see how this works out, pretty much ALL the rain in the hurricane when she made landfall will be coming back down the mississippi. It isn't until she reaches my neck of the woods (Finger Lakes in NY) that the rainfall will be going in a different direction (either Great Lakes or Chesapeake Bay)

[Ziroc]

Yeah, in 1993, Louisville was flooded bad (river road, and the Belle of Louisville got major damage) but the city build huge 35ft flood walls around the actual downtown, and that saved it..

2 levees broke in New Orleans, and the downtown is flooding.

I kinda think its crazy to have a major city sitting below sea level on near the ocean.. its just a bad idea. I know it would cost near a trillion dollars, but rebuilding the city inland more would be cheaper in the long run, because this won't be the last storm to flood New Orleans.. and New Orleans is sinking anyway. I know that no one would do it--because of the history of the place and all, but man....

[ 08-30-2005, 10:08 AM: Message edited by: Ziroc ]

[Timber Loftis]

90% of the world's population lives along the coast, Z-man. Silly as that may sound, it's not exactly a problem that the world is capable of correcting.

Lou Dobbs on CNN was musing as to whether or not we'd see relief pour into the Souther U.S. red states to fix this problem in the way relief had poured into tsunami areas. I think we can surmise the answer to that. In the end, I suspect only Americans will come to their own rescue -- mostly emergency relief workers (like the Chicago EMTs who headed down yesterday) or religious groups (like all the churches that showed up to help rebuild Homestead after Andrew).