Katrina "All Time Record Storm"

[benburch]

AUGUST 28 - 2:05 PM CDT - SPECIAL STORM UPDATE #3

CATASTROPHIC HURRICANE APPROACHING NEW ORLEANS REGION

ALL TIME RECORD LOW PRESSURE - 902MB

LANDFALL IN THE MORNING -- 7AM ON THE DELTA / 11AM NEW ORLEANS-GULFPORT)

CURRENT POSITION / NOTEWORTHY REPORTS PAST HOUR
KATRINA LOCATED 26.4N / 88.7W or 240 miles SSE of Gulfport, MS. - 245 miles SSE of downtown New Orleans
180 SSE of Port Eads at the southern tip of the Mississippi Delta
Katrina is heading just Northwest at 12Kts (13 MPH) over the past 6 hours

RECON Reports:

Pressure 902mb (ALL TIME RECORD FOR REGION)
MAX FLT LVL wind 160KTS (NE Quadrant) - SUSTAINED SURFACE WINDS 175MPH - GUSTS TO 200MPH.
EYEWALL DIAMETER IS 25NM (NO SIGN OF ANY EYE WALL RE-CYCLING)

Hurricane force Winds extend out 105 miles from the center and Storm force winds over 200 miles to the
NE of the center

BUOY REPORTS

42001 180NM South of Southwest Pass, LA Winds N 43Kts Gust 52Kts / 20 foot sea swells
42007 - 22NM SSE of Biloxi, MS Winds E 27Kts Gust 31Kts / 12 foot sea swells
42039 (115NM ESE Pensacola) Winds E 27Kts Gust 41Kts / 21 foot sea swells
GDIL1 (Grand Isle, LA) Winds NNE 22Kt Gust 28
42040 (64NM South of Dauphin Island) Winds ENE 32Kts Gust 39Kts / 21 foot sea

Katrina continues to intensify -- and the eye remains stable at 25NM across - with no hint of an eyewall re-cycling.

Though the RECON so far only found 160KTS at flight level, the pressure heights continue to fall, along with the
surface pressure. The aircraft has only first arrived at the storm in the past hour - there is little doub in my mind they
will find 170Kts soon, or 185MPH sustained surface winds, and gusts OVER 200mph.

I will be doing an analysis of the global model wind shear forecasts to see if there is still the possibility for some
shears to develope on the north side of the storm later tonight before landfall.

However -- given the immense size and intensity of this all-time record storm -- there may be 'no stopping' this
storm -- as Super Storms, like Katrina, tend to create their very own environment -- and can 'deflect' small outside
influences - such light wind shear, or areas of dry air. (like we saw over the past 2 days)

I'll have a nother brief update around 5 PM CDT.

To those living in the area being impacted by this storm - my personal prayers are with you.

Steve


http://www.wunderground.com/blog/SteveGregory/show.html

[Roland99]

1. Gilbert was like 890-something and a storm in 1932 was 882mb

[benburch]

2. But nowhere near this large. nt

[Pithy Cherub]

3. Katrina has yet to hit the warmest water near the coast

which will just make it spin faster and gather more power. That is the worst case. Keep praying and hoping Katrina, like Dennis, will lose some power.