BREAKING; **************Gustav now a CAT 4

[1corona4u]

http://www.baynews9.com/content/36/2008/8/30/377542.html?title=Gustav+strengthens+into+a+Category+4+hurricane

This is going to be one bad hurricane.

[Lisa0825]

1. Expected to go back down to a Cat 3 by landfall. nt

[1corona4u]

4. Yes, but it will go back up once it enters the gulf, and open water.

[Lisa0825]

23. Actually I mean landfall in the US

Hurricanes generally do not stay at a 4 or 5 for that long. When they peak farther out, they usually drop a cat before hitting land. Rita did this. Rita hit a cat 5 but I believe hit shore a cat 4.

[maseman]

5. Yeah well CAT 4 will tear some of those oil platforms to shreds

Get out your wallet...gas is going to $5 per gallon.

[1corona4u]

9. I think I will fill up today.

[movonne]

18. Maybe more...we were almost at $5 before this hurricane...

[Renew Deal]

2. That was fast.

:wow: This has got Katrina written all over it.

[charlyvi]

3. Shit! n/t

[janx]

10. What you said...! n/t

[hasssan1]

6. I hope no one gets heart

[darius15]

7. When is it projected to hit New Orleans

Katrina was a CAT 3, right?

[maseman]

12. Katrina was a full Cat 5

[darius15]

14. Yeah, but it hit New Orleans as a Cat 3

[1corona4u]

16. No, it won't.

It will strengthen after it leaves Cuba. I wish you were right, but I doubt you are.

[maseman]

20. You know what you're correct

I had forgotten that. It was a Cat 5 hauling through the Gulf and then right before landfall the winds came down a little. It was the damn levees breaking that did more damage than anything.

[Lisa0825]

25. TRUE!

As I pointed out above, they usually can't sustain a cat 4 or 5 long, and often drop a category before going ashore. Regardless, a cat 3 is BAD NEWS, but I live on the coast, and am trying to remain logical rather than think the worst.

[shraby]

31. Katrina got hit by some dry air just before landfall

and it chopped off the west half of the storm..I was watching it on wunderground.com. The satellite goes down every night at about 11:30 to 12:30 or so and when it came back up, the storm had downgraded..but it still had the high water and high winds in it. It didn't have time to wind down before it hit NO area.

[yourguide]

22. It was borderline cat 4 when it hit NO

it just tipped below cat 4 when it made landfall.

[1corona4u]

21. About 10:00 PM, Monday night...

[darius15]

24. Thanks

I'll be praying for the people there and across the Gulf x(

[1corona4u]

28. Really. No matter what CAT it is.

We still have Hannah to worry about here in Florida too.

[yourguide]

8. I suspect this could go Cat 5 over the gulf.

The water is really warm and this system seems to be moving very slowly which will allow it to gain more steam...

[Lisa0825]

26. It will almost certainly be a cat 5 over the gulf.

That is all over all the predictions. Hopefully it will drop back down to a 3 before landing on the coast. *fingers crossed*

[yourguide]

30. They were only projecting it to go to Cat 4

Up until the news report I just heard. They just said the eye wall has solidified and they expect it to possibly hit cuba at Cat 5 strength.

[Lisa0825]

32. I get my info from sources that are usually much faster than the press.

www.storm2k.org - They are to weather what DU is to politics.

[yourguide]

35. Wow, thanks for that

So do the experts expect the same this time around? When Katrina hit Nola it had just gone under the cusp of Cat 4.

[1corona4u]

33. Sorry misread the post--here's the link

http://www.baynews9.com/content/36/2008/8/30/377542.html?title=Gustav+strengthens+into+a+Category+4+hurricane

[PM7nj]

11. Oh no...

I hope everyone on the coast can get to safety.

[Emit]

13. All my family have evacuated as of this am -- my mother called to tell me so

I have lots of family in NO -- they seek high ground as I type. I feel for my brother - 2 cats, a dog and several kids are with him and his wife.

[charlyvi]

15. Your family is smart. n/t

[bluestateguy]

17. So who will be watching the split screen GOP convention and hurricane on TV?

nt

[darius15]

27. Screw the GOP Convention!

I'll be watching this!

[HereSince1628]

19. Lets hope Gustav hits the cold water eddy to the north of Cuba AND that it runs into

high shear forces that take it down a couple notches before it makes a US landfall...

[Lisa0825]

29. You sound pretty knowledgable!

I have the same hopes. I am on the coast myself, just north of Galveston, within "the cone." I am watching this very closely.

[eShirl]

34. kick

[Born_A_Truman]

36. FEMA PC on MSNBC now--he just said Cat5 will hit Cuba

Graphic says Cat4 but he said 5.