New Orleans under coastal flood watch

[RB TexLa]

New Orleans area under coastal flood watch; 50 percent chance of rain today
by The Times-Picayune
Monday August 04, 2008, 7:54 AM

A coastal flood watch is in effect until noon today in the New Orleans area and parts of Mississippi as Tropical Storm Edouard continues moving west across the northern Gulf of Mexico south of the Louisiana coast, according to the National Weather Service.

A tropical storm warning remains in effect for the west bank of Plaquemines Parish and areas west of coastal Terrebonne Parish, the weather service said.

Tides should be about one foot above normal this morning in the watch area and perhaps slightly higher along lower Plaquemines Parish, the weather service said.

Edouard could reach Hurricane strength as it approaches the upper Texas or southwest Louisiana coastline on Tuesday.

There is a 50 percent chance for isolated thunderstorms today and 20 percent tonight. Winds will be from the southeast at 15 to 20 miles per hour with gusts around 25 miles per hour today and 5 to 10 miles per hour at night.

The highs will be in the upper 80s and the lows tonight in the mid-70s.

Tuesday's forecast calls for a 40 percent chance for thunderstorms during the day and 20 percent at night.

The highs will be around 90, and lows in the mid-70s.

http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2008/08/new_orleans_area_under_coastal.html

http://www.srh.noaa.gov/lix/

[TechBear_Seattle]

1. How in the world does a tropical storm DEVELOP in the Gulf?

It's my understanding that they develop in the middle of the Atlantic, closer to the equator. How often in the past does one develop out of nothing in the Gulf, just off the coast of the US?

[KharmaTrain]

3. The Gulf Is Real Warm Water

I hope this storm doesn't even make a Cat 1 and the damage is minimal.

While many hurricane do form off the African Coast...getting its first "blast" from the hot air off the Sahara...and then picks up "steam" over warm ocean waters as it heads toward the Carribbean, the Gulf is a hotbed unto itself. Remember, Katrina and Rita hit Florida before it went onto NOLA...they were smaller storms and then really got cranking thanks to the warm weather in the Gulf. It can take a bad storm and make it a lot worse in a hurry...and from what it looks, the Gulf is all set for quite a season ahead.

[TechBear_Seattle]

4. But that's my point: storms form elsewhere, not in the Gulf itself

It was my understanding that the air and water in the Gulf are too turbulent for storms to form; generally, they can organize into self-sustaining patterns only in calmer conditions. From what I saw on the news this weekend, Eduardo formed in the Gulf and formed very quickly, which implies that either the water is MUCH hotter than normal or the conditions are much calmer, or both. In either case, I believe the situation is very unusual. I'm curious to find out if I'm wrong or if this is yet another piece of evidence towards global climate change.

[KharmaTrain]

5. This Definitely Is A "Warm" Year

The seeds of the storms were small ones a few days ago...tropical depressions and once it moved into the Gulf that's where it got cranking. That appeared to be the case with the storm that ripped into Brownsville as well. We haven't had a full blown storm that has reached the Gulf yet...so I guess we'll have to wait and see (on pins and needles for all my friends who could be in harms way). The last 2 years were relatively quiet years...not sure if it's cyclical or global warming. I'll wait to hear what the climotologists report...guess it's still too early.

And the asshats are gonna "shut down" the government until we let the oil companies drill more wells in those waters? Maybe a good storm could blow that hot air away.

Cheers...

[helderheid]

2. pic

[TechBear_Seattle]

6. Better pics

http://aviationweather.gov/obs/sat/intl/

The graphics are very big and change regularly. This site is the National Weather Service's Aviation Weather Center and has current weather sattelite images of the entire planet.

[helderheid]

7. Your pics are better than MY pics!

:cry:

:hi: