Hurricane Gustav Could Become a Giant (looking at Cat 4/5)

[LynneSin]

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/capitalweathergang/2008/08/gustav_could_become_a_giant.htmlG

Gustav Could Become a Giant
Gustav officially became a hurricane early this morning, and its eye made landfall on the southwest peninsula of Haiti shortly after 1 p.m. At 2 p.m., Gustav was a Category 1 storm with maximum sustained winds near 90 mph. Hype about this storm is already buzzing around the blogosphere...

The Weather Nerd blog writes: "Gustav could be the season's first real 'blockbuster' storm."

SeaBlogger cautions: "Expect a cat 4 or 5 cyclone to be making headlines in a few days, if Gustav's core stays over open water south of Cuba."

Even the more conservative National Hurricane Center warned this morning: "Most indications are that Gustav will be an extremely dangerous hurricane in the northwestern Caribbean sea in a few days."

It's likely Gustav will take a hit as it crosses the rugged terrain of Haiti. Meteorologist Jeff Master's at wunderground forecasts: "Expect at least a 25 mph decrease in Gustav's winds by Wednesday, after it encounters Haiti."

When Gustav re-emerges in the very warm waters of the northwest Caribbean, intensification may be rapid. This assumes Gustav remains south of Cuba and over open water. Interaction with land will limit Gustav's intensity.

Computer models suggest Gustav should track towards the Yucatan Peninsula and Gulf of Mexico five days from now. Beyond that, the forecast is less clear. But Gustav certainly has the potential to be a serious threat to Mexico and/or the United States in the next week to 10 days.

Here's the 5 day forecast which puts this thing on course towards some major metro areas:

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/storm_graphics/AT07/refresh/AL0708W5_sm2+gif/144112W_sm.gif

[tannybogus]

1. This is not good.

It will be over very warm water for a while.
I don't like this one bit.:hide:

[kansasblue]

13. and the water is warmer.

due to climate change

[calimary]

2. Oh my... bearing down on Sunday night and Monday morning for landfall maybe?

As the republi-CON CONvention starts. Gee - newsies - gonna have to share that GOP airtime with a BIG BAD STORM.

[phantom power]

3. Wanna see something?

We have a warm-core ring in the Gulf. Which is the same kind of formation that Katrina wandered over and gave it the energy to turn into a cat-5 overnight.

[LynneSin]

4. Shit, I want to say "I hope this doesn't hit the states" but it's gonna hit somewhere

and it's gonna hurt. Let's just hope it misses New Orleans.

[phantom power]

5. We can hope for high wind shear and/or dry air.

Either of those would take some starch out of it. If we have low windshear and humid air, it's gonna be a bruiser.

[valerief]

6. I'm sure FEMA is sending supplies to sit in Kansas now. Bush has his

thumb up his keister. Blackwater is gearing up to "restrain and detain." Condi is front of a mirror practicing, "Who could have predicted this?"

[LynneSin]

7. And Mother Bush will remind us all that life in the Astrodome is a step-up from what they had

:grr:

[valerief]

8. Ah, Mother Babs. I can just see the parades when she passes on.

The "Ding Dong the Witch is Dead" parades.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

9. Very creepy.

SE Fla is out of the "cone of death" now, but I'm scared for anyone who is still in it.

Hope against hope it either fizzles out or somehow hits a sparsely populated area.

[Bigleaf]

10. Fuck, talk about timing. Remember this?

McCains birthday is on August 29th. Any chance we see this replayed as people are dying from a catastrophic hurricane?

[uppityperson]

11. k&r. hoping it settles down. nt

[Uncle Joe]

12. Thanks for the update, LynneSin

Kicked and recommended.

[MountainLaurel]

14. Louisiana is on alert

NOLA.com

My department head brought it up in a meeting this afternoon and told everyone to go get gas this afternoon before prices went up.