If You Read This - You're hair stands up

[WaltonUndercurrent]

Urgent Weather Message for Orleans, LA
Top of pageTable of contents for Orleans, LA
WWUS74 KLIX 281550
NPWLIX
URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW ORLEANS LA
1011 AM CDT SUN AUG 28 2005


DEVASTATING DAMAGE EXPECTED

HURRICANE KATRINA
A MOST POWERFUL HURRICANE WITH UNPRECEDENTED
STRENGTH...RIVALING THE INTENSITY OF HURRICANE CAMILLE OF 1969.

MOST OF THE AREA WILL BE UNINHABITABLE FOR WEEKS...PERHAPS LONGER. AT
LEAST ONE HALF OF WELL CONSTRUCTED HOMES WILL HAVE ROOF AND WALL
FAILURE. ALL GABLED ROOFS WILL FAIL...LEAVING THOSE HOMES SEVERELY
DAMAGED OR DESTROYED.

THE MAJORITY OF INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS WILL BECOME NON FUNCTIONAL.
PARTIAL TO COMPLETE WALL AND ROOF FAILURE IS EXPECTED. ALL WOOD
FRAMED LOW RISING APARTMENT BUILDINGS WILL BE DESTROYED. CONCRETE
BLOCK LOW RISE APARTMENTS WILL SUSTAIN MAJOR DAMAGE...INCLUDING SOME
WALL AND ROOF FAILURE.

HIGH RISE OFFICE AND APARTMENT BUILDINGS WILL SWAY DANGEROUSLY...A
FEW TO THE POINT OF TOTAL COLLAPSE. ALL WINDOWS WILL BLOW OUT.

AIRBORNE DEBRIS WILL BE WIDESPREAD...AND MAY INCLUDE HEAVY ITEMS SUCH
AS HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCES AND EVEN LIGHT VEHICLES. SPORT UTILITY
VEHICLES AND LIGHT TRUCKS WILL BE MOVED. THE BLOWN DEBRIS WILL CREATE
ADDITIONAL DESTRUCTION. PERSONS...PETS...AND LIVESTOCK EXPOSED TO THE
WINDS WILL FACE CERTAIN DEATH IF STRUCK.

POWER OUTAGES WILL LAST FOR WEEKS...AS MOST POWER POLES WILL BE DOWN
AND TRANSFORMERS DESTROYED. WATER SHORTAGES WILL MAKE HUMAN SUFFERING
INCREDIBLE BY MODERN STANDARDS.

THE VAST MAJORITY OF NATIVE TREES WILL BE SNAPPED OR UPROOTED. ONLY
THE HEARTIEST WILL REMAIN STANDING...BUT BE TOTALLY DEFOLIATED. FEW
CROPS WILL REMAIN. LIVESTOCK LEFT EXPOSED TO THE WINDS WILL BE
KILLED.

AN INLAND HURRICANE WIND WARNING IS ISSUED WHEN SUSTAINED WINDS NEAR
HURRICANE FORCE...OR FREQUENT GUSTS AT OR ABOVE HURRICANE FORCE...ARE
CERTAIN WITHIN THE NEXT 12 TO 24 HOURS.

ONCE TROPICAL STORM AND HURRICANE FORCE WINDS ONSET...DO NOT VENTURE
OUTSIDE!

LAZ038-040-050-056>070-282100-
ASSUMPTION-LIVINGSTON-LOWER JEFFERSON-LOWER LAFOURCHE-
LOWER PLAQUEMINES-LOWER ST. BERNARD-LOWER TERREBONNE-ORLEANS-
ST. CHARLES-ST. JAMES-ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST-ST. TAMMANY-TANGIPAHOA-
UPPER JEFFERSON-UPPER LAFOURCHE-UPPER PLAQUEMINES-UPPER ST. BERNARD-
UPPER TERREBONNE-
1011 AM CDT SUN AUG 28 2005


INLAND HURRICANE WIND WARNING IN EFFECT

HURRICANE KATRINA
A MOST POWERFUL HURRICANE WITH UNPRECEDENTED
STRENGTH...RIVALING THE INTENSITY OF HURRICANE CAMILLE OF 1969.

ONSET OF TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS WILL BE AROUND 3 PM THIS
AFTERNOON AND PERSIST FOR ABOUT 26 HOURS. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS WILL
ONSET AROUND SUNSET TONIGHT IN LOWER PLAQUEMINES PARISH AND SPREAD
NORTHWARD BY 3 AM MONDAY MORNING...PERSISTING FOR ABOUT 12 TO 17
HOURS. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS IN EXCESS OF 140 MPH CAN LAST FOR 2
TO 3 HOURS.

ONCE TROPICAL STORM AND HURRICANE FORCE WINDS ONSET...DO NOT VENTURE
OUTSIDE!

[wetwilly]

Very scary when reading this in black and white. Those poor people in NOLA. WOW!!!! What a natural disaster/catastrophe.

[WaltonUndercurrent]

I know. It's almost surreal.

[pgurney]

Just heard on CNN...French Quarter is packed with people drinking in the bars. God have mercy please.

[physes]

How scary sounding! It tends to make you feel really silly for worrying about "Dunes and Walkovers" doesn't it? I hope everyone stays safe and I guess we will just have to accept what happens.

[WaltonUndercurrent]

I would find that VERY surprising. I spoke with our neighbor, two streets off of Bourbon who was preparing to leave and he said the Quarter was a ghost town.

[Smiling JOe]

How scary sounding! It tends to make you feel really silly for worrying about "Dunes and Walkovers" doesn't it? I hope everyone stays safe and I guess we will just have to accept what happens.

Not at all. Those dunes are directly connected to this area's survival. Sure, I think that life is much more important than dunes and walkovers, but you better not stop thinking about protecting our dunes or there will be no SoWal.

[chrisv]

Please provide link to the site this advisory was taken from...

[wetwilly]

The beaches, dunes, and coastal lakes in SoWal are the lifeblood of the entire area. They (dunes) give it the special feel and are obviously very important to the structures on the gulf front but are also part of the ecosystem that supports the whole area. So, they are important and most/all of us will never stop working to protect them and the surrounding area. The natural disaster that is being predicted in NOLA is just surreal sounding...when you read this notice it seems like a piece of the script from a Spielberg movie of the destruction of a city. The problem is that it is very real and very scary to think about what is going to happen in just 24 hours from now.

The reports that the bars on Bourbon St are packed must be a myth (I hope) because TWC said that everything was being boarded up and most people were heading for the evacuation routes.

I just hope that this storm weakens some before it hits NOLA or wherever it eventually hits.

[WaltonUndercurrent]

http://www.srh.noaa.gov/data/LIX/NPWLIX

[wetwilly]

:bang: Dr Lyons just put this storm into perspective. He compared it to Charlie from last year and this storm is much stronger and is about 3x bigger in size then Charlie and Katrina has 185mph winds, hurricane force expected for 140 miles in radius to the eye and the TS force wind cone is almost 400 miles wide at this point.

Catastrophic is what he called it. Cantore is in Biloxi and he said he is very suprised that people are still driving along the local roads, very complacent, and still trying to get gas and snacks for thier evac. He said they should be gone or at their place of safety by now in his opinion. Landfall is expected tomorrow mid morning but TS force winds and big rainfall over the next 10 hours starting now.

WOW. :bang:

[ladybug8876]

Reading this brings tears to my eyes, imagining all the destruction that could occur to where ever Katrina may hit.

[beachmouse]

We're starting to see evacuees in town here. I talked to a couple of them in the grocery store, and they expect it could be weeks before they're allowed back into the city to inspect damage.

[CastlesOfSand]

Man, my hairs did stand up and I have goosebumps all over! My thoughts and prayers go out to all in Katrina's path.

[Travel2Much]

There are many tourists who simply could not get out of town. No airplanes, no rental cars. They are vertically evacuating in hotels. I would be drinking in the quarter, too. This weekend was freshman orientation weekend at Tulane and Loyola universities--parents with their kids.

Again, I was there until 4 pm yesterday and this was taken very seriously from daybreak Sat.

I am listening to NOLA radio here in SoWal and about an hour ago there was a reference to procedures for handling dead bodies (along with MASH units, etc.). If I heard it on CNN I would have flipped, but the fact that it was a local station made it more digestable.

Don't know what to say, else.

[seagrovelover]

This is all very scary and I personaly feel so sad for all the people whose lives will be ruined from such a forceful storm. New Orleans is below sea level quite a bit, am I correct? It could hold water like a bowl and cause tremendous damage from a ton of rain. I just hope the folks have enough time to GET OUT!!!!

[Miss Kitty]

This is the biblical storm they have made movies about. I am in complete shock as are the rest of you. Just looking at this storm is surreal...it takes up almost the entire Gulf. May God bless everyone in the path of this storm. Unfortunately, we will be reading about the loss of those who stayed behind in many of the areas.

[Travel2Much]

This is all very scary and I personaly feel so sad for all the people whose lives will be ruined from such a forceful storm. New Orleans is below sea level quite a bit, am I correct? It could hold water like a bowl and cause tremendous damage from a ton of rain. I just hope the folks have enough time to GET OUT!!!!

About 70% of the city is below sea level. It varies. My house oddly is about 10 ft above sea level, and never floods (but I am expecting it to and simply now am hoping it is maybe there with just maybe one thing I can keep from my life when I am allowed to go back, say, in October), but houses 6 blocks away from me will flood in heavy rains. The LSU hurricane center does flooding estimates based on current projections and right now it is not good. Here's the most recent one:

http://www.nola.com/newslogs/breakingtp/index.ssf?/mtlogs/nola_Times-Picayune/archives/2005_08.html#074598

I cannot even tell what is where!

Even ordinary rain has to pumped out of the city. The doomsday scenario has always been a storm like this--the enormous storm surge plus rain plus wind causes the lake/river/gulf to breach the levies. Once water get into the city there is no way to get it out, even if the pumps work. The pumps most likely will fail in a storm like that. So, the water stays (and gets higher). It's not really the rain, it is the storm surge. Pushes the lake into the city.

The real problem areas are outside the levies. They were evacuated first (one reason for the later evacuation of NOLA), and that's where a lot of the damage, dramatic flooding will occur.

[Miss Kitty]

T2M...my prayers are with you and your entire state...if I missed it earlier, where are you now?

[JB]

My wife and I love New Orleans. Actually, we probably spend more vacation time there than we do in SoWal. I think of all the things I love about the city: The Moonwalk, Jackson Square, Chatres Street, the streetcar line, Audubon Park, the Garden District, the wonderful restaurants, etc, etc, etc. It is the most unique city in America.

The fact that much of it will cease to exist as a result of this storm is something I am having a tough time dealing with. There are structures in the Quarter that have been there since the Revolutionary War that will be completely leveled. As a whole, the Quarter could be completely decimated. Gone.

You could drop a nuclear bomb on the city and the end result would be about the same as what will happen if Katrina stays on its current path.

Godspeed to the Crescent City.

[Travel2Much]

T2M...my prayers are with you and your entire state...if I missed it earlier, where are you now?

I am in SoWal, having flipped the "east" head of the coin in the flip between Houston and here. At least I am in my own home rather than a hotel room like others.

I am seeing lots of LA & Miss. plates here.

[sarahj]

My Grandson is on the road out of New Orleans. Godspeed to him and all travelers.

[newyorker]

Biblical proportions indeed....it reminds me of the stories of people fleeing the black plague (which struck equally quickly in the 13-15th centuries.) Same issues of the poor being stuck in the cities, by the way....

I have wonderful friends in and around NO--can't reach them now, but am praying hard. I'm heartsick about the damage already being reported in SOWAL--god almighty, how much more can the Gulf endure?

I travel often for my job...I can't imagine the terror of being stuck in the city in a high rise.

Like many others--my "virtual hat" is off to Kurt and others who have provided pix and words about what is going on. CNN and TWC are ok, but the people on the ground are really the best! God speed to all of you down there--and to the people of NO, all of us I am sure, regardless of our faith tradition, are praying hard.
Newyorker

[JB]

http://www.nola.com/cgi-bin/nph-cachecam.cgi?camid=paradecam&ols=nolalive&ts=20050828190035&ct=20

Bourbocam is down, but this cam at the corner of St. Charles and Napoleon is still active.

By this time tomorrow, the area shown in the photo will likely be 15 feet under water.

[Seasider]

Does anyone know of alternate coverage to TWC coming straight out of NOLA? The simulcasts on WMBB.com were invaluable during the landfall of Dennis. They had much more objective coverage and better radar graphics than was available from the national coverage. I can only hope that the devastation will not be as bad as the networks are predicting.

[gotothebeachmom]

Does anyone know of alternate coverage to TWC coming straight out of NOLA? The simulcasts on WMBB.com were invaluable during the landfall of Dennis. They had much more objective coverage and better radar graphics than was available from the national coverage. I can only hope that the devastation will not be as bad as the networks are predicting.

Try FOX or MSNBC.

[Mermaid]

My sister-in-law's family is from New Orleans so I'm plenty worried about Katrina hitting them. What I'm clinging to is that if NO survived Camille in 1969, it will survive this one, too.

[melissa]

I've been getting chills and teary eyed all day watching the news! Like everyone, my thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected by this storm.
Can you believe the huge line of people still outside the Superdome for shelter??

[WaltonUndercurrent]

Having a home in the French Quarter just off Bourbon, New Orleans is like our second home (was going to move there eventually). There's no other place like it - the diversity, the history, the traditions like Mardi Gras and gumbo that we've all adopted. I'd like to encourage everybody that can help in some way when this is over to do so. The people of LA and especially NO love life, are generous, and we should respond the way we did for 911 and the tsunami. Volunteering, contributing, whatever. We're all New Orleanians now and as bad as the 911 tragedy was for New York, this will affect a population with far fewer resources. Let's use this as an opportunity to focus on helping people without the artillery. Maybe this will allow us to find the culture of compassion and caring that's been so smothered by war, suspicion, political and cultural division over the past several years.

We can't "smoke mother nature out of her hole" - so let's focus on helping the ones that have been attacked by her.

[FLORAZONA]

The gentleman who started this post has misinformed you. No doubt Katrina is a catastrophic storm and many lives will be changed forever, but this is not an official statement by the NOAA. My first hurricane in Florida I worked for a hotel that did not evacuate all of its guest. I witnessed families huddling together in fear of their lives. It was an experience I will never forget. There is a time for being a clown but this would not be one of them. Don’t feed the trolls many are coming here for factual info. Thank you.

http://weather.noaa.gov/pub/data/watches_warnings/non_precip/ms/msz061.txt

[WaltonUndercurrent]

The link for the bulletin is posted above at noaa and has been quoted on local news stations in NO, specifically WWLTV in New Orleans. I was hardly joking. This notice was issued at 10AM this morning. I posted it for obvious reasons when I became aware of it. It may have been replaced, but there are several on the board who visited the link at NOAA earlier and can attest that it was official.

[Camp Creek Kid]

Travel2Much,

Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. It is particularly humbling because it so easily could have been SoWal. If there is anything that you need while you are here, please don't hesitate to ask. We will do anything to help. I'm sure we're all going to have a sleepless night.

[kurt]

The gentleman who started this post has misinformed you. No doubt Katrina is a catastrophic storm and many lives will be changed forever, but this is not an official statement by the NOAA. My first hurricane in Florida I worked for a hotel that did not evacuate all of its guest. I witnessed families huddling together in fear of their lives. It was an experience I will never forget. There is a time for being a clown but this would not be one of them. Don’t feed the trolls many are coming here for factual info. Thank you.

http://weather.noaa.gov/pub/data/watches_warnings/non_precip/ms/msz061.txt

You jumped the gun - the statement is from:
http://weather.noaa.gov

The National Weather Service.

[wintersbk]

The gentleman who started this post has misinformed you. No doubt Katrina is a catastrophic storm and many lives will be changed forever, but this is not an official statement by the NOAA. My first hurricane in Florida I worked for a hotel that did not evacuate all of its guest. I witnessed families huddling together in fear of their lives. It was an experience I will never forget. There is a time for being a clown but this would not be one of them. Don’t feed the trolls many are coming here for factual info. Thank you.

http://weather.noaa.gov/pub/data/watches_warnings/non_precip/ms/msz061.txt

Looks authentic to me! :idontno:
http://weather.noaa.gov/pub/data/watches_warnings/non_precip/ms/msz071.txt

[Travel2Much]

WU is telling the truth. WU is not a troll. This is real.

But it is all a maybe and a could right now. The town and the quarter has been around for centuries. It will be there Tuesday. Maybe a bit wet and strewn around.

"All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well" (TS Eliot and Julian of Norwich)

[chrisv]

Does anyone know of alternate coverage to TWC coming straight out of NOLA? The simulcasts on WMBB.com were invaluable during the landfall of Dennis. They had much more objective coverage and better radar graphics than was available from the national coverage. I can only hope that the devastation will not be as bad as the networks are predicting.

http://www.wwltv.com/perl/common/video/wmPlayer.pl?title=beloint_wwltv&props=livenoad

[WaltonUndercurrent]

The new link location. They moved it. I'm vindicated.

http://www.srh.noaa.gov/data/LIX/NPWLIX

it keeps getting moved..it give up

[Lasky]

WU - Fox News just read the statement online. We never doubted you!

[WaltonUndercurrent]

Thanks. I may be a smart ass, politically incorrect, and the website might have ticked everyone off in one way or another over the years - but I gotta heart.

[Miss Kitty]

Thanks. I may be a smart ass, politically incorrect, and the website might have ticked everyone off in one way or another over the years - but I gotta heart.

Most of us here know who to trust and WU is one of them.

[Seasider]

http://www.wwltv.com/perl/common/video/wmPlayer.pl?title=beloint_wwltv&props=livenoad

Good coverage. Thanks.

[Tootsie]

Most of us here know who to trust and WU is one of them.


walton undercurrent - we are all behind you, and praying for NOLA - one of the most uniquely wonderful places on earth...


:wub: :bow: :bow:

[WaltonUndercurrent]

Then give to the Red Cross - National Chapter so they can send it where it needs to go.

Thanks.

[Travel2Much]

Nola.com just posted the Times Picayune coverage:

http://www.nola.com/hurricane/829_page1.pdf

Good reporting. They quote the NWS report WU posted, BTW.

[Miss Kitty]

Thanks T2M....that headline was sobering. I'm thankful the Superdome is available for those that cannot flee, but can't imagine what it will be like in there w/o power. They showed some of those sweet people lined up at the end of the line and what great NOLA spirit they had... so happy where they were....that's what I am holding on to right now.

[Smiling JOe]

Thanks T2M....that headline was sobering. I'm thankful the Superdome is available for those that cannot flee, but can't imagine what it will be like in there w/o power. They showed some of those sweet people lined up at the end of the line and what great NOLA spirit they had... so happy where they were....that's what I am holding on to right now.

After all of this passes, I hope the SuperDome will be remembered as the SuperCity.

[Travel2Much]

The T-P is blogging and things are going down bad now in NOLA, although no water so far--

http://www.nola.com/weblogs/nola/index.ssf?/mtlogs/nola_nolaview/archives/2005_08.html#074702

[wintersbk]

CNN is now reporting the roof is leaking at the SuperDome. We all need to pray for their safety!!