Uh oh.
Catagory 4…
145 mph winds.
This is bad.
I hope everything turns out OK…this is it the strangest storm I’ve ever seen…what appeared to be a piddly little Cat 1 / TS when it hit FL, now at Cat 4, and NOAA says ‘possible strengthening Sunday’ before landfall in NO. Hope for all of you in LA, MS, and such that it takes a nose-dive down a few notches instead of getting stronger.
Cat 5 now, with the pressure at 914 mb as of 4 a.m. That’s almost a record low pressure.
Track seems to be bringing the storm in to the New Orleans area from a more SSE direction than from the south … bad, bad news. More for flooding and long-term power outages than structural damage. However, N.O. is full of old buildings that may end up standing, but will be uninhabitable after Katrina passes.
My in-laws and all their immediate family are here now. My own family still has some holdouts (my parents, and two of my five siblings) who won’t leave suburban Metairie. They’re in the highest part of Metairie, behind the highest part of the Lake Pontchartrain levee, and in a 2-story house. They’ve got a good chance … but it’s going to be miserable and scary.
Pressure is now lower than Camille.
At least it looks like the new area-wide evacuation plan is running more smoothly – last year’s nightmare exercise during Ivan was what it took to get everyone working together to set up a coordinated plan, and it looks like it may have been just in time.
Get out while you can, people. Please. Stuff can be replaced. People can’t.
My memory is muddy what’s this river that I’m in? New Orleans is sinking man and I don’t wanna swim. Swim!
Every Canuck has been singing that song all weekend, and we will continue to do so.
Your mayor has just declared a mandatory evacuation for the city. Good Luck in getting out folks.
Please be safe, New Orleans Dopers. I am not religious, but I will be praying for your safety. This doesn’t look good at all. Please get out while you still can. We don’t want any tragic news here on the dope.
Please be safe and let us know how you’re doing afterwards.
Damn – even the last of my holdout family has changed their minds and are coming to stay with us.
People’s “hurricane spidey senses” are really buzzing unlike any storm since 1969 (Camille). So many New Orleanians are proud of their records of never running from hurricanes … and lots of those folks are up here in Baton Rouge.
Praying for a power outage no longer than 96 hours or so … that’s what we’ve prepared for.
Katrina’s winds are now up to 175 mph.
Please, PLEASE, anyone who can leave and hasn’t yet, you still have time! And if you know someone who doesn’t have transportation, or can pick up a stray tourist or two at the airport, give them a ride – if there was ever a time to help anyone you can, this is it!
175 miles per hour. Sweet jesus. This may be the worst storm I’ve ever heard of, barring a supertyphoon in the open Pacific. This is an absolute raging beast. I hope New Orleans survives, since I love that city so much.
How long, I wonder, before Pat Robertson declares this the vengeance of God for the city’s wicked alliance with the forces of gay satanism in hosting Southern Decadence (which is supposed to start this week)?
Be safe, Orleanians.
Please get out and do it safely. If you know any neighbors that have no transportation or place to go…and you have room…
My thoughts are with all of you.
Good luck, everyone.
I picked one hell of a time to win a new collecting contract from FEMA. I’ve got stories for 75 papers so far and more to come.
And my kin out in the Bayou have declared they ain’t leaving. Dumbasses.
Same here. I was just there in May.
Heh. I was thinking the same thing. Never mind that New Orleans doesn’t seem to get directly hit too often(at least not that I know of).
No one is taking any chances. Even on Okaloosa County(which 4-5 hours away from NO) has mandatory evacuations for low lying areas. There’s supposed to be a NE turn though, but I doubt that’s a consolation for anyone.
A last-second NE turn would be literally a “hand of God” swooping in and saving New Orleans. Even 20 miles extra eastward would make a tremendous difference.
God help anyone who stays there.
Hope it weakens drastically in next 12 hours.
Is God pissed off at Mobile d’ya suppose?
1pm advisory is out. Still moving northwest. Winds still 175 mph, gusting to 215. Pressure down to 906 mb. No change in the forecast track. Looking very dire for NO.