Guest guest Posted August 28, 2005 Report Share Posted August 28, 2005 Hurricane Katrina hits Category 5 Sunday, August 28, 2005; Posted: 8:56 a.m. EDT (12:56 GMT) NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (CNN) -- Traffic streamed out of the city of New Orleans early Sunday as Hurricane Katrina churned towards the U.S. Gulf Coast with maximum sustained winds of 160 mph. The National Hurricane Center upgraded the storm on Sunday to Category 5, the most intense category on the Saffir-Simpson scale of hurricane intensity. The storm is expected to make landfall Monday morning in southeastern Louisiana or southwest Mississippi. The first bands of rain from the storm were starting to hit the southeastern tip of Louisiana on Sunday morning. At 8 a.m. ET, Katrina was centered about 250 miles south-southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River. It was moving to the west-northwest at about 12 mph. Officials fear New Orleans is vulnerable because it sits an average of 6 feet below sea level. Forecasters predicted that Katrina could cause storm surge flooding of 15 to 20 feet above normal levels when it comes ashore. Mandatory evacuations were in effect for some of Louisiana's low-lying areas; residents in other low-lying areas are being encouraged to leave. Several major interstate highways, including 55, 59, 10 and 12, were converted to one-way routes away from New Orleans, the Louisiana Department of Transportation said. Long lines of cars could be seen on I-10 west, heading out of the city. Hurricane warnings were posted from Morgan City, Louisiana, eastward to the Alabama-Florida state line, including New Orleans and Lake Pontchartrain. A hurricane warning means hurricane conditions, including winds of at least 74 mph, are expected in the warning area within the next 24 hours. A tropical storm warning and a hurricane watch from the Alabama-Florida state line eastward to Destin, Florida, and from west of Morgan City to Intracoastal City, Louisiana. Another tropical storm warning was issued Sunday from Intracoastal City, Louisiana, west to Cameron, Louisiana, and from Destin, Florida, eastward to Indian Pass, Florida. A tropical storm warning means tropical storm conditions, including winds of at least 39 mph, are expected within 24 hours. A hurricane watch means hurricane conditions are possible, usually within 36 hours. Governors of both Louisiana and Mississippi declared emergencies Friday in anticipation of the strengthening storm. " This is a very, very dangerous hurricane, " said National Hurricane Center director Max Mayfield. " I can't emphasize enough to viewers how serious FEMA is taking this storm, " Michael Brown, director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency said. " We've done a lot of planning for a hurricane striking New Orleans because of New Orleans lying below sea level. " Katrina has been blamed for seven deaths in Florida, where it made landfall Thursday as a Category 1 hurricane. As much as 18 inches of rain fell in some areas, flooding streets and homes. " Ladies and gentlemen, this is not a test. This is the real deal, " New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin said at a news conference. He urged people to remain calm, " board up your homes, make sure you have medicine, make sure your car has enough gas in it, " and prepare to leave. Robert Latham, director of the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency, said the state was recommending evacuations along the coast " and even several counties inland. " Mandatory evacuations could follow later, he said. The last time Mississippi or Louisiana was hit by a major hurricane was in 1969, when Camille killed 256 people. Latham said he attends a memorial service for those victims every year and keeps a book about the storm on his desk. The potential for damage and loss of life with Katrina could be even worse, as millions of people have moved to the coast since then, Brown told CNN. He said his office has done all it can " for the citizens of this state to prepare for this type of event. " Oil rig evacuations Some oil platforms and rigs in the Gulf of Mexico have been evacuated. Six oil companies operating offshore facilities evacuated a total of at least 150 people. Most of those employees were described as " nonessential " to production, and rigs and platforms continued to operate. Two companies -- Newfield Exploration and Murphy Exploration -- said they may pull out production workers and shut down some facilities Saturday, depending on the hurricane's path. At least 12 platforms and nine oil rigs in the Gulf have been evacuated, a small portion of the 953 manned rigs and platforms operating there, according to the Interior Department's Mineral Management Service. http://www.cnn.com/2005/WEATHER/08/28/hurricane.katrina/index.html Dear List Members, Please note that the potential danger is increasing. Best wishes, Jorge Jorge Angelino [jorge.angelino] domingo, 28 de Agosto de 2005 11:12 (SAMVA ) Katrina now Category 4 storm Katrina now Category 4 storm Hurricane warning for Morgan City, Louisiana to Alabama-Florida border Sunday, August 28, 2005; Posted: 3:54 a.m. EDT (07:54 GMT) MIAMI, Florida (CNN) -- Hurricane Katrina was packing winds of up to 145 mph early Sunday as it approached the U.S. Gulf Coast, the National Hurricane Center said. The National Hurricane Center said Katrina -- now a Category 4 storm -- could announce its Monday arrival with tropical storm-force winds Sunday night. At 10 p.m. (11 p.m. ET) Saturday the hurricane center issued a hurricane warning from Morgan City, Louisiana, to the Alabama-Florida border, an area that includes New Orleans. A warning means that hurricane conditions are expected within the warning area within the next 24 hours. The hurricane center said storms that are rated Category 4 -- which carry winds ranging from 131 mph (210 kilometers per hour) to 155 mph (249 kmh), are capable of causing extreme damage. " This is a very, very dangerous hurricane, " hurricane center Max Mayfield said. Katrina, already has been blamed for seven deaths in Florida, where it made landfall Thursday as a Category 1 hurricane. As much as 18 inches of rain fell in some areas, flooding streets and homes. Florida Power and Light Company said that by Saturday afternoon it had restored electric service to about half of the nearly 1.5 million customers who lost power Thursday. http://www.cnn.com/2005/WEATHER/08/28/tropical.weather/index.html Dear List Members, USA is in Ve/Sa/Ve since last Thursday. It seems that tomorrow around 2:30 TMG (transit Moon exactly conjunct natal Venus) the lack of support of Mother Nature will make things even worse. Best wishes, satva Jorge Angelino Rua da Sociedade Filarmónica Perpétua Azeitonense, 29 2925-598 Azeitão Portugal jorge.angelino tel: mobile: 210813674 963916784 Add me to your address book... Want a signature like this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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