New Orleans Evacuated and in Path Category 5 Hurricane Katrina

August 28th 2005

A more Current Story:  Katrina Storm Track and Damage in Mississippi, LA and Alabama

Hurricane Katrina has developed into a category 5 hurricane and is now located about 150 miles south of the mouth of the Mississippi River.  The National Weather Service says this could be “potentially catastrophic”. 

A mandatory evacuation has been issued for New Orleans.  Much of New Orleans is below sea level.  This could be New Orleans first direct hit of a hurricane in 40 years.  The Superdome has been designated as a “place of last resort”.  The Washington Post reports that the hurricane could leave one million people homeless.

The NWS have issued a Hurricane Warning for “the North Central gulf Coast from Morgan City Louisiana Eastward to Alabama / Florida Border.”  Showers have already begun to fall in the Big Easy.

A tropical storm warning has been issued for East of the Alabama / Florida border to Destin Florida and from West of Morgan City to Intracoastal City Louisiana.  A Tropical storm warning also extends from Destin Florida Eastward to Indian pass Florida and from Intracoastal City Louisiana westward to Cameron Louisiana. 

Katrina is moving Northwest at 13 miles per hour (MPH) with a gradual turn to the north expected over the next 24 hours.  The weather service expects the storm to be near the gulf coast early Monday.  Things have already began to deteriorate along portions of the gulf coast and will worsen through the night.

With wind speeds of 165 MPH, Katrina is considered a category five hurricane on the saffir-simpson scale.  Katrina is expected to be a category 4 or 5 when it makes landfall.  Forecasters expect the wind to be stronger on upper floors of buildings than the floors near the ground. 

Katrina is considered to be a large hurricane with winds extending outward up to 105 miles from the center.  The tropical storm force winds extend another 125 miles out from there.  This makes the storm approximately 460 miles in diameter.  The storm surges flooding is expected 18 to 22 feet above normal tide levels and as high as 28 feet possible.  Some levies in New Orleans may be “over topped” according to the National Weather Service.   

Bloomberg has reported that this may be the costliest storm in US history.  Eqecat Inc., estimated that the storm will cost insurers 15 to 20 billion dollars, and since it is hitting directly on New Orleans the cost may be at the higher end.  Hurricane Andrew in 1992 cost the insurance industry around 20 billion dollars.  So far Katrina has cost between 1 and 2 billion when it hit Florida last week.  . 

To make matters worse there may be another tropical depression forming.  The weather service has said there is an area of low pressure associated with a “tropical wave” located about 325 miles southwest of Cape Verde Islands. Expect more information on this within the next day or so.

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By Dan Wilson
Best Syndication Staff Writer

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Keywords and misspellings:  Hurricane Huricane Katrina Catrina Path of expected