I just finished Ivor Van Heerden’s book The Storm, about Hurricane Katrina. Van Heerden is the Deputy Director of the Louisiana Hurricane Center. It is an excellent book, giving a fine overview of the events associated with the devastating storm, a look to why the levee system failed and what has to be done to protect Southeast Louisiana from future hurricanes.

After Katrina, van Heerden traveled to the Netherlands to understand what the Sutch had done to protect their country after their devastating flood in 1953. He combines what he learned there with his knowledge of geography and the coastal environment of Louisiana to advance a defense plan for the state that would ensure New Orleans would be high and dry next time a major hurricane comes calling. It calls for…

1. a huge flood control structure at the Rigolets, the eastern entrance into Lake Pontchartrain. This massive structure would prevent storm surge from entering the lake.
2. moving the pumping stations on the flood control canals from deep inside the City of New Orleans to the head of the canal at the Lake with barriers that would prevent water from the lake from getting into the city.
3. huge new barrier levees that protect New Orleans East and Slidell
4. a large surge gate must be built to protect the City from flooding surging in from the funnel between the Industrial Canal and Mississippi River Gulf Outlet.
5. a barrier levee, hundreds of miles long must be built from the Mississippi Coast to Lake Charles, protecting the inhabited areas of southern Louisiana
6. recreate depleted wetlands by diverting sediment containing water from the Mississippi River at several locations instead of letting it flow directly into the Gulf.
7. rebuild barrier islands along the coast by dredging sand from the ocean floor. This will provide protection from hurricane surges.

At 9 tonight, a line of thunderstorms extended all the way from Lafayette, in NW Indiana to at least 100 miles into NE Old Mexico. The storms were lined up down through West Indiana, across the Missouri Bootheel, through East and South Arkansas, NE Texas, South Texas and into Mexico.

Lightning detection equipment indicated some of the worst lightning over West Indiana and East Arkansas.

At one time this evening, the NWS/Memphis posted a Tornado Warning for Craighead County in East Arkansas. There were a number of Severe Thunderstorm Warnings.

A cold front is involved. It brough some cold temperatures and snow to the West.

* 11 inches of snow at Alta, Utah, in the Wasatch Mountains east of Salt Lake.
* 10 inches in Beaverhead County, Mont., with two-foot drifts

* 19 was the low temperature Sunday morning in Gunnison, Colo.
* 20 in Leadville, Colo.
* 22 at Bryce Canyon, Ut.
* 25 at Grand Canyon Airport, Fort Valley and Bellemont, all in Arizona

SO WHAT DOES ALL OF THIS MEAN FOR ALABAMA?
A lot of communities will get over an inch of rain Monday and Monday night.

Thanks to Jason Simpson for hosting a big football party yesterday. I am at the Birmingham International Airport awaiting a flight to Dallas this morning; while I am waiting I figured I would post a few pictures from the big event:



Note the determined look on J.B.'s Elliott's face as he gets ready to sling a "Havana Junction Heat" pass...





Not only does he throw, but he is a long range punter as well. This kick probably went three yards....





Jason Simpson is taken down hard by a nine year old....





Wow... this guy can leap!





J.B. hangs tough in the pocket, despite pressure from John Johnson (chief meteorologist at WTOK-TV in Meridian). J.B. shows us that he is not only the Alabama weather legend, but a gridiron legend as well!

The Sunday map discussion video is on the web, and available on iTunes:

http://www.jamesspann.com/

Don't forget that the map discussion is available in both WMV and MOV formats (Windows and Quicktime), so you have your choice for viewing.

Little model change from yesterday on the timing on our next two fronts, one coming in Monday and another one late Friday and Saturday. Neither front is expected to be very dramatic since the systems are both of Pacific origin, so the result will be drier air for us along with a minor cool down. I still think there could be morning low temperatures on Wednesday and Thursday that will be flirting with upper 40 readings in the normally cooler valley locations.

Moisture will increase late in the day today with increasing clouds coming from the remnants of Lane in northwest Mexico. This moisture will actually interfere any severe weather chances by increasing the precipitable water to values of 2 inches and greater. The cloud cover will also reduce daytime heating, so strong thunderstorms are still possible but the likelihood of organized severe weather seems to be diminished at this time. Something to keep a watchful eye on, though, as the pattern unfolds with time.

The front moves through Central Alabama Monday and early Tuesday and moves out of the area by mid-day on Tuesday. Clouds and rain in the morning should diminish with some clearing possible by Tuesday afternoon.

Wednesday and Thursday should be spectacular late Summer days with those morning lows in the 50s but some cooler spots might dip into the 40s. Highs should be in the 70s.

By Friday another cold front approaches the area only this time it could create a wet start to the weekend. Timing is still a bit iffy that far into the future, but right now it looks like the best chance for rain will come Friday night and during the first half of Saturday. This next system is also a Pacific air mass so it means cooler temperatures and drier air but not dramatic changes.

Off to church for my ushering duties today. I hope you get a chance to attend the worship center of your choice. James Spann will be back with another map discussion on Monday morning.

-Brian-