Hurricane Katrina rewrote the record books for strongest North Atlantic and U.S. landfalling hurricanes. Here are the new top ten lists (with eleven in the landfalling storms list because of ties):
Strongest North Atlantic Hurricanes since 1851
1. 1988 Gilbert, 988 millibars
2. 1935 Labor Day, 892 millibars
3. 1980 Allen, 899 millibars
4. 2005 Katrina, 902 millibars
5. 1969 Camille, 905 millibars
6. 1998, Mitch, 910 millibars
7. 2004, Ivan, 912 millibars
8. 2003, Isabel, 915 millibars
9. 1989, Hugo, 918 millibars
10. 1995, Opal, 919 millibars
Strongest US Landfalling Hurricanes since 1900
1. 1935 Labor Day Hurricane, Florida Keys, 892 millibars
2. 1969 Camille, Mississippi,. 909 millibars
3. 2005 Katrina, Mississipi/Louisiana, 918 millibars
4. 1992 Andrew, Florida/Louisiana, 922 millibars
5. 1919 Unnamed storm, Florida Keys/S Texas, 923 millibars
6. 1928 Unnamed, Lake Okeechobee, 929 millibars
7. 1960 Donna, S Florida, East Coast, 930 millibars
8. 1961 Carla, Texas, 931 millibars
9. 1900 Unnamed, Galveston, 931 millibars
10.1909, Unnamed, Grand Isle, LA, 931 millibars
11.1915, Unnamed, New Orleans, 931 millibars
- Bill Murray
Atlantic Hurricane Rankings Rewritten
September 3, 2005, 10:51 pm
by Bill Murray
in General Thoughts
A Heartwarming Story
September 3, 2005, 10:18 pm
It has been a very trying week for people all over the coastal sections of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.
The General Manager of the Hampton Inn hotel that I manage in Houma, Louisiana, forty miles southwest of New Orleans, is a wonderful lady and fine person. She rode out Hurricane Katrina in the hotel, which is just a few miles from the Gulf of Mexico.
The property came through with very little in the way of damage, except for the roof, and has remained full of evacuees and families of team members throughout the event.
Brazette says that the stories of the people that are stranded there are so sad. When the cable finally came back on Thursday, people crowded arond the large screen television in the lobby to view news reports from their beloved New Orleans. The scenes shocked them. Many tears were shed as they realized the worst had occurred.
We have been able to do some things to assist Brazette from our offices in Birmingham, mainly using the computer. This morning, I received an instant message from Brazette saying that a 79 year old gentleman named Mr. Joseph C. Jones and his daughter Desiree Jones from Harvey, Louisiana had gotten separated right after the storm. Brazette said that Mr. Jones was nearly hysterical.
He arrived in Houma and was staying at another hotel. Since the Hampton is the only one with internet now, Brazette was asked to post his information on the Red Cross website. She asked me to do it for her since the Red Cross website was busy and kept timing her out.
I went to the website, www.redcross.org, and found the specific page for posting names. I had little hope that Ms. Jones would see it. I posted as much information as I could. I had to do it several times, but it finally went through.
Tonight, I received a joyful message from Brazette that Ms. Jones had indeed spotted her fathers name on the Red Cross site and had experienced a tearful reunion by telephone tonight. She was in Jackson, Mississippi. They will be reunited tomorrow.
A little happy news...
The General Manager of the Hampton Inn hotel that I manage in Houma, Louisiana, forty miles southwest of New Orleans, is a wonderful lady and fine person. She rode out Hurricane Katrina in the hotel, which is just a few miles from the Gulf of Mexico.
The property came through with very little in the way of damage, except for the roof, and has remained full of evacuees and families of team members throughout the event.
Brazette says that the stories of the people that are stranded there are so sad. When the cable finally came back on Thursday, people crowded arond the large screen television in the lobby to view news reports from their beloved New Orleans. The scenes shocked them. Many tears were shed as they realized the worst had occurred.
We have been able to do some things to assist Brazette from our offices in Birmingham, mainly using the computer. This morning, I received an instant message from Brazette saying that a 79 year old gentleman named Mr. Joseph C. Jones and his daughter Desiree Jones from Harvey, Louisiana had gotten separated right after the storm. Brazette said that Mr. Jones was nearly hysterical.
He arrived in Houma and was staying at another hotel. Since the Hampton is the only one with internet now, Brazette was asked to post his information on the Red Cross website. She asked me to do it for her since the Red Cross website was busy and kept timing her out.
I went to the website, www.redcross.org, and found the specific page for posting names. I had little hope that Ms. Jones would see it. I posted as much information as I could. I had to do it several times, but it finally went through.
Tonight, I received a joyful message from Brazette that Ms. Jones had indeed spotted her fathers name on the Red Cross site and had experienced a tearful reunion by telephone tonight. She was in Jackson, Mississippi. They will be reunited tomorrow.
A little happy news...
by Bill Murray
in General Thoughts
How Big Was Katrina's Storm Surge--an Estimate
September 3, 2005, 9:20 pm
This is another report from Steve Elliott, my son, who with other Birmingham firemen are doing search, cleanup and recovery work in and around Gulfport on the Mississippi Coast.
We all know that in most hurricanes (not all) that the storm surge causes more damage than the wind. Officially, the final word on the storm surge will be after the NWS finishes an exhaustive study of Katrina. That will take some time.
But we have seen several indications that the surge was huge and greater than Hurricane Camille in 1969. The max storm surge in Camille was 24.7 feet at Pass Christian, Mississippi. Surprisingly the huge surge dropped off substantially to the east with only about a 7-foot surge in the west part of Mobile and 6 feet at Gulf Shores. Here are some of the things the Birmingham crew did the last two days:
* Went down a dead-end street about 1/4 to 1/2 mile north of U.S. 90 and they were shocked to find a barge about 100 yards long by 25 yards wide at the end of the street. They found two other barges in the same general area. For the barge to get that far inland, it had to come over some still-standing telephone poles without apparently hitting them. This would suggest a storm surge of 30 feet or more? Believed to be fulled loaded with grain.
* In the same area a massive amount of lumber was inland...so much so that it covered a wide area and was as much as 12 to 20 feet deep. It included bundled lumber and plywood. Atop the lumber was an overturned 18 wheeler. A bunch of rear-wheels from 18-wheelers were piled up in one area. A person was buried deep into the lumber. They used power saws to cut away the lumber but after getting close they found that the body was entangled in a bunch of steel. So they used other tools to cut through and placed the body in a body bag. Adjacent to that area, they found two more deceased in an automobile.
* Three people missing from a two-story apartment next to the automobile.
* On second night there, about half of the Birmingham crew of 27 or 28 slept in the Gulfport Fire Station where cots had been brought in. The rest on the lawn of the court house on cots.
* Saturday afternoon, three bodies found under a concrete slab.
* The Birmingham group was asked to clear every-other-street early so it would act as a fire break. There is so much piled high debris in the area that the cleared streets would provide access in case fire breaks out..
* On the east side of Gulfport, as far inland as the railroad (about 1/2 mile) In that area, they decided to work their way down a street that angled to the right. They found a man and his wife with two kids wandering down the road. They had rode out the huirricane. Steve asked them why they did not evacuate. He said his home was at an elevation of 24 feet and he thought they would be safe. However, the water reached the ceiling of the first floor. They survived on the second floor.
* Nearby a couple tried to ride out the storm in an old, old mansion. They had survived Camille ok. But at the height of Katrina, a house across the street literally "blew up" and came across the street and destroyed the home next door to their mansion. They decided to get out in neck-deep water and struggled to the nearby railroad. They clutched the side of a boxcar, pulled themselves up and rode out the rest of the storm there.
* So many cars were destroyed and piled up that they looked like matchbox cars.
* Gulfport has a large VA Hospital complex. In front, the storm surge dug out a 300-foot section of a watermain and it lies twisted up out of the ground.
* Coast Guard talked to them and said three bodies had washed ashore. They have seen at least 100 bodies floating near shore. (Don't know if that is just in the Gulfport area, or overall.)
* There is a fuel facility inland on U.S. 49 specifically for emergency and rescue vehicles. Going to that yesterday, they noted one service station had nearly 200 cars lined up to buy gas. Some were outside their autos, pushing them along as the line shortened to save gas.
* Pass Christian nearly totally destroyed.
More later...
We all know that in most hurricanes (not all) that the storm surge causes more damage than the wind. Officially, the final word on the storm surge will be after the NWS finishes an exhaustive study of Katrina. That will take some time.
But we have seen several indications that the surge was huge and greater than Hurricane Camille in 1969. The max storm surge in Camille was 24.7 feet at Pass Christian, Mississippi. Surprisingly the huge surge dropped off substantially to the east with only about a 7-foot surge in the west part of Mobile and 6 feet at Gulf Shores. Here are some of the things the Birmingham crew did the last two days:
* Went down a dead-end street about 1/4 to 1/2 mile north of U.S. 90 and they were shocked to find a barge about 100 yards long by 25 yards wide at the end of the street. They found two other barges in the same general area. For the barge to get that far inland, it had to come over some still-standing telephone poles without apparently hitting them. This would suggest a storm surge of 30 feet or more? Believed to be fulled loaded with grain.
* In the same area a massive amount of lumber was inland...so much so that it covered a wide area and was as much as 12 to 20 feet deep. It included bundled lumber and plywood. Atop the lumber was an overturned 18 wheeler. A bunch of rear-wheels from 18-wheelers were piled up in one area. A person was buried deep into the lumber. They used power saws to cut away the lumber but after getting close they found that the body was entangled in a bunch of steel. So they used other tools to cut through and placed the body in a body bag. Adjacent to that area, they found two more deceased in an automobile.
* Three people missing from a two-story apartment next to the automobile.
* On second night there, about half of the Birmingham crew of 27 or 28 slept in the Gulfport Fire Station where cots had been brought in. The rest on the lawn of the court house on cots.
* Saturday afternoon, three bodies found under a concrete slab.
* The Birmingham group was asked to clear every-other-street early so it would act as a fire break. There is so much piled high debris in the area that the cleared streets would provide access in case fire breaks out..
* On the east side of Gulfport, as far inland as the railroad (about 1/2 mile) In that area, they decided to work their way down a street that angled to the right. They found a man and his wife with two kids wandering down the road. They had rode out the huirricane. Steve asked them why they did not evacuate. He said his home was at an elevation of 24 feet and he thought they would be safe. However, the water reached the ceiling of the first floor. They survived on the second floor.
* Nearby a couple tried to ride out the storm in an old, old mansion. They had survived Camille ok. But at the height of Katrina, a house across the street literally "blew up" and came across the street and destroyed the home next door to their mansion. They decided to get out in neck-deep water and struggled to the nearby railroad. They clutched the side of a boxcar, pulled themselves up and rode out the rest of the storm there.
* So many cars were destroyed and piled up that they looked like matchbox cars.
* Gulfport has a large VA Hospital complex. In front, the storm surge dug out a 300-foot section of a watermain and it lies twisted up out of the ground.
* Coast Guard talked to them and said three bodies had washed ashore. They have seen at least 100 bodies floating near shore. (Don't know if that is just in the Gulfport area, or overall.)
* There is a fuel facility inland on U.S. 49 specifically for emergency and rescue vehicles. Going to that yesterday, they noted one service station had nearly 200 cars lined up to buy gas. Some were outside their autos, pushing them along as the line shortened to save gas.
* Pass Christian nearly totally destroyed.
More later...
WWL-TV Simulcast Continues
September 3, 2005, 1:20 pm
A reminder...
ABC 33/40 is simulcasting WWL-TV in New Orleans on our digital signals 33.2 and 40.2 We are going this as a service to the thousands of evacuees here in Alabama, giving them a chance to watch coverage of this horrible tragedy from their local station. WWL-TV is on the air from a Louisiana Public Broadcasting studio in Baton Rouge, and has been providing commercial free coverage all week, and will continue to do so until further notice.
Anyone with a digital TV can receive WWL-TV on 33.2 or 40.2. We are thankful for two cable systems who immediately picked up this feed when we announced it:
Bright House Cable (Birmingham) Channel 632
Comcast Cable (Tuscaloosa) Channel 99
We welcome any other cable system within our coverage to pick up this feed as well since we have evacuees statewide.
Large screen digital televisions have been set up at many shelters allowing our friends from Mississippi and Louisiana to watch WWL-TV live....
ABC 33/40 is simulcasting WWL-TV in New Orleans on our digital signals 33.2 and 40.2 We are going this as a service to the thousands of evacuees here in Alabama, giving them a chance to watch coverage of this horrible tragedy from their local station. WWL-TV is on the air from a Louisiana Public Broadcasting studio in Baton Rouge, and has been providing commercial free coverage all week, and will continue to do so until further notice.
Anyone with a digital TV can receive WWL-TV on 33.2 or 40.2. We are thankful for two cable systems who immediately picked up this feed when we announced it:
Bright House Cable (Birmingham) Channel 632
Comcast Cable (Tuscaloosa) Channel 99
We welcome any other cable system within our coverage to pick up this feed as well since we have evacuees statewide.
Large screen digital televisions have been set up at many shelters allowing our friends from Mississippi and Louisiana to watch WWL-TV live....
by James Spann
in General Thoughts
Images Inside Katrina
September 3, 2005, 12:00 pmHere is an interesting link to some images taken from inside Katrina:
http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2005/s2496.htm
As you may recall, I flew with the Hurricane Hunters last year during Ivan, also a category 5 hurricane during the time that I was flying through it.
These pictures are quite spectacular. The beauty of the storm foreshadows the destruction that it was about to cause.
A Blog reader advised me of this link. Thanks, Wayne.
-Brian-
by Brian Peters
in Tropical Weather
Dry Weather Continues
September 3, 2005, 8:22 am
The Saturday map discussion video is on the server at:
http://beta.abc3340.com/weather/video.hrb
Not much news in our weather as a high pressure pattern remains established and will for the next 5 to 7 days. Temperatures will not be changing much with lows in the 60s and highs in the upper 80s though flirting with the lower 90s today.
There is a slight rish of severe weather across much of Wisconsin today where ongoing MCS will lead to differential heating and aide the development of supercells. Severe weather development there will depend on small scale features with the presence of a strong capping inversion.
Tropics remain fairly busy with Maria in the central Atlantic, a disturbed area between the Bahamas and Bermuda, another one in the far eastern Atlantic, and yet another area coming off the African coast. None of these represent any threat to land.
The map dicussion video is a bit long this morning because I added some video that I took during the height of Katrina while in Gulf Shores. The video is at the end of the discussion and was taken looking at Highway 59 where the storm surge had reached the area of Waterville.
Hope you have a great weekend as we all recover from the continuing effects of Hurricane Katrina.
-Brian-
Updated Info from Mississippi EMA
September 3, 2005, 6:59 am
Here is an updated summary of the status of conditions across Mississippi from the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency that I received late last night.
-Brian-
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Friday, September 2, 2005, 9:00 p.m.
HURRICANE KATRINA UPDATE
Jackson, Miss., -- Officials continue to urge Mississippi Gulf Coast evacuees not to attempt to return home. Evacuees or residents attempting to get to the Gulf Coast could be impeding rescue missions, which are still ongoing. Search and rescue teams, other support services and commodities from other states have joined in the effort to assist federal, state and local authorities.
Interstate 1-55 is open, and generally, highways north of and including Interstate 20 are open. Interstate I-10 is closed to the public for the foreseeable future. Highway information is updated regularly by calling 601-359-7017.
Restoration of Cellular Services
Cellular South is working to restore cell service to Hancock County by placing a temporary tower in the Wal-Mart parking lot at Bay St. Louis. Other cell companies are working to provide “cellular on wheels” (COWs) to the affected area.
Shelters
Currently, there are 99 American Red Cross shelters open. The current total population registered population is 12,958, with the total capacity of opened shelters at 32,696. The need to open additional shelters is anticipated. Local governments and other community organizations are asked to consider opening shelters, and local businesses are urged to donate supplies to support those additional shelters in their communities.
Search and Rescue
Currently a total of 22 teams are engaged in search and rescue operations. US Coast Guard and local rescue teams have rescued thousands of individuals.
MS National Guard personnel have been increased to about 3000. MP’s are assisting in coastal counties with law enforcement. 1600 troops and 25 helicopters were deployed today with plans to increase military presence to 5000 over the next 5 days. Guard personnel are active in a broad range of operations in affected areas, such as search and rescue, medical evacuations, law enforcement, transportation of supplies, water and ice distribution, and fire fighting.
Water and Ice Distribution Points
National Guard troops will distribute water and ice in the following locations:
County Location City
Adams Walmart Super Center Natchez
Amite Amite County Court House Liberty
Attala Attala County Court House Kosciusko
Covington Former Piggly Wiggly Super Market Collins
Forrest Lynn Cartlidge Multi-Purpose Bldg. Hattiesburg
Franklin Franklin County Fairgrounds Bude
George National Guard 786 Trans. Co. Lucedale
Hancock Hancock County Livestock Arena Kiln
Harrison County Farm Gulfport
Hinds Mississippi State Fairgrounds Jackson
Jackson Jackson County Fairgrounds Pascagoula
Jasper John R. Sims Livestock Facility Bay Springs
Jefferson Vo-Tech Center Fayette
Jefferson Davis* Prentiss High School Prentiss
Jones Magnolia Center Laurel
Kemper Southern Circuits DeKalb
Lawrence Super Value Parking Lot Monticello
Leake Carthage Coliseum Carthage
D Lincoln Brookhaven Recreation Dept. Brookhaven
D Lowndes Columbus Waverly Square Columbus
Madison Madison County Road Dept. Canton
Marion Columbia Expo Center Columbia
Neshoba Neshoba County Coliseum Philadelphia
Noxubee Noxubee County Arena Macon
Newton Civic Center/Show Barn Newton
Perry Perry Central High School Beaumont
Pike Pike County Fair Grounds McComb
Rankin Rankin County Multi-Purpose Building Brandon
Scott Forrest-Scott County Coliseum Forrest
Simpson South Fork Fish House Magee
Smith Smith Agriculture Complex Raleigh
Stone Stone County Fair Ground Wiggins
Tallahatchie Tallahatchie County Fairgrounds Charleston
Tate Northwest Arena Senatobia
Walthall Southwest Event Center Tylertown
Wayne Mississippi National Guard Waynesboro
Winston Winston County Coliseum Louisville
Yazoo National Guard Armory Yazoo City
*New distribution sites
Power Outages
Current reports indicate a total of 640,742 customers without power. Reports from power companies are as follows:
· Entergy reported 137,705 meters without service
· Mississippi Power reported 159,570 meters without service
· Electrical Power Associations of Mississippi reported 323,955 meters without service
· Tennessee Valley Authority reported 19,512 meters without service
The Mississippi Department of Health requested Federal Disaster Medical Assistance Teams, which have arrived on the coast and have opened fully self-contained hospitals to assist with medical care. The Mississippi Department of Health is issuing boil water notices for several communities and cities, which can be found at the department’s website at www.msdh.state.ms.us. Information for medical professionals who want to volunteer, including physicians, nurses and emergency medical technicians, can also be found at the Department of Health’s website.
All members of the Mississippi State Guard (not the National Guard) who are not deployed please call the Emergency Operations Center at Joint Force Headquarters, Mississippi, at 601-313-6518 and ask for Captain Glover or Colonel Hutson.
Damage Assessments
RESIDENTIAL HOMES
Destroyed- 176
Major Damage 2,871
Minimal Damage- 8, 038
BUSINESS AND AGRICULTURE
Destroyed- 28
Major Damage- 61
Minimal Damage- 249
Coroner confirmed deaths - 161
MS Secretary of State, Eric Clark reminds people to be cautious about giving to charitable organizations that are unfamiliar. If you are not sure if a company is legitimate, please call 601-359-6367.
###
-Brian-
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Friday, September 2, 2005, 9:00 p.m.
HURRICANE KATRINA UPDATE
Jackson, Miss., -- Officials continue to urge Mississippi Gulf Coast evacuees not to attempt to return home. Evacuees or residents attempting to get to the Gulf Coast could be impeding rescue missions, which are still ongoing. Search and rescue teams, other support services and commodities from other states have joined in the effort to assist federal, state and local authorities.
Interstate 1-55 is open, and generally, highways north of and including Interstate 20 are open. Interstate I-10 is closed to the public for the foreseeable future. Highway information is updated regularly by calling 601-359-7017.
Restoration of Cellular Services
Cellular South is working to restore cell service to Hancock County by placing a temporary tower in the Wal-Mart parking lot at Bay St. Louis. Other cell companies are working to provide “cellular on wheels” (COWs) to the affected area.
Shelters
Currently, there are 99 American Red Cross shelters open. The current total population registered population is 12,958, with the total capacity of opened shelters at 32,696. The need to open additional shelters is anticipated. Local governments and other community organizations are asked to consider opening shelters, and local businesses are urged to donate supplies to support those additional shelters in their communities.
Search and Rescue
Currently a total of 22 teams are engaged in search and rescue operations. US Coast Guard and local rescue teams have rescued thousands of individuals.
MS National Guard personnel have been increased to about 3000. MP’s are assisting in coastal counties with law enforcement. 1600 troops and 25 helicopters were deployed today with plans to increase military presence to 5000 over the next 5 days. Guard personnel are active in a broad range of operations in affected areas, such as search and rescue, medical evacuations, law enforcement, transportation of supplies, water and ice distribution, and fire fighting.
Water and Ice Distribution Points
National Guard troops will distribute water and ice in the following locations:
County Location City
Adams Walmart Super Center Natchez
Amite Amite County Court House Liberty
Attala Attala County Court House Kosciusko
Covington Former Piggly Wiggly Super Market Collins
Forrest Lynn Cartlidge Multi-Purpose Bldg. Hattiesburg
Franklin Franklin County Fairgrounds Bude
George National Guard 786 Trans. Co. Lucedale
Hancock Hancock County Livestock Arena Kiln
Harrison County Farm Gulfport
Hinds Mississippi State Fairgrounds Jackson
Jackson Jackson County Fairgrounds Pascagoula
Jasper John R. Sims Livestock Facility Bay Springs
Jefferson Vo-Tech Center Fayette
Jefferson Davis* Prentiss High School Prentiss
Jones Magnolia Center Laurel
Kemper Southern Circuits DeKalb
Lawrence Super Value Parking Lot Monticello
Leake Carthage Coliseum Carthage
D Lincoln Brookhaven Recreation Dept. Brookhaven
D Lowndes Columbus Waverly Square Columbus
Madison Madison County Road Dept. Canton
Marion Columbia Expo Center Columbia
Neshoba Neshoba County Coliseum Philadelphia
Noxubee Noxubee County Arena Macon
Newton Civic Center/Show Barn Newton
Perry Perry Central High School Beaumont
Pike Pike County Fair Grounds McComb
Rankin Rankin County Multi-Purpose Building Brandon
Scott Forrest-Scott County Coliseum Forrest
Simpson South Fork Fish House Magee
Smith Smith Agriculture Complex Raleigh
Stone Stone County Fair Ground Wiggins
Tallahatchie Tallahatchie County Fairgrounds Charleston
Tate Northwest Arena Senatobia
Walthall Southwest Event Center Tylertown
Wayne Mississippi National Guard Waynesboro
Winston Winston County Coliseum Louisville
Yazoo National Guard Armory Yazoo City
*New distribution sites
Power Outages
Current reports indicate a total of 640,742 customers without power. Reports from power companies are as follows:
· Entergy reported 137,705 meters without service
· Mississippi Power reported 159,570 meters without service
· Electrical Power Associations of Mississippi reported 323,955 meters without service
· Tennessee Valley Authority reported 19,512 meters without service
The Mississippi Department of Health requested Federal Disaster Medical Assistance Teams, which have arrived on the coast and have opened fully self-contained hospitals to assist with medical care. The Mississippi Department of Health is issuing boil water notices for several communities and cities, which can be found at the department’s website at www.msdh.state.ms.us. Information for medical professionals who want to volunteer, including physicians, nurses and emergency medical technicians, can also be found at the Department of Health’s website.
All members of the Mississippi State Guard (not the National Guard) who are not deployed please call the Emergency Operations Center at Joint Force Headquarters, Mississippi, at 601-313-6518 and ask for Captain Glover or Colonel Hutson.
Damage Assessments
RESIDENTIAL HOMES
Destroyed- 176
Major Damage 2,871
Minimal Damage- 8, 038
BUSINESS AND AGRICULTURE
Destroyed- 28
Major Damage- 61
Minimal Damage- 249
Coroner confirmed deaths - 161
MS Secretary of State, Eric Clark reminds people to be cautious about giving to charitable organizations that are unfamiliar. If you are not sure if a company is legitimate, please call 601-359-6367.
###
by Brian Peters
in General Thoughts
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