Retracing the footsteps of America's greatest modern day natural disaster from one year ago...
KATRINA – Day One - August 23, 2005
Tropical depression number twelve formed over the Bahamas at 5 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, August 23, 2005. The storm, which was moving northwest, was predicted by forecasters to make a westward turn and threaten South Florida. A Tropical Storm Watch was issued for the East Coast of Florida and the Florida Keys just before midnight. The official five day forecast track issued by the National Hurricane Center with the first advisory indicated that the depression would become a tropical storm before reaching the coast of Southeast Florida Thursday evening. It would then take about twenty four hours to cross the Florida Peninsula before emerging over the southeastern Gulf of Mexico.
KATRINA – Day Two - August 24, 2005
Tropical Depression Twelve continued to become better organized and was christened Tropical Storm Katrina at 11 a.m. EDT. Immediately, a Hurricane Watch was issued for the Florida coastline since the storm was expected to become a hurricane before making landfall.
Weather forecasters warned that the storm’s slow forward motion could lead to serious flooding over South Florida. They also were concerned that light upper level winds and warm ocean waters could lead to a round of rapid intensification before landfall. The only inhibiting factor was dry air in the atmosphere surrounding the hurricane. Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center monitored their array of computer models and worried that Katrina could become a serious problem for South Florida.
The usually reliable GFDL model painted a disastrous scenario of Katrina becoming an intense hurricane before cross extreme South Florida and the northern Keys. This could have presented another Hurricane Andrew scenario for South Florida. Of course, that did not happen.
By late evening, Katrina’s winds had increased to 50 mph and the Hurricane Watch was changed to a Hurricane Warning from Vero Beach to Florida City, including Lake Okeechobee. Also, in the back of everyone’s minds: what would happen when the hurricane emerged over the Gulf. With Katrina intensifying and taking a more southerly track, the amount of weakening that could be expected as the storm crossed Florida was lessening and forecasters were faced with the looming possibility of a rapidly strengthening storm over the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
KATRINA – Day Three - August 25, 2005
Early on the morning of Thursday, August 25, 2005, the all too familiar twin square orange and black hurricane warning flags were flying over South Florida. Residents were beginning the drudgery of preparation for another hurricane.
Hurricane Katrina, located less than one hundred miles east of Fort Lauderdale, steamed west at eight mph underneath a ridge of high pressure to the north. Even though the developing storm was not a hurricane, forecasters at the National Hurricane Center expected it to become one before it made landfall that night.
Strong thunderstorm towers (called hot towers) around the storm’s center and a well-developed wind field indicated that strengthening was a definite possibility. Official forecast graphics issued by the National Hurricane Center could not be ignored. The hurricane would cross the Florida Peninsula fairly quickly, and emerge into the eastern Gulf of Mexico, where strengthening would be inevitable. Then forecasters and emergency officials would be faced with the frightening possibility of an intensifying hurricane in the Gulf, and landfall had to come somewhere.
Katrina made landfall around 6:30 p.m. near the Dade/Broward County line between Miami and Fort Lauderdale. A wind gust to 92 mph was measured. Three people died in the storm in South Florida, from faling trees. Katrina left 1.3 million people without electricity in South Florida.
More all weekend...
Bill Murray
KATRINA – Day One - August 23, 2005
Tropical depression number twelve formed over the Bahamas at 5 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, August 23, 2005. The storm, which was moving northwest, was predicted by forecasters to make a westward turn and threaten South Florida. A Tropical Storm Watch was issued for the East Coast of Florida and the Florida Keys just before midnight. The official five day forecast track issued by the National Hurricane Center with the first advisory indicated that the depression would become a tropical storm before reaching the coast of Southeast Florida Thursday evening. It would then take about twenty four hours to cross the Florida Peninsula before emerging over the southeastern Gulf of Mexico.
KATRINA – Day Two - August 24, 2005
Tropical Depression Twelve continued to become better organized and was christened Tropical Storm Katrina at 11 a.m. EDT. Immediately, a Hurricane Watch was issued for the Florida coastline since the storm was expected to become a hurricane before making landfall.
Weather forecasters warned that the storm’s slow forward motion could lead to serious flooding over South Florida. They also were concerned that light upper level winds and warm ocean waters could lead to a round of rapid intensification before landfall. The only inhibiting factor was dry air in the atmosphere surrounding the hurricane. Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center monitored their array of computer models and worried that Katrina could become a serious problem for South Florida.
The usually reliable GFDL model painted a disastrous scenario of Katrina becoming an intense hurricane before cross extreme South Florida and the northern Keys. This could have presented another Hurricane Andrew scenario for South Florida. Of course, that did not happen.
By late evening, Katrina’s winds had increased to 50 mph and the Hurricane Watch was changed to a Hurricane Warning from Vero Beach to Florida City, including Lake Okeechobee. Also, in the back of everyone’s minds: what would happen when the hurricane emerged over the Gulf. With Katrina intensifying and taking a more southerly track, the amount of weakening that could be expected as the storm crossed Florida was lessening and forecasters were faced with the looming possibility of a rapidly strengthening storm over the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
KATRINA – Day Three - August 25, 2005
Early on the morning of Thursday, August 25, 2005, the all too familiar twin square orange and black hurricane warning flags were flying over South Florida. Residents were beginning the drudgery of preparation for another hurricane.
Hurricane Katrina, located less than one hundred miles east of Fort Lauderdale, steamed west at eight mph underneath a ridge of high pressure to the north. Even though the developing storm was not a hurricane, forecasters at the National Hurricane Center expected it to become one before it made landfall that night.
Strong thunderstorm towers (called hot towers) around the storm’s center and a well-developed wind field indicated that strengthening was a definite possibility. Official forecast graphics issued by the National Hurricane Center could not be ignored. The hurricane would cross the Florida Peninsula fairly quickly, and emerge into the eastern Gulf of Mexico, where strengthening would be inevitable. Then forecasters and emergency officials would be faced with the frightening possibility of an intensifying hurricane in the Gulf, and landfall had to come somewhere.
Katrina made landfall around 6:30 p.m. near the Dade/Broward County line between Miami and Fort Lauderdale. A wind gust to 92 mph was measured. Three people died in the storm in South Florida, from faling trees. Katrina left 1.3 million people without electricity in South Florida.
More all weekend...
Bill Murray