Gustav Sunday Morning August 31st, 2008 Making a Bee Line for Some Town in the Cone..

The picture above is traffic out of New Orleans. Webcam link shown below but sort of tells the whole story.

This is the track of Gustav but the incomparable Skeetobite. If you are within those circles pay close attention of get out if you are in an evacuation area.

Very short on time here.

This is Gustav at 9:30 AM, Sunday morning.



Wanted to say a few things fast.

First off the NHC is doing the most bang up job I have seen in ages. They have been very on the money this year on track as well as doing a pretty good job with intensity forecasting. Listen to them and if you really want to know what is going on try and cut your teeth on the Discussion issued a few minutes after the basic advisory. Good graphics, info and everything you need all at the place where the buck stops first, last and always.

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/

And his track is just on schedule, moving fast the way they said she would. A beeline to the NW the whole way in. A small chance of him slowing down just before the end zone where he may pull to the west. However, he may not so everyone within the cone should pay close attention.

PAY ATTENTION TO THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AND THEIR FORECAST DO NOT OBSESS ON THE MEDIA COVERAGE. THE MEDIA WILL TAKE GREAT SHOTS FROM FAMOUS PLACES IN NEW ORLEANS BUT THEY ARE NOT OUT THERE COVERING ALL THOSE SMALL BAYOU TOWNS ON EITHER SIDE THAT MAY TAKE THE BRUNT OF GUSTAV. SO... WATCH THE CONE, DON'T WATCH THE REPORTER WHO IS ONE OF THE ONLY PEOPLE ON CANAL STREET TAKING A SHOT FOR THE 11 PM NEWS... THIS IS NOT A LOCK ON NOLA, IT IS A LOCK ON SOMEWHERE WITHIN THE CONE.

I am not saying this won't hit New Orleans... I am saying people become glued to the TV set staring at media coverage which sticks with famous, big cities within the cone.

And... the flooding issue with this storm may be further inland and not in the New Orleans Basin. He is progged to slow down and meander a bit once inland between the Louisiana coastline and Oklahoma and Texas and he will dump huge, massive amounts of tropical rain that became entrained in his tropical envelope that surrounds the eye from way back when he was in Jamaica and Haiti. Raindrops caught up in a fury of centrifugal force being carried thousands of miles away from where it first got caught up in the storm. I am taking a few liberties here but you get the idea. This is a West Indies Cyclone carrying tropical moisture up into the heartland of this country. And..there will be flooding far inland.

Places like Morgan City and New Orleans take the brunt of storm surge but the storm keeps moving inland.

This has happened over and over since time began or the time line we know and understand began.

August brings hurricanes to La and they keep coming through September. And, this year is not over. This may not be a one hit wonder. It's a busy hurricane season with landfalling storms and more may landfall so if you miss this one don't eat up your hurricane supplies and keep watching the tropics.

Some tidbits, some pictures and that's it for this morning from me. Read more at www.flhurricane.com and www.hurricanecity.com or storm2k or any of the online message boards but stick with the NHC for the bottom line please. People love to talk online and mention every wobble but we are just talking, discussing.. the NHC is in charge.

August is prime time for Hurricanes in Louisiana

They've been hitting since forever..way before Katrina. Here's a look into an unforgettable hurricane that affected this region over 150 years ago.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1856_Last_Island_hurricane

Camille, never to be forgotten in 1969 in August.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Betsy

Here's a storm that hit in September with devastating effects that was remembered forever across the region.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Orleans_Hurricane_of_1915

A few good links. Here's the highways in the area, you get the feeling for some places that look like ghost towns and others where people are sitting in traffic out of town. Also... a good site for info.



http://www.dotd.louisiana.gov/press/traffic_cameras/cameras_no.asp?camera=Cam4

http://www.lsu.edu/departments/laseagrant/hurricane/index.htm

As for me.. I have weather. I may get dressed at the party place or take my hair stuff with me. Have a feeling everyone is going to look like well dressed ducks trying to get into the hall but they will be thankful that is all they are getting. We had a tornado warning earlier with a tornado spotted just west of me. Squalls will be hitting Florida all day, some stronger than others and Florida will say a prayer of thanks we did not get more and prayers for our tropical friends in Louisiana and places around the Gulf of Mexico in Gustav's path.

As for Hanna..she is a real bitch to forecast. Models take her in every direction. One school of thought takes her SW and then back to the WNW or NW towards land, another thought takes her into a big loop and then swings her up towards the Carolinas and New York. Another school of thought keeps her out there as a permanent tropical low. Does this sound familiar? Yes, it does. This is 2008, the year of weak, funky steering currents and landfalling storms. Enough to make you lose your hair, have it turn gray or take up wearing a wig.

Not an easy storm to forecast and though there may be a lot of Chana's coming to this Bar Mitzvah Hanna is not and not going to seriously think on Hanna for a few days. But know I have heard many in high places say that once Hanna gets her act together she may be a much stronger hurricane than anyone expects and sort of sneak up on some city watching the aftermath coverage of Gustav. But, until it does crank up and does something we will watch Gustav but do not take your eye off her if you live in the area of Florida or the Carolinas, Georgia might be exempt. Teasing.. no one is exempt right now on the SE or Eastern Coastline.



Me thinking Hanna may be a big drama queen and she is waiting for Gustav to get going and doing his thing so down the line we have her complete attention.

Have a safe day where ever you live or are evacuating to and may your world be there when you get back because somewhere within that cone Gustav is going to rock someone's world.

Besos Bobbi
Ps.. the only good thing I can say is she has been suffering from some shear but think it's light and might not continue and don't watch short term changes in her appearance and stick with the NHC and their up to the minute updates.