Hurricane Hanna Forms, Gustav's Eye Moves on TD 9 tracks west....

Looking like connect the dots in the Tropics. Follow the bouncing ball? Sort of no words and they keep on coming.

Hurricane Hanna has just formed as she was recently upgraded from a Tropical Storm. She looks much better by the way and she is consolidating power but I don't want to spend too much time on her while people's lives are still in danger from Gustav.

Gustav has moved inland as a solid Category 2. I don't think damage will show anything higher than that as long as the levees hold. There is still a long way to go before this is over. And, there is a ways to go before areas far from his eye are finished with strong squalls in his band.

Keep watching, his wind speed is down to 105 and he is still moving at a fast clip. The fast forward speed is a blessing.

It is far from over but be thankful he was not stronger.

Again I want to remind people that this is NOT Katrina but a hurricane named Gustav.

Link to advisory before Katrina made landfall and text below.
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2005/pub/al122005.public_a.026.shtml?

HURRICANE KATRINA INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER 26A...CORRECTED
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
6 AM CDT MON AUG 29 2005

CORRECTED TIMES TO 6 AM CDT

...EXTREMELY DANGEROUS CATEGORY FOUR HURRICANE KATRINA PREPARING
TO MOVE ONSHORE NEAR SOUTHERN PLAQUEMINES PARISH LOUISIANA...
...HURRICANE-FORCE WIND GUSTS OCCURRING OVER MOST OF SOUTHEASTERN
LOUISIANA...IN THE NEW ORLEANS METROPOLITAN AREA...AND AS FAR
EAST AS THE CHANDELEUR ISLANDS...

A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTH CENTRAL GULF COAST
FROM MORGAN CITY LOUISIANA EASTWARD TO THE ALABAMA/FLORIDA
BORDER...INCLUDING THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS AND LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN.
PREPARATIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY SHOULD HAVE BEEN
COMPLETED.

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING AND A HURRICANE WATCH ARE IN EFFECT FROM
EAST OF THE ALABAMA/FLORIDA BORDER TO DESTIN FLORIDA...AND FROM
WEST OF MORGAN CITY TO INTRACOASTAL CITY LOUISIANA.

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS ALSO IN EFFECT FROM DESTIN FLORIDA
EASTWARD TO INDIAN PASS FLORIDA...AND FROM INTRACOASTAL CITY
LOUISIANA WESTWARD TO CAMERON LOUISIANA.

FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...INCLUDING POSSIBLE
INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED
BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE.

AT 6 AM CDT...1100Z...THE CENTER OF MAJOR HURRICANE KATRINA WAS
LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 29.1 NORTH... LONGITUDE 89.6 WEST OR ABOUT
MIDWAY BETWEEN GRAND ISLE AND THE MOUTH OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER.
THIS IS ALSO ABOUT 70 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF NEW ORLEANS
LOUISIANA AND ABOUT 95 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF BILOXI MISSISSIPPI.

KATRINA IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH NEAR 15 MPH... AND THIS
MOTION IS FORECAST TO CONTINUE TODAY. A GRADUAL TURN TOWARD THE
NORTH-NORTHEAST AT A SLIGHTLY FASTER FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED
LATER TONIGHT AND ON TUESDAY. ON THE FORECAST TRACK...KATRINA WILL
MOVE ONSHORE THE SOUTHERN COAST OF PLAQUEMINES PARISH NEAR EMPIRE
AND BURAS LOUSIANA WITHIN THE ENXT HOUR...AND REACH THE
LOUISIANA-MISSISSIPPI BORDER AREA BY EARLY AFTERNOON. CONDITIONS
WILL CONTINUE TO STEADILY DETERIORATE OVER CENTRAL AND SOUTHEASTERN
LOUISIANA...SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI...AND SOUTHERN ALABAMA THROUGHOUT
THE DAY.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 145 MPH...WITH HIGHER
GUSTS.

Below is information on damage that impacts an area from the different category levels 2 and 4 to illustrate the difference.


Category Two Hurricane:
Winds 96-110 mph (83-95 kt or 154-177 km/hr). Storm surge generally 6-8 feet above normal. Some roofing material, door, and window damage of buildings. Considerable damage to shrubbery and trees with some trees blown down. Considerable damage to mobile homes, poorly constructed signs, and piers. Coastal and low-lying escape routes flood 2-4 hours before arrival of the hurricane center. Small craft in unprotected anchorages break moorings. Hurricane Frances of 2004 made landfall over the southern end of Hutchinson Island, Florida as a Category Two hurricane. Hurricane Isabel of 2003 made landfall near Drum Inlet on the Outer Banks of North Carolina as a Category 2 hurricane.

VS

Category Four Hurricane:
Winds 131-155 mph (114-135 kt or 210-249 km/hr). Storm surge generally 13-18 ft above normal. More extensive curtainwall failures with some complete roof structure failures on small residences. Shrubs, trees, and all signs are blown down. Complete destruction of mobile homes. Extensive damage to doors and windows. Low-lying escape routes may be cut by rising water 3-5 hours before arrival of the center of the hurricane. Major damage to lower floors of structures near the shore. Terrain lower than 10 ft above sea level may be flooded requiring massive evacuation of residential areas as far inland as 6 miles (10 km). Hurricane Charley of 2004 was a Category Four hurricane made landfall in Charlotte County, Florida with winds of 150 mph. Hurricane Dennis (pdf) of 2005 struck the island of Cuba as a Category Four hurricane.

A lot going on... TD 9 formed and it's early 5 day is due west towards South Florida but as we know 5 days can be wrong early on but... the NHC has been very good so far this year so keep watching.

That Atlantic Tropical Basin is Busy:



Early track of TD 9 and soon to be IKE below:



Press conference on TV annoying me. Can't believe that President Bush chose now to give a press conference. Now is not the time while it's making landfall. Seems Bush in Texas to monitor Hurricane Gustav.. no words, too little and way too late. Seems the only place he is wanted is in China at the Olympics in a very non-democratic government. I'm sorry but cannot believe he is giving a press conference now ... no words. And, I am more republican than democratic so this is not a party political comment. IF anything wrong time for this little press conference as people want current, live info on the storm not a press conference by Bush. IF he was going to ask people to evacuate the time was two days ago not now while people are tuning in to see if the levee is breaking. Well..I do want to thank him for caring...tell someone who cares and let's get back to the news.

And...there is a lot of news as the eye is now passing over Louisiana and we are able to see minor damage and construction cranes twisting slowly in a light breeze. Far away strong storms are slamming Mississippi to Gustav's East.

And... again.... Hanna just became a Hurricane.. what a Hurricane Train forming..

Advisory on Hanna:

...Hanna becomes the fourth hurricane of the season...


at 130 PM AST...1730 UTC...the government of the Bahamas has issued
a Hurricane Warning for the central Bahamas...the southeastern
Bahamas...and the Turks and Caicos Islands. A Hurricane Warning
means that hurricane conditions are expected within the warning
area within the next 24 hours. Preparations to protect life and
property should be rushed to completion.


For storm information specific to your area...including possible
inland watches and warnings...please monitor products issued
by your local weather office.


At 130 PM AST...1730z...the center of Hurricane Hanna was located
near latitude 22.4 north...longitude 72.6 west...or very near
Mayaguana island in the southeastern Bahamas.


Hanna is moving toward the west-southwest near 5 mph...7 km/hr. A
slow motion toward the west-southwest or southwest is expected
today followed by a turn toward the west and northwest
on Tuesday. On the forecast track...Hanna will be moving over the
southeastern and central Bahamas during the next couple of days.


Maximum sustained winds are near 75 mph...120 km/hr...with higher
gusts. Hanna is a category one hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson
scale. Some additional strengthening is forecast during the next 24
hours.


Here's some music from the incomparable Johnny Cash & Louis Armstrong...



As for me... I'll be back after I go swimming with my guy and get away from the round the clock coverage I've been following since I woke up early this morning.

Personally.... most of the kids have left, the parties were wonderful and my son Mendy turns 19 today :) Happy Birthday Menechem Mendel!! I remember when I was carrying him, he was due and Gabrielle was out there and I kept thinking if we had a girl maybe we should name him Gabrielle. We are having a small party this evening and I have a philosophy in life and that on days when I gave birth to a baby.. I should be the one who gets to party. And, I am... pool party. While the pool is still standing before Hanna or Ike blow it away.........

Besos Bobbi