( NOAA Image of the Day )

This thing still looks like it's headed direct for New Orleans...

The NWS once again shows its superior writing skills when it comes to inducing panic and fear...though given how some people are loathe to leave hurricane country even when mega-storms are approaching, I can see why they're screaming...Hurricane Camille destroyed an apartment building that was built to double as an air-raid shelter!

HURRICANE KATRINA
A MOST POWERFUL HURRICANE WITH UNPRECEDENTED
STRENGTH...RIVALING THE INTENSITY OF HURRICANE CAMILLE OF 1969.

MOST OF THE AREA WILL BE UNINHABITABLE FOR WEEKS...PERHAPS LONGER. AT
LEAST ONE HALF OF WELL CONSTRUCTED HOMES WILL HAVE ROOF AND WALL
FAILURE. ALL GABLED ROOFS WILL FAIL...LEAVING THOSE HOMES SEVERELY
DAMAGED OR DESTROYED.

THE MAJORITY OF INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS WILL BECOME NON FUNCTIONAL.
PARTIAL TO COMPLETE WALL AND ROOF FAILURE IS EXPECTED. ALL WOOD
FRAMED LOW RISING APARTMENT BUILDINGS WILL BE DESTROYED. CONCRETE
BLOCK LOW RISE APARTMENTS WILL SUSTAIN MAJOR DAMAGE...INCLUDING SOME
WALL AND ROOF FAILURE.

HIGH RISE OFFICE AND APARTMENT BUILDINGS WILL SWAY DANGEROUSLY...A
FEW TO THE POINT OF TOTAL COLLAPSE. ALL WINDOWS WILL BLOW OUT.

AIRBORNE DEBRIS WILL BE WIDESPREAD...AND MAY INCLUDE HEAVY ITEMS SUCH
AS HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCES AND EVEN LIGHT VEHICLES. SPORT UTILITY
VEHICLES AND LIGHT TRUCKS WILL BE MOVED. THE BLOWN DEBRIS WILL CREATE
ADDITIONAL DESTRUCTION. PERSONS...PETS...AND LIVESTOCK EXPOSED TO THE
WINDS WILL FACE CERTAIN DEATH IF STRUCK.

POWER OUTAGES WILL LAST FOR WEEKS...AS MOST POWER POLES WILL BE DOWN
AND TRANSFORMERS DESTROYED. WATER SHORTAGES WILL MAKE HUMAN SUFFERING
INCREDIBLE BY MODERN STANDARDS.

THE VAST MAJORITY OF NATIVE TREES WILL BE SNAPPED OR UPROOTED. ONLY
THE HEARTIEST WILL REMAIN STANDING...BUT BE TOTALLY DEFOLIATED. FEW
CROPS WILL REMAIN. LIVESTOCK LEFT EXPOSED TO THE WINDS WILL BE
KILLED.

AN INLAND HURRICANE WIND WARNING IS ISSUED WHEN SUSTAINED WINDS NEAR
HURRICANE FORCE...OR FREQUENT GUSTS AT OR ABOVE HURRICANE FORCE...ARE
CERTAIN WITHIN THE NEXT 12 TO 24 HOURS.

ONCE TROPICAL STORM AND HURRICANE FORCE WINDS ONSET...DO NOT VENTURE
OUTSIDE!

LAZ038-040-050-056>070-282100-
ASSUMPTION-LIVINGSTON-LOWER JEFFERSON-LOWER LAFOURCHE-
LOWER PLAQUEMINES-LOWER ST. BERNARD-LOWER TERREBONNE-ORLEANS-
ST. CHARLES-ST. JAMES-ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST-ST. TAMMANY-TANGIPAHOA-
UPPER JEFFERSON-UPPER LAFOURCHE-UPPER PLAQUEMINES-UPPER ST. BERNARD-
UPPER TERREBONNE-
1011 AM CDT SUN AUG 28 2005

National Weather Service
Mirror from the College of DuPage

PS: Remember this dryly written warning back in December 2003? In contrast to the above, it was a joke, though effective because it was written in a dispassion that generally typifies the NWS.

Since Wednesday, the coasts of Louisiana and Texas has been under a Tropical Storm warning. The storm responsible for this new warning — Ivan. Yes, the Ivan that hit and made landfall on the coast of Alabama last Thursday. The same Ivan that is more than likely responsible for the loss of power here at SterlingManor for 30 hours (despite the fact that power failed 8 or so hours after the weather had cleared). Ivan had looped south back off the coast of Florida and now that it is back in the tropical waters, it is a tropical storm again. This is so unprecedented, the National Hurricane Center had to debate whether to give Ivan back his name or to name him Matthew, or if he gets his old name back.

Here, you can watch its path...over, as of tonight, 21 days.

Of course, that isn't the only storm that seems to be lost.  Jeanne did this same loop-de-loop over the Atlantic and is now poised to hit the US again... if it doesn't loop a few more times.

This has been one of the more unbelievable tropical seasons.

Somebody in Louisiana wanted it to be against the law to wear low-riding pants in the state. Yes, that is what the legislature in Louisiana does there. Debate whether good taste can be legislated.

The pending legislation vas voted down.

Pick up the new magazine, Louisiana Job Market Monthly...


(from Suspect Device)
Remind me to take a lesson from Greg Peters.