Gustav is a MEGA HURRICANE, CATEGORY 5, IT WILL MAKE LANDFALL W/ SUSTAINED 150MPH WINDS

[RollWithIt]

This storm is a nightmare for the United States of America. To make matters worse, it is scheduled to make landfall in the most vulnerable areas of the US at this time. Seeing these same areas hit AGAIN after Katrina is going to be enormously tragic. I urge my fellow DU'ers to focus on the loss of life and prosperity this storm will cause. The political ramifications are instantly visible, lets focus on the people on the ground.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

1. OMG

[jgraz]

2. Is ANYONE asking FEMA if they're ready this time?

Do we have pre-positioned resources? Are there any vehicles coming to help in the evacuation? Do we have anyone besides armed Blackwater troops ready to respond?

[GrizzlyMan]

4. Rest easty, Brownie is on the case.

[TheCowsCameHome]

8. So is *W* - a case of Jim Beam...........

[Ilsa]

30. What's left of FEMA is being mobilized and evacuations are

being done now.

The bad news about FEMA is that when they were swept under Homeland Security, they lost people because they made them reapply for their jobs. I know someone who reapplied three times, but they kept fucking up her paperwork to the point that she told them to fuck off. I wonder if they are staffed up yet.

My brother knows a former Army Ranger who quit Homeland Security because he said it was a worthless organization --- they do little make people safe.

People are going to have to be aggressive in getting out of the cone of probable landing. I hope it is better than 3 years ago.

We live close to the Texas coast. Some of my family is evacuating. We might be far enough south to avoid a hit, but we are checking on it every couple of hours.

[gravity]

43. Fema will definately be prepared this time

Even if they don't care about protecting lives, the republican administration will be motivated by protecting their own asses.

[jgraz]

44. Really? They're still incompetent as hell.

[TheCowsCameHome]

3. Wow, that is not going to be good.............

The folks in it's path had better evacuate quickly.

[skooooo]

5. Nothing will ever be as bad as Katrina.

There are fewer people living in the city, and more people are being moved out ahead of time.

[RollWithIt]

You do not understand the power of this storm, you will understand over the next 24 hrs...

It is passing over the thinest and lowest lying lands of Cuba, no buffer, where it will enter the loop cycle of the Gulf. It will enter the loop cycle as a Category 4 hurricane. AND STRENGTHEN. The flooding in New Orleans was a failure of engineering. This storm is a monster, it's bigger than Katrina.

[skooooo]

11. What was Katrina?

category 4?

[Fearless]

13. I seem to remember a very strong 3 at landfall... I could be wrong though.

[kdmorris]

19. She was a CAT3 at landfall

Mainly because, just before landfall, she started an eyewall replacement cycle, which tends to weaken storms.

Edited to add: Because she spent so much time as a CAT5, her storm surge was not what one would normally expect with a CAT3. It was much worse.

[blue_onyx]

23. Yes

I believe Katrina was a category 5 but went down to a category 4 before it hit land.

[kdmorris]

26. From the official report - She was CAT3

"At landfall, sustained winds were 127 mph (a strong Category 3 hurricane on the
Saffir-Simpson scale—see Figure 2), and the minimum central pressure was the third lowest on
record (920 mb)."

http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/reports/tech-report-200501z.pdf

Not that it matters... really... 127 is plenty enough to destroy things.

[blue_onyx]

33. oh, ok. Just thought I remembered hearing category 4 :)

[kdmorris]

36. Oh it was, at one point

Had 185 mph winds in the middle of the gulf (that's CAT5), which was pretty damned scary for us Hurricane Junkies. Katrina may actually be upgraded one day (like Andrew was 10 years after he made landfall. It was determined that he was actually a CAT5)

I think there's plenty of evidence to support her actually being a CAT4 at landfall, but I'm just a weather geek and not a meteorologist, so my opinion isn't worth much.

I sincerely hope that Gustav doesn't become another Katrina and everyone is moved out of harm's way. I just don't think it's going to happen, given that they haven't issued a MANDATORY evacuation yet, though they may do that tomorrow. They will have to go door to door to find the shut-ins and elderly that have no means to get to the buses or get out.

[RollWithIt]

31. Katrina gained category 4 AFTER passing Cuba, about 24 hours before making landfall it was CAT 5

Then it was weaeken by wind shear and made landfall in Mississippi as a Cat 3. New Orleans was actually on the weakside of Katrina. It appears New Orleans will be on the strong side (right side) of this storm. Maximum storm surge and wind damage directly to New Orleans and Louisiana proper.

[kdmorris]

24. It's possible that not as many people will die

But it's hard to say that nothing will ever be as bad. There are so many factors that come together to make a storm "bad" that, while other storms may not have the horrible storm surge that Katrina had, the winds might be much worse (like Andrew).

But, hopefully, they will have learned a lesson from Katrina and not as many people will ever die again, thereby making it "not as bad" in my book.

[jhain]

41. wish you could be right

this is worse

[krkaufman]

52. You make a good point.

Much will depend on what people do in preparation, and how many are left stranded.

[fortyfeetunder]

6. Prayers to our DU'ers living in that area

Whatever you do, please stay safe.

:hug:

[Clear Blue Sky]

7. Screw the politics of this. Lots of people might die in this storm. Prayers for NOLA.

[ChimpersMcSmirkers]

9. Yeah, it's going to be nasty. Godspeed to those in the path.

[cbc5g]

10. The latest models aren't good for NO

Starting to show eastward shift toward a point just SW of NO. The surge will be major. Will the levees work?

[LonelyLRLiberal]

46. Good question - I thought they said it would take several years to make repairs.

They'll get storm surge right into Lake Pontchitrain (sp?).

[gristy]

12. Who says it's a Cat 5?

Who?

In their last public advisory (3 hours ago), the NHC rated it a cat 4:

DATA FROM AN AIR FORCE RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT INDICATE THAT MAXIMUM
SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE INCREASED TO NEAR 150 MPH...240 KM/HR...WITH
HIGHER GUSTS. GUSTAV IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS CATEGORY FOUR
HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE SCALE. SOME FLUCTUATIONS
WITH AN OVERALL SLIGHT STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 24
HOURS...AND GUSTAV COULD REACH CATEGORY FIVE INTENSITY DURING THIS
PERIOD. GUSTAV IS FORECAST TO REMAIN A MAJOR HURRICANE THROUGH
LANDFALL ALONG THE NORTHERN GULF COAST.

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/MIATCPAT2+shtml/302053.shtml?

[depakid]

14. 5-4-3 whatever- it's an impressive storm and it's already killed a lot of people

More: http://www.wunderground.com/tropical/tracking/at200807.html

[RollWithIt]

16. It's a category 4 before it even passed Cuba

it is passing over the thinest portion of Cuba, and passing into the warm waters of the Gulf. It may weaken upon landfall to a category 3/4 with sustained winds of 140 mph. MAYBE. That's best case scenario. A Cat 5 landfall would occur in Texas on Thursday.

[BumRushDaShow]

28. The potential is that because the Gulf water is so warm

that it should easily strengthen to Cat 5 once it is out in open water.

This is so sad - especially since there is another in its wake - Hanna. :cry:

[gristy]

32. My point is that it isn't a Cat 5 yet

The OP says otherwise.

[Political Heretic]

54. So your post says its 4 predicted to go to 5..... sounds pretty serious to me!

Nit-picking, perhaps?

[gauguin57]

15. I will be praying for everyone in the hurricane zone.

Please stay safe down there!

:grouphug:

[Glimmer of Hope]

17. What is the possibility that it will weaken?

[TwilightZone]

20. According to weatherunderground.com, it's expected to weaken somewhat before landfall.

Source: http://www.wunderground.com/tropical/tracking/at200807.html

Regardless, it's a monster storm.

[GrizzlyMan]

21. That was being discussed earlier today as likely

But they are backing off of that near as I can tell.

[mzmolly]

18. I hope to goodness everyone is evacuated in time.

:(

[GoesTo11]

22. What can a community like DU do to help?

Any ideas? We've got this big infrastructure and group of people who communicate.

Raise $ when needed?
Getting out info, like some people have.
Anything else?

[tammywammy]

29. Donate to the Red Cross

They're already mobilizing volunteers for the aftermath.

[maseman]

45. I have two big chain saws

When I would get down there where do you go and who do you check in with? The Red cross. All I woul need is some water, food and a place to crash. Hell I could sleep in my car.

I just want to help.

[Awsi Dooger]

25. I can't believe its expanse

I was watching the Weather Channel and Gustav had a reach equaling the entire state of Florida.

[Major Hogwash]

27. Threads about the weather go in the weather forum.

You obviously didn't read the posting rules to GDP.

[RollWithIt]

34. If I had the power to reach through the internet, and smack you across the face, I would....

Your post is not acceptable.

[gristy]

38. LOL

And your OP is, I take it? You are funny!

[Political Heretic]

55. How the fuck can we be fighting about a simple thread worried about loss of life in a hurricane?

Good god people... for fucks sake.

[Phx_Dem]

35. It's a monster. Very scary.

Thank God they seem to be a doing a good job evacuating people (and their pets, I might add!). I just can't believe these same people are getting hit again -- maybe even harder. ;(;(;(

[npincus]

37. G-d help us.

[rainbow4321]

39. I asked this elsewhere but ....

What plans have they made to evac all the hospitalized patients in NO and where ever else this hits??

It's not like those acute care hospitals (ICU's and those too ill to be discharged to home) can go hop on the evac buses.

MSM needs to contact each and every hospital and demand to know this NOW.

Anything short of a constant wave of evac copters landing on the hospital roofs is not acceptable.

Especially since after Katrina, there will most likely be no medical/nursing staff volunteering to stay behind.

[Butch350]

40. Right now it's a Cat 4...evacution plans have been activated...

[Prophet 451]

42. Nagin has ordered a mandatory evac n/t

[vaberella]

47. Gustav ate parts of Haiti. I have family members going crazy. I'm worried about the US. n/t

[Erin Elizabeth]

48. I'm seriously worried.

My stomach hurts all the time, I have a constant headache. It feels like three years ago. I live in Texas and I swear my heart is still broken over Katrina.

And I SWEAR TO GOD if I see anyone here jumping up and down with glee that Gustav is interrupting the GOP convention, I'll lose it. I mean, yeah, ok, the media would be TOTALLY divided and distracted. But not for a good reason, not at all.

Augh.

[MiniMe]

49. Does it look like it's going to go over Crawford?

Can movie sets withstand that kind of wind and rain? It would most likely be a tropical storm by the time it got there, still....

How will Pat Robertson spin that one?

[eridani]

50. I think it will be easier to get people out this time

At least now everyone knows what COULD happen.

[krkaufman]

51. So will McCain get confused and think the Russians are attacking?

[Political Heretic]

56. WE'RE ALL GEORGIANS NOW....er.... wait...

[Political Heretic]

53. We should already have disaster resonse lined up and ready to go.....

...and after the administrations total failure last time, I would think they would be on national TV outlining their preparations for immediate response.

But no.... of course not.