NWS New Orleans/Baton Rouge Mon Aug 29 2005 619 AM CDT Inland Hurricane Warning

Heat Continues for the East and South-Central U.S.; Strong to Severe Storms Across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast

The extremely dangerous heat wave continues across the East Coast and much of the South-Central U.S. today. Record high temperatures are expected for some areas especially across the Mid-Atlantic where extreme heat risk conditions reside. There is a Slight Risk (level 2 of 5) of severe thunderstorms today for the northern Mid-Atlantic into portions of southern New England. Read More >

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW ORLEANS LA 619 AM CDT MON AUG 29 2005 ...EXTREMELY DANGEROUS HURRICANE KATRINA MOVING ACROSS LOWER PLAQUEMINES PARISH... ...DEVASTATING DAMAGE EXPECTED... 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 POSSIBLY TO THE POINT OF TOTAL COLLAPSE. MANY 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. $$ LAZ037>040-049-050-057>070-MSZ070-071-077-080>082-291700- ASCENSION-HANCOCK-HARRISON-JACKSON-LIVINGSTON-LOWER JEFFERSON- LOWER LAFOURCHE-LOWER PLAQUEMINES-LOWER ST BERNARD-LOWER TERREBONNE- ORLEANS-PEARL RIVER-PIKE-ST CHARLES-ST HELENA-ST JAMES- ST JOHN THE BAPTIST-ST TAMMANY-TANGIPAHOA-UPPER JEFFERSON- UPPER LAFOURCHE-UPPER PLAQUEMINES-UPPER ST BERNARD-UPPER TERREBONNE- WALTHALL-WASHINGTON- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...BILOXI...GULFPORT...BOGALUSA... GRAND ISLE...HAMMOND...HOUMA...MCCOMB...METAIRIE...NEW ORLEANS... PASCAGOULA...PICAYUNE...SLIDELL 619 AM CDT MON AUG 29 2005 ...INLAND HURRICANE WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT... HURRICANE KATRINA CONTINUES TO APPROACH THE AREA. HURRICANE FORCE SUSTAINED WINDS ARE OVERSPREADING THE COASTAL PARISHES AT THIS TIME AND HURRICANE GUSTS ARE AS FAR NORTH AS LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN AS OF 6 AM CDT. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO ONSET FARTHER NORTH BY MID-MORNING AND PERSIST FOR 5 TO 8 HOURS. MAXIMUM WIND GUSTS AROUND 175 MPH ARE POSSIBLE IN THE WARNED AREA THIS MORNING. DO NOT VENTURE OUTDOORS $$ LAZ034>036-046>048-056-MSZ068-069-291700- AMITE-ASSUMPTION-EAST BATON ROUGE-EAST FELICIANA-IBERVILLE- POINTE COUPEE-WEST BATON ROUGE-WEST FELICIANA-WILKINSON- INCLUDING THE CITY OF...BATON ROUGE 619 AM CDT MON AUG 29 2005 ...INLAND TROPICAL STORM WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT... HURRICANE KATRINA WAS MOVING ONSHORE NEAR EMPIRE LOUISIANA AT 6 AM CDT. THE TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS WILL EXTEND WESTWARD GENERALLY WEST OF A LIBERTY TO DENHAM SPRINGS TO LABADIEVILLE AND CONTINUES TO APPROACH THE AREA. TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO PERSIST THROUGH LATE AFTERNOON. MAXIMUM WIND GUSTS OF 80 TO 90 MPH ARE POSSIBLE IN EAST-CENTRAL LOUISIANA AND SOUTHWEST MISSISSIPPI. DO NOT VENTURE OUTDOORS ONCE TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS ONSET $$ 24