katrina (Page 3)

The National Hurricane Center declared Tropical Storm Wilma this morning, the 21st named storm of the Atlantic Hurricane season. This ties the record for a hurricane season, and after the warmest September on record, there remains the possiblity that the season could extend into November.

Wilma appears poised to enter the Gulf of Mexico, where waters remain warmer than normal. It could develop there into a major hurricane that might again threaten the region. Onshore waters immediately south of the US Gulf Coast are about a degree cooler than they were last month, however, so it is possible that a slow moving storm might weaken somewhat as it comes ashore.
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As Hurricane Rita came ashore near Beaumont, Texas, it wasdowngraded to a tropical storm and continues to weaken as itmoves inland. The system is moving slowly and is expected todump upwards of 10 inches of rain across east Texas andLouisiana, with 5 or more inches in New Orleans.Nevertheless, early damage assessments suggest that there isextensive wind damage in many coastal communities. NewOrleans’ stricken 9th Ward is once again under 8 feet ofwater.

The storm did not gain energy as it neared land, which hashappened with some hurricanes recently. Damage is stillbeing assessed in coastal communities where it hit as aCategory 3 hurricane, but it is not expected to be on thescale of the damage caused by Katrina.
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National Data Buoy Center recording buoys are transmittingwave heights in excess of 30 feet beneath Hurricane Rita.This suggests a possible storm surge in excess of 22-24 feetif the storm does not weaken dramatically in the next fewhours. As Rita moves closer to shore, it is also crossingsomewhat cooler waters and weakening. But on Friday it willstart to intake air from overland, and at present airtemperatures and humidity levels over south Texas andLouisiana are so high that this could strengthen it again.
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Hurricane Rita has become a Category 5 storm while stillwell out to sea. At present the storm carries 165 MPH winds.Unless it deflects over the Yucatan peninsula, it is likelyto slam into the US Gulf Coast as one of the most powerfulhurricanes ever recorded.

A diminishing possiblity is that the storm will becomestationary or extremely slow, and that its energy willdissipate somewhat before it strikes land. It is much morelikely, however, that it will continue to gain strength,becoming both larger and more powerful as it approaches theTexas coast.
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