Take another shot at this, make sure I hit the "post" button before closing IE down.
The 5pm statement on Katrina shows max sustained winds of 165, hurricane force winds out to 105 miles, and tropical storm winds to 230 (which is an increase.) The minimum central pressure is 902Mb/26.64 inches. The rainfall estimates are not that bad, in comparison to smaller hurricanes, but, unlike say, Fran, which hit NC in 1996, Louisiana is a low lying state, with tons of lakes and a high water table to start with. During Fran, 8-10 inches dropped outside my apartment: it never flooded, there were places for the water to go. No in southern La., though.
The lowest pressure ever was Hurricane Gilbert in 1988 with a minimum central pressure of 888Mb and winds of 185mph. Only Camille and the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 had higher winds. Now, the winds with Katrina are less then any of those three. But, with a very low central pressure for Katrina, the storm surge will be horrendous.
Here is a list of those who hit the US (right click for full size, using some of my Typepad bandwith). The low central pressure may cause a storm surge up to 30 feet, especially with wind pushing water from east to west into New Orleans and Lake Pontchartrain (which is elevated above N.O.) Not good.
My prayers are for all those who were not able to get out of N.O and the surrounding areas, such as tourists stuck when the flights were canceled, and those who just do not have the money. For those who decided to "ride it out," God watches out for little children and fools. Not complete idiots.
Cross posted at Pirate's Cove.