Hurricane Katrina & Rita Reports

[terstorm1012]

excellent reports, thanks for sending them to me.

A Question: Any theories on why Rita and Katrina had so much electrical activity in them? I've seen theories posted here...just curious as to what you think. cheers!

[Stephanie]

Margie I agree that onshore winds enhance the surge but the biggest part of the storm surge is caused by a dome of water rising inside cyclone in response to lowered barometric pressures. This "3 foot dome" as you put it contains a TREMENDOUS volume of water, not just the 3 feet of water above the surface. When that little dome of water gets into shallow water near the coast it rises as the sea floor rises too. Much like a tsunami does as it approaches the coast. In bays along the coast this surge can be compressed horizontally; and since the water has go somewhere it rises, further enhancing the surge. BTW im no pro met, not even close, but I did sleep at a Holiday Inn Express last nite.

GOOD ONE!

Margie - you sound like you know what you are talking about, but we do not allow attacks/bashing, etc. of any kind against members, especially our pro-mets and staff. Perhaps you need to, as David said, post some of your references and learn how to post replies that aren't so antagonistic. Discussion means sharing opposing ideas - CIVILLY.

[Rainband]

It's all about respect.

[wxman57]

Margie, I haven't read Jeff's report (where's the link?) but your points are quite valid with respect to storm surge. I just got back from the NHC. Saw some very good talks on Katrina's storm surge there. The question was asked about Katrina being a Cat 5 weakening to a Cat 3 at landfall still "carrying the Cat 5 storm surge". This was proven to be an inaccurate assumption. They did run a surge model for a landfalling Katrina that had never been a Cat 5 and a landfalling Katrina that HAD been a Cat 5 just before landfall. The difference in surge was very small (a couple feet or less).

It is not the peak wind speed in a tiny area of a major hurricane that produces the vast expanse of storm surge, nor is it the low pressure in the core. It is the radius of maximum winds (RMW) and the strength of those stronger winds which determines surge height. Katrina had a very large RMW compared to an "average" hurricane, so it produced a much larger storm surge as compared to an average Cat 3.

As for the destruction in Mississipppi, I don't know what is in Jeff's report, but I do remember seeing a report in one of the south Mississippi papers that said over 65,000 homes had been destroyed in Mississippi alone, and the damage estimate there was around $125 BILLION. That doesn't include any LA damage. I don't know if that's correct, but I think the NHC damage estimate is way too low.

[jasons2k]

I read them today and thought they were excellent reports!

I was pleased to see one of my GrLevel3 images make it into the Rita report (altho it's not credited) .

[southerngale]

Here's the links.

Hurricane Katrina report

Hurricane Rita report

[Audrey2Katrina]

That doesn't include any LA damage. I don't know if that's correct, but I think the NHC damage estimate is way too low.

I agree with that!

A2K

[wxman57]

Here's the links.

Hurricane Katrina report

Hurricane Rita report

The links appear to be dead now, what's up? Was trying to get the latest death toll from Katrina. I remember it was over 1500.

[SouthFloridawx]

Here's the links.

Hurricane Katrina report

Hurricane Rita report

The links appear to be dead now, what's up? Was trying to get the latest death toll from Katrina. I remember it was over 1500.

katrina
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/pdf/TCR-AL122005_Katrina.pdf

rita
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/pdf/TCR-AL182005_Rita.pdf

[Audrey2Katrina]

Depending on your source, it's actually over 1600 now, and counting. Still over 1500 missing in Louisiana alone, mostly elderly/poor, mostly in the worst areas, frankly I fear they'll never be found. While the official tally (since bodies were verified) will probably be between 1600 and 1700, I'm convinced this storm killed well over 2500 people.

A2K

[jasons2k]

A2K unfortunately I think you are correct. The reports of debris, etc., that washed back into GOM were not well-publicized, but the accounts I read were pretty bad.

[Audrey2Katrina]

A2K unfortunately I think you are correct. The reports of debris, etc., that washed back into GOM were not well-publicized, but the accounts I read were pretty bad.

Exactly! And I fear that for years to come (as was the case with the Okechobee Hurricane) they'll now and again come across remains in the marshes of St. Bernard Parish... others have long since been pulled out into the Gulf/Sound.

A2K

[CrazyC83]

I was looking back at some hurricane history, and Hurricane Katrina nearly wasn't Katrina!

Reason: 1999. Tropical Storm Katrina that year was barely a tropical storm (40 mph) and that was a disputed measurement. The next storm was Hurricane Lenny, which was retired. If Katrina-99 hadn't reached up that one tick to get there, it would have been only TD15, and Lenny would have been Hurricane Katrina.

Who knows what name would have been chosen for 2005? (Of course, that name would have been retired in itself and we'd be right back to Katia for 2011 - just with Lenny still on the list)

[Audrey2Katrina]

Yup, I'm quite familiar with the 1999 Katrina, pretty pitiful looking TS somewhere around Central America--made a point of learning as much as I could on this gal prior to 2005, and beyond a doubt this was the Katrina to end all Katrinas.

A2K