Designations of "watch" vs "warn"

[Ixolib]

Comparatively speaking, with huge increases in coastal populations over the years, it now seems that the NHC is much more precise and much less liberal in its label of "watch areas" vs "warn areas".

For instance, the extreme SE coast of LA is still in "the cone", yet they are under only a TS warning. I'm just wondering how much that designation has to do with N.O.'s new evacuation plan, and how certain pieces of that plan are dependent upon ramped-up (or down) designations in the advisory, regardless of whether they pan out or not.

Just seems to me that in years past, hurricane watches extended west/east of the warned areas and now it goes straigt from a hurricane warning to a TS warning on either side. Perhaps its just that they are so much more improved in their ability to forecast landfall????

Things that make me wonder.....