Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Tale of Two Hurricanes Seven Years Apart

On this the eve of the seventh anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, Louisiana and the Gulf Coast were once again bracing for the impact of a hurricane.

Katrina was an extraordinarily powerful and deadly hurricane that first caused fatalities and damage in southern Florida as a Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. After reaching Category 5 intensity over the central Gulf of Mexico, Katrina weakened to Category 3 before making landfall on the northern Gulf coast.

Even so, the damage and loss of life inflicted by this massive hurricane in Louisiana and Mississippi were staggering, with significant effects extending into the Florida panhandle, Georgia, and Alabama. Considering the scope of its impacts, Katrina was one of the most devastating natural disasters in United States history.

New Orleans was severely impacted by Katrina, and has since rebuilt the levees that failed them back in 2005.   The burning question for town residents tonight was - would they hold with this latest approaching storm.

Fortunately, Hurricane Isaac was a much weaker storm, but don't let that fool you.  It had the potential to bring heavy rains, flooding, power outages, damaging winds, and all the hazards associated with tropical cyclones.

Isaac, which spans more than 200 miles, made landfall at about 6:45 p.m. local time near the mouth of the Mississippi River. New Orleans, about 75 miles to the northwest, was a ghost town as residents and tourists heeded warnings to stay indoors.   Except for low-lying areas which were under mandatory evacuation orders, the majority of the folks stayed here to ride out the storm.

Following is a comparison of the two storms.   We trace some of the significant milestones as the two storms headed from the Atlantic to the Caribbean Sea and into the Gulf of Mexico before making landfall.  For those that want even more information, see the storm and graphic archives on the NHC website.

For  Latest Impact (click here):  Tropical Storm Isaac in Atlantic

 

DATE / TIME KATRINA 2005 ISAAC 2012
Storm Archive
Storm Archive 
Storm Milestones, Watches & Warnings Issued
21 AUG
500 AM AST TUE AUG 21 2012
TD-9 forms east of Lesser Antilles, 
TS Warnings / Watches issued
1007 MB / 35 MPH
 
500 PM AST TUE AUG 21 2012
Strengthens to tropical storm 
1006 MB / 40 MPH 
 

1100 PM AST TUE AUG 21 2012
Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands 

22 AUG
500 AM AST WED AUG 22 2012
Dominican Republic
1003 MB / 45 MPH 
 
800 AM AST WED AUG 22 2012
British Virgin Islands 
1004 MB / 45 MPH  
 
200 PM AST WED AUG 22 2012
Leeward Islands
1006 MB / 45 MPH 

500 PM AST WED AUG 22 2012
Haiti
1004 MB / 45 MPH  
 
1100 PM AST WED AUG 22 2012
Eastern Caribbean
1003 MB / 45 MPH 

23 AUG
500 PM EDT TUE AUG 23 2005
TD 12 forms - Bahamas
TS Warnings issued
1007 MB / 35 MPH
 
1100 PM EDT TUE AUG 23 2005
Florida Keys, East coast
1007 MB / 35 MPH
 
 
1100 AM AST THU AUG 23 2012
South of Virgin Islands
1003 MB / 40 MPH 
 

500 PM AST THU AUG 23 2012
Bahamas, Cuba
1003 MB / 40 MPH 
 
1100 PM AST THU AUG 23 2012
Hispaniola
1001 MB / 45 MPH 
24 AUG
1100 AM EDT WED AUG 24 2005
Becomes tropical storm
Bahamas, Florida
1006 MB / 40 MPH  

500 PM EDT WED AUG 24 2005
SE Florida
1002 MB / 45 MPH  
 
1100 PM EDT WED AUG 24 2005  
Hurricane warnings
1001 MB / 50 MPH
800 AM EDT FRI AUG 24 2012
Jamaica
1000 MB / 50 MPH 
 
200 PM EDT FRI AUG 24 2012
Southern Hisapniola
997 MB / 50 MPH
 
1100 PM EDT FRI AUG 24 2012
Haiti Landfall
990 MB / 70 MPH
   
25 AUG
800 AM EDT THU AUG 25 2005
Better organized
999 MB / 50 MPH 

1100 AM EDT THU AUG 25 2005
Florida straits
997 MB / 60 MPH 
 
300 PM EDT THU AUG 25 2005 

Near hurricane strength
990 MB / 70 MPH 
500 PM EDT THU AUG 25 2005
Cat 1 Hurricane
985 MB / 75 MPH 
 
900 PM EDT THU AUG 25 2005 
Eye over NHC
984 MB / 80 MPH
 
1100 PM EDT THU AUG 25 2005
Eye over Miami-Dade
984 MB / 75 MPH
 
500 AM EDT SAT AUG 25 2012
South Florida, Keys
992 MB / 60 MPH
 
1100 AM EDT SAT AUG 25 2012
Florida East Coast
998 MB / 60 MPH
 
200 PM EDT SAT AUG 25 2012
East Coast Cuba
1000 MB / 60 MPH
  
1100 PM EDT SAT AUG 25 2012
Straits of Florida
997 MB / 60 MPH
 
26 AUG
100 AM EDT FRI AUG 26 2005
Weakens over land
980 MB / 70 MPH
 
700 AM EDT FRI AUG 26 2005
Westward over Gulf
987 MB / 75 MPH 
 
1100 AM EDT FRI AUG 26 2005
Stronger - West of Florida
981 MB / 80 MPH 
 
200 PM EDT FRI AUG 26 2005
Cat 2 Hurricane
969 MB / 100 MPH 
 
1100 PM EDT FRI AUG 26 2005
Expected to intensify
965 MB / 105 MPH
  
800 AM EDT SUN AUG 26 2012
Florida Keys
995 MB / 65 MPH
 
500 PM EDT SUN AUG 26 2012 
Key West
992 MB / 60 MPH
 
1100 PM EDT SUN AUG 26 2012
Eastern Gulf of Mexico
993 MB / 65 MPH 
  
27 AUG
200 AM EDT SAT AUG 27 2005
963 MB / 110 MPH
 
800 AM EDT SAT AUG 27 2005 
Cat 3 Hurricane
940 MB / 115 MPH
 
400 PM CDT SAT AUG 27 2005
Louisiana
945 MB / 115 MPH
 
1000 PM CDT SAT AUG 27 2005 
Threat North Central Gulf
939 MB / 115 MPH
  
500 AM EDT MON AUG 27 2012
Louisiana Coast
990 MB / 65 MPH 
 
1000 AM CDT MON AUG 27 2012 
Eastern Gulf of Mexico
988 MB / 65 MPH 
 
400 PM CDT MON AUG 27 2012
Storm surge threat
981 MB / 70 MPH
 
1000 PM CDT MON AUG 27 2012
Flooding threat
979 MB / 70 MPH
   
28 AUG
100 AM CDT SUN AUG 28 2005
Cat 4 Hurricane
New Orleans
935 MB / 145 MPH
 
700 AM CDT SUN AUG 28 2005
Cat 5 Hurricane
Northern Gulf Coast
908 MB / 165 MPH
 
100 PM CDT SUN AUG 28 2005
Still Cat 5
906 MB / 175 MPH 
 

1000 PM CDT SUN AUG 28 2005
Cat 5
904 MB / 160 MPH 
   
400 AM CDT TUE AUG 28 2012
Verge of becoming hurricane
977 MB / 70 MPH
 
1120 AM CDT TUE AUG 28 2012
Becomes Cat 1 Hurricane
975 MB / 75 MPH
 
700 PM CDT TUE AUG 28 2012
Landfall Extreme SE Louisiana
970 MB / 80 MPH 
 
1000 PM CDT TUE AUG 28 2012
Dangerous storm surge; flooding
968 MB / 80 MPH     
29 AUG
MIDNIGHT CDT MON AUG 29 2005
Nearing Louisiana coast
908 MB / 160 MPH 
 
600 AM CDT MON AUG 29 2005 
Cat 4 Near Shore
918 MB / 145 MPH
 
800 AM CDT MON AUG 29 2005
Pounding SE Louisiana
923 MB / 135 MPH 
 

1000 AM CDT MON AUG 29 2005
Weakens to Cat 3
Moving ashore near Louisiana
& Mississippi border
927 MB / 125 MPH 
 

NOON CDT MON AUG 29 2005
Weakens to Cat 2 over land
940 MB / 105 MPH 
 
400 PM CDT MON AUG 29 2005 
Weakens to Cat 1
960 MB / 75 MPH 
 

700 PM CDT MON AUG 29 2005
Now a tropical storm
965 MB / 65 MPH 
 
1000 PM CDT MON AUG 29 2005
Coastal warnings discontinued
973 MB / 60 MPH 
1200 AM CDT WED AUG 29 2012
Coast of Louisiana
969 MB / 80 MPH 

200 AM CDT WED AUG 29 2012
Nearly  stationary
968 MB / 80 MPH     
 
300 AM CDT WED AUG 29 2012
Second landfall 
969 MB / 80 MPH 
 
400 AM CDT WED AUG 29 2012 
Begins Moving Inland
969 MB / 80 MPH
 
600 AM CDT WED AUG 29 2012
Floods and heavy rains continue
970 MB / 80 MPH  
 
800 AM CDT WED AUG 29 2012 
970 MB / 80 MPH 

1200 PM CDT WED AUG 29 2012
SE Louisiana / Mississippi Rains
973 MB / 75 MPH 

200 PM CDT WED AUG 29 2012 
Weakens to Tropical Storm
974 MB / 70 MPH 

700 PM CDT WED AUG 29 2012
Slow moving - only 6 MPH
977 MB / 60 MPH 
 
1000 PM CDT WED AUG 29 2012
Only moved 60 miles all day
980 MB / 60 MPH 
 
30 AUG
400 AM CDT TUE AUG 30 2005
Weakens further
981MB / 50 MPH 
 
1000 AM CDT TUE AUG 30 2005
Still heavy rainfall
Weakens to tropical depression
985 MB / 35 MPH 
100 AM CDT THU AUG 30 2012
Heavy Rains & Severe Weather
Farther inland Louisiana
981 MB / 50 MPH 

400 AM CDT THU AUG 30 2012
983 MB / 45 MPH 
 
1000 AM CDT THU AUG 30 2012
987 MB / 40 MPH  

400 PM CDT THU AUG 30 2012
Weakens to Tropical Depression
995 MB / 35 MPH   
  
31 AUG  
No Advisories Issued
 
No Advisories Issued

No comments: