4 killed, 5 missing; power knocked out to 1.2 million as Katrina Whacks

[jus_the_facts]

4 killed, 5 missing; power knocked out to 1.2 million as Katrina whacks S. Florida



http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/weather/hurricane/sfl-katrina,0,4750075.story

*snip*

Posted August 26 2005, 9:35 AM EDT





KATRINA TRACKING

Hurricane Katrina
Updated: 9 a.m. EDT
Location: 25.2 N, 82.0 W
Moving: W at 6 mph
Wind: 75 mph
Pressure: 987 mb (29.14 in)
News Channel 5's 5 a.m. Katrina update (WPTV)
Aug 26, 2005


FORT LAUDERDALE -- Although sloppy and relatively weak, Hurricane Katrina ravaged South Florida Thursday with driving rains and gusts of more than 90 mph, killing at least four people, collapsing a highway flyover and leaving more than 1 million homes and businesses without power.

A family of 5 also was reported missing aboard a 24-foot boat that left Marathon early Thursday morning on their way to Cape Coral.

Katrina had weakened into a tropical storm over land, but strengthened over the warm waters of the gulf and became a hurricane again early Friday with top sustained winds of 75 mph. At 9 a.m. EDT, it was about 45 miles north-northwest of Key West and 65 miles south-southwest of Naples. It moving erratically toward the west at 6 mph in the Gulf of Mexico.

Forecasters said Katrina would likely get stronger and perhaps make a second landfall in the Florida Panhandle early next week.

The eye of Katrina made landfall about 6:30 p.m. Thursday near the county line between Broward and Miami-Dade, moving southwest across Miami-Dade and dumping as much as 15 inches of rain.

The National Hurricane Center measured gusts up to 91 mph at the southeast eyewall, while early reports had gusts reaching 92 mph in Fort Lauderdale, 68 in Miami, 61 mph in Davie and 63 mph in Miami Beach

[jus_the_facts]

1. Oil prices dip as Hurricane Katrina set to miss US oil rigs....

...this remains to be seen just what damage is done to them...they already raised the price of oil in expectaion of this storm? :wtf:

http://www.forbes.com/home/feeds/afx/2005/08/26/afx2193043.html

Oil prices dip as Hurricane Katrina set to miss US oil rigs
08.26.2005, 06:12 AM

LONDON (AFX) - Oil prices pulled back slightly from recent record highs today on indications that Hurricane Katrina would spare offshore oil rigs in the US Gulf Coast, dealers said.

New York's main contract, light sweet crude for delivery in October, was down 29 cents at 67.20 usd a barrel in midmorning electronic trade in London.

'There are indications that the hurricane is veering away from the main production areas in the Gulf of Mexico, that's why traders are taking profit,' said Tetsu Emori, chief commodities strategist at Mitusi Bussan Futures in Tokyo.

Hurricane Katrina came ashore in Florida on Thursday, killing at least three people, leaving about 1.5 mln homes without power and collapsing a Miami highway overpass.

Katrina weakened to a tropical storm as it moved inland, but was expected to rapidly regain power as it barrels over the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

[jus_the_facts]

2. kick

....FWIW. x(

[UpInArms]

3. Hurricane Katrina cuts power to 1.45 million FPL customers

http://www.marketwatch.com/news/newsfinder/pulseone.asp?dateid=38590.639399294-840906141&siteID=mktw&scid=0&doctype=806&

SAN FRANCISCO(MarketWatch) -- Florida Power & Light Co. said Friday driving wind and heavy rain from Hurricane Katrina had cut electric service to 1.45 million homes and businesses, or nearly 35% of the utility's 4.3 million customers, as the storm swept across populous southern Florida. The company, a unit of FPL Group (FPL) , said most outages were in Miami-Dade and Broward Counties. FPL said it had about 11,700 emergency crews working to restore power, 4,100 of them brought in ahead of the storm from other states. The company said crews had managed to restore power to about 350,000 customers, leaving 1.1 million still off the grid.

...short blurb...

[gulfcoastliberal]

4. All Florida utilities should be underground

At the very least, no more wood poles. Either cocnrete or polymer. Preferably polymer since they never degrade - salt degrades concrete. Plus, underground utilities are so much more aesthetically pleasing.

[DoYouEverWonder]

5. You would think that with all the money

we spent in the last few years, fixing overhead lines over and over again, that it would have been cheaper to put the stuff underground. I've got mine underground but anytime there's a breeze the overhead stuff goes out. We went 5 days last year without electric for the 1st cane and another 5 days for the next one. It sucks.

[wli]

6. underground lines would foil enronization n/t

[RebelOne]

7. And my daughter and her family

are a part of those 1.45 million customers without power. She is in Hollywood, which was right in the path of the storm. Her house did not sustain any damage, but the power has been out since 8:30 last night. When I spoke with her at 5 p.m. today, she said it was getting hot and, of course, with no power, they don't have air conditioning.

[Scurrilous]

8. My power went off at 6:00 last night...

...and was restored around 9:00 this morning. Way to go FPL. :thumbsup:

[althecat]

9. self delete

[althecat]

12. Computer models of possible Katrina Tracks - Via Weather Underground

[Baclava]

13. This is not one to mess with...

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/storm_graphics/AT12/refresh/AL1205I_sm2+gif/205300P_sm.gif

[Tippy]

10. Heard on evening news..the 5 missing have been found..n/t

[althecat]

11. Some images of Katrina in the Gulf

This looks like it could easily be a cat 4 landfall...

The Eye of Katrina off Florida's coast... not yet formed



Taken from Nasa Modis

[althecat]

14. Cool link to IR satellite loop image

http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/PS/TROP/DATA/RT/gmex-ir4-loop.html

[jus_the_facts]

15. Here's another picture of projected path and winds....

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/storm_graphics/AT12/refresh/AL1205_PROB34_F120_sm2+gif/085817F120_