Gustav growing into ‘monster Category 5 storm'

[marmar]

from ThinkProgress:



Gustav growing into ‘monster Category 5 storm.’»

Hurricane Gustav is growing into “a monster Category 5 storm” as it heads towards the Gulf Coast. The storm is moving into the Loop Current, a deep bed of hot water in the Gulf of Mexico that is helping to intensify the storm. In May, climatologists reported that the Gulf has been experiencing warmer waters than usual:

Off St. Petersburg, water temperatures have been 2 to 4 degrees above the 80-degree average for this time of year. In Fort Myers, temperatures have been similar. If that warm water continues to deepen and spread, it could be disastrous if a hurricane enters the gulf. … The gulf, with its loop current of deep, warm-water pools, is a hurricane minefield. If the water heats up enough, it can send storms spinning headlong into the coast.

ABC News writes, “Many scientists predict over the next decade we’ll see stronger hurricanes — Category 4 and 5 hurricanes even more violent than Katrina. The cause, some argue, is rising sea surface temperatures caused by global warming.”


http://thinkprogress.org/2008/08/30/gustav-growing-into-monster-category-5-storm/

[Az]

1. What is this glo ball war ming you speak of?

Sounds like some sort of conspiracy to me. :sarcasm:

[TahitiNut]

2. It'll hit those oil platforms off the LA coast at Category 5 levels of intensity.

It'll go ashore as a Category 4 Monday evening. Traveling at about 15 mph, the storm surge will be well over 20 feet. It's a monster.

[ellie]

3. I haven't been

paying attention to the storm because we have been working on our kitchen, but I turned on the Weather Channel to see what the weather will be like tomorrow and GOOD LORD! Those poor people! What the hell? Another huge storm? I hope everyone and their pets get out of town.

[Redstone]

4. Oh, damn. My heart goes out to all those folks in Louisiana.

Were I religious, I'd pray for them.

Redstone

[lonestarnot]

5. I would drive outta there while I could and never look back.

[marauding liberal]

6. very scary

[caseymoz]

7. When Mother Nature votes, there are no hanging chads.

I thought I'd get that thought out of the way. This is very sad. New Orleans will be gone, and not temporarily. Its people are going to be the first wave of eco-refugees in this country.

And for the record, I'm skeptical that Bush's contractors have rebuilt the levees well enough to withstand even a category 3, much less this horror. It will be another refutation of Bush's global warming and government contractor policies.

That's the good news. I would trade it if we could avoid the bad news.

[Stellabella]

8. I agree. And what about all the debris still lying around?

I know they haven't cleaned up the mess from three years ago, being the incompetent and corrupt buffoons that they are. More fodder for disaster.

[caseymoz]

10. Their incompetence is deliberate.

Read Tom Franks' "The Wrecking Crew." Bad government is the conservatives' policy. They deliberately destroy government, and they line their pockets while doing it. What we have here is nothing less than the country being run by criminals.

[Stellabella]

13. Yep.

n/t

[kestrel91316]

9. Did Swamp Rat get out ok?? And the others??

[CatWoman]

11. I've been thinking about Swampy, too

:scared:

[marmar]

12. I know Bosshog was packed and ready to go.....

I don't know about Swampie and the others.

[Bluebear]

14. kick

:scared: