Katrina's storm surge

[f5]

is there an "offical" height yet?

[Anonymous]

I heard 27m feet in Gulfport

[Matt-hurricanewatcher]

I heard 31 feet.

[patgaz]

is there an "offical" height yet?

http://www.nd.edu/~adcirc/katrina.htm

[skysummit]

I heard 27 - 31 feet on WWL 870am.

[vbhoutex]

http://www.storm2k.org/phpbb2/viewtopic ... 10#1057210

[f5]

we know one thing it was higher then Camille's but by how much

[jax]

we know one thing it was higher then Camille's but by how much

by a lot! I don't know about feet... but it was MILES further inshore than
Camille.

I can't tell you how many people i have heard say... "we stayed for
camille and didn't have water. figured we be fine this time..." There
was a lot of swimming going on around these parts.

[nequad]

From the FWIW department...Jim Cantore estimated it to be 37 ft. His basis- he was located at a spot 27ft above sea level and they had 10ft of water at the height of the surge.

Don't know how accurate all that info is...but I recall Jim saying this the day of the storm.

[skysummit]

There is actually debris along I-10 from the surge. When I say debris, there is a large tank sitting on the side of the highway. By looking at the trees, there are sheets and clothes as high as 50 and 60 feet in some places right along the shore. It was definately a LOT higher than Camille's surge.

[vbhoutex]

There is actually debris along I-10 from the surge. When I say debris, there is a large tank sitting on the side of the highway. By looking at the trees, there are sheets and clothes as high as 50 and 60 feet in some places right along the shore. It was definately a LOT higher than Camille's surge.

Everything I have seen and read tells me that. I have heard too many individual stories(from those who experienced Camille too and those that did not) to ever believe otherwise. I never thought I would see anything even nearing what I saw after Camille!!! To me it is beyond belief, except for the fact we have seen pictures that show it!!!!

[Frank P]

from a surge standpoint this was MUCH worse than Camille, period, debate over... Camille put 2 feet in my house.... I have water marks on my second floor, which tore loose from my house and ended up 300 yards north from my lot completely intact, and the water line in the second floor was at about 5 feet high, now this is 300-400 yards inland... this has to be close to 30 - 32 feet... in addition, I have scuff and debris marks on my front lawn Oaks.... 8 feet above ground, which is 20 foot above sea level, which makes it a minimum of 28 feet, and it could be higher as that is only where I found the debris and scuff marks in the oak's bark... I'm pretty sure the debris marks came from the boardwalks the lined the seawall south of hwy 90 as I found several large segments of it behind my lot in my neighbors backyard....

[SouthFloridawx]

[PTrackerLA]

I never thought we would see Camille type surge again and Katrina has far surpassed that! Just goes to show you that you can't have a 175mph cat 5 hurricane in the northern gulf and get away with it even if it weakens.

[skysummit]

I never thought we would see Camille type surge again and Katrina has far surpassed that! Just goes to show you that you can't have a 175mph cat 5 hurricane in the northern gulf and get away with it even if it weakens.

That's one hell of a point. I never thought of it like that before.

[MGC]

My house in Diamonhead is at 37 feet. The surge came within 3 feet. So, I'd say about 34 feet in north Diamondhead on Rotten Bayou......MGC

[f5]

Storm Surge is alot like a Tsunami it doesn't put on the brakes beacuse the earthquake is over it keeps going until something stops it and that something is land.

[skysummit]

My house in Diamonhead is at 37 feet. The surge came within 3 feet. So, I'd say about 34 feet in north Diamondhead on Rotten Bayou......MGC

Wow MGC...and that's in Diamondhead!

[wxmann_91]

I think I've posted this before, but here it is again:

POST-TROPICAL CYCLONE REPORT...HURRICANE KATRINA
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW ORLEANS LA
ISSUED BY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
355 PM CDT FRI SEP 2 2005

THIS REPORT COVERS THE PERIOD AUGUST 28-29 2005 WHEN HURRICANE
KATRINA MOVED THROUGH THE EASTERN GULF OF MEXICO BEFORE MAKING
LANDFALL NEAR NEW ORLEANS DURING THE MORNING OF AUGUST 29. THIS DATA
IS VERY PRELIMINARY AND WILL BE UPDATED AS NEW INFORMATION BECOMES
AVAILABLE.

A. HIGHEST WINDS...

ASOS....2 MINUTE SUSTAINED WINDS

LOCATION DIR/SPEED KT TIME ON AUGUST 29 2005

PASCAGOULA PQL ....DATA INCOMPLETE DUE TO POWER OUTAGE
SUSTAINED 080/38 KT 0953 UTC
PEAK 090/44 KT 0933 UTC

BILOXI-KEESLER AFB
SUSTAINED 110/47 KT 1355 UTC
PEAK 110/78 KT 1355 UTC

GULFPORT GPT SUSTAINED 070/40 KT 1025 UTC
PEAK 090/55 KT 1008 UTC

SLIDELL KASD SUSTAINED 030/32 KT 1243 UTC
PEAK 030/44 KT 1243 UTC

BOOTHEVILLE KBVE SUSTAINED 040/26 KT 2137 UTC
PEAK 040/39 KT 2137 UTC

NEW ORLEANS ARMSTRONG INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT KMSY
SUSTAINED 040/29 KT 0305 UTC
PEAK 050/38 KT 0255 UTC

NEW ORLEANS LAKEFRONT AIRPORT KNEW
SUSTAINED 040/60 KT 1153 UTC
PEAK 060/75 KT 1153 UTC


COASTAL OBSERVATIONS...NOAA NDBC BUOY...CMAN
NOAA SW PASS CMAN...BURLI WIND EQUIPMENT HEIGHT 30.5 M / 100 FT
SUSTAINED 080/64 KT 0446 UTC
PEAK 080/88 KT 0446 UTC

NOAA GRAND ISLE CMAN...GDIL1
SUSTAINED 040/62 KT 0747 UTC
PEAK 030/99 KT 0838 UTC

NOAA BUOY 42007
SUSTAINED 260/60 KT 1535 UTC
PEAK 110/74 KT 1354 UTC

TERREBONNE BAY (TAML1)
SUSTAINED 340/55 KT 1000 UTC

GDIL1
SUSTAINED 040/62 KT 0747 UTC
PEAK 030/99 KT 0838 UTC

LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN - NWS INSTRUMENTATION
MID LAKE SUSTAINED 320/78 KT 1500 UTC
PEAK 320/99 KT 1500 UTC


B. LOWEST PRESSURE
PRES MB TIME UTC
ON AUGUST 29 2005 UNLESS NOTED

SLIDELL NWS............. 934.1 1438 UTC
REST OF STATIONS STOPPED BEFORE BEING USEFUL

C. STORM TOTAL RAINFALL


08/29/2005 08/30/2005 48 HOUR
1200UTC 1200UTC TOTAL

RADAR ESTIMATES ACROSS SOUTH LOUISIANA AND SOUTH MISSISSIPPI
5-7 INCHES 7-9 INCHES 12-16 INCHES
SLIDELL NWS 11.63

D. STORM SURGE

SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA

STORM SURVEY BY LAKE CHARLES NWS
GRAND ISLE...........12.0 FT MLLW
PORT FOURCHON........ 8.0 FT MLLW

LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN
NOAA MID LAKE PONTCH. 6.8 FT NGVD 1500 UTC

OTHER SITES
PONTE A LA HACHE (BGNL1) 14.14 FT
LAKE MAUREPAS (MAUL1) 3.05 FT

MISSISSIPPI COAST
PASCAGOULA (PSCM6) 12.16 FT
GREEN PASS (GRPL1) 11.27 FT
HANCOCK EOC (30 FT ABOVE MSL BUT HAD 1 FOOT OF WATER IN THE OPS
AREA AND HAD TO EVACUATE)
BILOXI RIVER AT WORTHAM 26.00 FT

E. BEACH EROSION
MAJOR

F. FLOODING OR FLASH FLOODING
MAJOR STORM TIDE FLOODING FROM NEW ORLEANS TO EAST OF PASCAGOULA.
WATER WAS UP TO THE ROOFS OF NUMEROUS HOMES...WITH MANY HAVING THE
FLOOD WATERS COVERING THEM. THE NEW ORLEANS AREA HAD MAJOR FLOODING
A COUPLE OF DAYS AFTER KATRINA MOVED INLAND WHEN THE LEVEE SYSTEM
BREACHED IN SEVERAL LOCATIONS PUTTING WATER ACROSS ORLEANS AND
PLAQUEMINES PARISHES.

G. TORNADOES
UNKNOWN

H. STORM EFFECTS
KATRINA HAS TO BE ONE OF THE STRONGEST HURRICANES TO EVER HIT THIS
AREA. TOTAL DESTRUCTION WAS SEEN ALONG AND UP TO 60 MILES EAST OF
THE CENTER OF KATRINA. STORM SURGE VALUES WERE PROBABLY HIGHER IN
KATRINA ALONG THE MISSISSIPPI COAST THAN THEY WERE DURING CAMILLE.
ALMOST TOTAL DESTRUCTION WAS OBSERVED IN HANCOCK AND HARRISON
COUNTIES IN MISSISSIPPI ALONG THE IMMEDIATE COAST AND EXTENDED
INLAND TO NEAR I-10. MOST BUILDINGS WERE TOTALLY DESTROYED. MANY
PEOPLE WHO REFUSED TO EVACUATE WERE TRAPPED IN THEIR HOMES AND HAD
TO SEEK SHELTER IN THEIR ATTICS AND THEN SOMEHOW GET ON THEIR ROOFS
TO AVOID BEING TRAPPED. MANY DID NOT MAKE IT. DUE TO MULTIPLE
FAILURES OF THE LEVEE SYSTEM AROUND LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN...NEW ORLEANS
HAD HIGHER WATER VALUES AFTER KATRINA HAD MOVED INLAND. SOME PLACES
IN NEW ORLEANS HAD WATER DEPTHS UP TO 20 FEET...DAYS AFTER THE
STORM. AS OF FRIDAY...WATER STILL COVERED MANY PARTS OF NEW
ORLEANS. PEOPLE WHO ESCAPED THE SURGE ENDED UP STRANDED AS THE
WATER ROSE. MANY HAD TO TAKE REFUGE ON ROOFS OR INTERSTATES. THE
SUPERDOME...WHICH WAS HOUSING EVACUEES...HAD ROOF DAMAGE AND ENDED
UP BEING EVACUATED AFTER THE STORM DUE TO THE RISING WATERS FROM THE
BREECHES IN THE LEVEE. IT IS ESTIMATED THAT 185 PEOPLE HAVE DIED
FROM THE STORM IN MISSISSIPPI AND MAYBE THOUSANDS DEAD IN SOUTHEAST
LOUISIANA. THIS WILL LIKELY END UP BEING THE COSTLIEST NATURAL
DISASTER TO STRIKE THE UNITED STATES.

BEELER/CULLEN

$$

Many tidal gauges failed so I do believe that the max surge wasn't measured.

[MGC]

If the gauges did indeed fail, then field observations using debris should reveal the true surge. I am confident the surge was in excess of 30 feet and could have approached 33-34 in places.......MGC