Katrina wind map dont these gusts in spots seem high?

[Jim Cantore]

http://www.ncddc.noaa.gov/Katrina/Papers/WindSpeedMap.pdf

[Huckster]

"The wind speed values depicted on this map represent FEMA's best estimation immediately following Katrina and were derived from the Atlantic Oceanography and Meteorology Lab Hwinds models and in situ observations. Later analysis found model wind values were lower than the actual values recorded from official wind stations."

http://www.ncddc.noaa.gov/Katrina/WindSpeedMap/

[WxGuy1]

Well that doesn't make much sense... According to that ( ), the actual wind gusts were higher than that represented on the map. To the contrary, things I've seen would suggest that the map is overestimating the wind speeds. Most of New Orleans certainly didn't look like it had much in the way of wind damage. In addition, I didn't see much of any wind damage inland (away from the coast), save where the eyewall made landfall (certainly not widespread >94mph gusts into east-central MS).

[HurricaneBill]

Most of New Orleans certainly didn't look like it had much in the way of wind damage.

The high-rises sure looked like they took a beating. Some buildings had all their windows blown out.

[TSmith274]

She ripped the roof off of the Superdome. And, in my neighborhood, it was as if God came down with a giant lawnmower set on "rooftop" and cut all the trees in my neighborhood. I know I'll never see one like her, and I pray that none of you are cursed with the likes of her. She put my city on life-support, and I pray it never happens again. Katrina was a storm, for whatever reason, that we as humans are unable to measure in windmaps, surge forecasts, etc... She showed us all who is boss. And it aint us.

[m_ru]

The wind map looks inconsistent as is. The winds were higher in Jackson county(Gautier, Pascagoula Moss Point) than this map shows...yet it seems like the winds were lower in the New Orleans area and the areas near Hattiesburg look a little too high like there isn't even much difference between the coastal winds and the winds 80 miles inland.

*PLUS* The map got Gautier and Moss Point flip flopped which immediately makes me question credibility. I mean...how could anyone possibly switch the two????

[f5]

when Katrina was out in the central GOM she looked liked a monster.her big mean eye was staring right at the northern gulf coast.scary thought

[m_ru]

No, I now have to edit this because I figured out the problem. Gulfport corresponds to the dot to the left of it...Biloxi's dot is to the left....Moss Points dot is to the left(even though Mosspoint should be Oceans Springs) Gautier's dot is to the west and south of it..and Pascagoula is right on.

I'm such a moron.

[Ixolib]

I'd say the map's about right on to what I experienced here in my neighborhood. Throughout the storm, I kept telling the family that the winds "weren't that bad". The winds in Elena, Georges, and Fredrick were "worse" in my opinion. Like I've been saying all along, if it weren't for the surge, I'd had done just fine...

[Brent]

if it weren't for the surge, I'd had done just fine...

Yes... if it weren't for the surge, Katrina would not be the worst hurricane on record in the U.S., New Orleans wouldn't have been closed for months, thousands wouldn't have displaced, and 1,200 wouldn't have died.

[Valkhorn]

and the areas near Hattiesburg look a little too high

I live in Hattiesburg. 100 sustained with gusts to 135 sound exactly right to me.

[f5]

if it weren't for the surge, I'd had done just fine...

Yes... if it weren't for the surge, Katrina would not be the worst hurricane on record in the U.S., New Orleans wouldn't have been closed for months, thousands wouldn't have displaced, and 1,200 wouldn't have died.

Katrina was trying to copy the Indian Ocean tsunami

[Ixolib]

if it weren't for the surge, I'd had done just fine...

Yes... if it weren't for the surge, Katrina would not be the worst hurricane on record in the U.S., New Orleans wouldn't have been closed for months, thousands wouldn't have displaced, and 1,200 wouldn't have died.

Amen to that... She woulda been just another storm like so many others.

[WXBUFFJIM]

I think alot of the problem was the fact Katrina was such a very large size hurricane to begin with. The wind field as you see on that map was quite large and that likely had alot to do with the bad surge we experienced 113 days ago on Aug 29, 2005. Yes it's already been 113 days since Katrina hit the northern Gulf Coast.

Katrina has taught us all that it's not just intensity that matters in hurricanes, but the size of it matter just as much if not more so. Even a weakening cat 3-4 hurricane still caused a category 5 type 30 foot wall of water with waves on top of that along 80 miles of the Mississippi shoreline. Then there was New Orleans situated on the weaker side of Katrina, yet that didn't matter for the big easy as our worse fears were confirmed. That was among the scariest parts of Katrina meteorologically in my opinion and it was a total shame quite honestly.

The power of water was amazing and taught us all a lesson to NEVER underestimate the power of storm surge. It was sad to be exposed with this type of media coverage after katrina depciting scores of death and destruction when there was such good coverage long before landfall even occurred.

We can only hope and pray that 2006 is nothing compared to 2005 in terms of the number of U.S. landfalling major hurricanes and tropical cyclones. I don't think this country can handle another season like 2005 again anytime soon.

Jim

[f5]

Katrina was very big.but how did she get so fat?i know one thing she was big plus she was one of the most beautiful hurricane from a visable satallite perspective.on the infrared she her outflow looked like very sharp blades(buzzsaw)

[MGC]

I think the gusts seem accurate in the parts of South Mississippi I have seen. Cat-4 gusts likely did occure over a large swath of Katrina's track.....MGC

[Jim Cantore]

I could see 150 near Buras and stuff and 135 around biloxi