Wow. Winds are now sustained at 160 miles per hour. A cat 5 hurricane is going to make landfall somewhere along the Gulf coast. It could basically submerge the city of New Orleans. This is going to be a BAD storm - the last cat 5 storms to hit land were in 1935 (an unnamed storm) and Camile in 1969. Hurricane Andrew - the one that destroyed so much of Florida - was a cat 4 at landfall.

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/pastint.html

The remmnats of this storm will sweep up to the northeast...

yes sir jus went thru her in hollywood florida jus got power back and was only cat 1

Hide and watch what his puppy does to petroeum prices. This could be the one FEMA has been worried about for decades.

Did anyone else see the subject and wonder how high speed internet would adversely affect New Orleans?

I just heard on french radio news about that storm.

New Orleans's mayor issued an evacuation order.

And the drilling platforms in the Gulf of Mexico might be affected (they provide 25% of US petrol).

Turned the news on first but the name did cause a chuckle. Also, the hurricane will probably end up nicknamed Kat.

That is all we need, higher gas prices!! I wish the folks in the area the best, and all of us if we are going to pay and pay!! Gas prices are high enough already for my taste! I live too far from work!! Alternate trans is not an option either. 2 years from retirement!!
Lets hope for the best, this could get all of us in some way!!

I'm not sure what I'm more concerned about- the people who will be stuck, or the big pipe line further down the coast....

Eitherway, building below sea level is just dumb. Sorry to everone who might be offended, but it is.

I hope this news quote from an evacuee today isn't indicative of the New Orleans-area's preparedness-level (or lack of) as a whole: "I was in line at the bank for an hour and have been waiting for gas for 30 minutes...lines at gas stations stretched for blocks."

It's a mystery why otherwise intelligent people wait until the last possible moment to make even the most fundamental of preparations, e.g. full tank of gas, ample cash-on-hand, basic supplies – especially when it's been known for a couple of days that the area could be impacted.

Has anyone heard from our three in the target zone?
--Cliff
--Hercdoc
--kfasold