Hurricane Gustav Notes, Stats, Facts
weather.com
9:31 a.m. ET 9/1/2008
Editor's Note: This is a running collection of notes, reports, and statistics about Hurricane Gustav.
--
9:35 am ET
A tornado has been reported in Hancock, Miss., near the Stennis Space Center.
--
Republican presidential candidate John McCain acknowledges he's feeling some frustration that Hurricane Gustav is affected the GOP convention. But he says, "This is just one of those moments in history where you have to put America first."
--
9:15 am ET
The National Hurricane Center reported at 8 am CT that Hurricane Gustav has weakened to Category 2 storm.
--
9 am ET
A Grand Isle, Louisiana, wind instrument measured a 105 mph gust around 8:15 am ET.
--
8:55 am ET
FEMA says it has enough food, water, ice and other supplies stockpiled for 1 million victims over the next three days.
FEMA Deputy Director Harvey E. Johnson says an estimated 2 million people have been evacuated from Louisiana, but as many as 10,000 remain in the New Orleans area.
--
8:50 am ET
President Bush is headed to the Gulf Coast. He's going to Texas, a staging ground for emergency response efforts and a shelter state for evacuees. He was supposed to have addressed the Republican National Convention tonight, but that speech has been canceled.
--
8:40 am ET
Heavy rain has been falling in southern Louisiana. The National Weather service reported at 7:19 am CT that Grand Isle had gotten 14.61 inches in the previous 24 hours.
--
8:05 am ET
The Weather Channel meteorologists and reporters are all over the Southeast covering the effects of Gustav. Currently, Jim Cantore is in Houma, La., Jeff Morrow is in New Orleans, and Mike Seidel is in Gulfport, Miss, and Stephanie Abrams is in Morgan City, La.
--
7:50 am ET
As of 7:30 am ET, Belle Chase, Louisiana, was reporting sustained winds of 69 mph, power was out over the entire island of Grand Isle and Point a la Hache has reported a storm surge of 9 feet and rising quickly.
--
7:25 am ET
Strong bands of heavy rain and damaging winds are rotating through New Orleans at this hour. New Orleans Naval Air Station recently reported a wind gust of 63 mph.
--
6:50 am ET
A Gustav-spawned tornado is being reported. A trained spotter saw one come onshore in Gulfort, Miss., near highway 49 at about 5 am CT.
Check severe weather alerts in the Southeast for any watches or warnings.
-- 6:45 am ET
Hurricane Gustav will be quite the rain maker. Areas in its path including New Orleans could get more than 18 inches of rain, while other areas could get at least 6 inches.
--
6:20 am ET
The same station at Southwest Pass, Louisiana, recorded sustained winds of 88 mph and a gust of 98 mph at 6 am ET.
Farther east, a buoy 74 miles south of Dauphin Island, Alabama is recording wave heights of 26.9 feet at this hour. Earlier this morning, wave heights were measured near 34 feet.
--
5:55 am ET
The 5 am ET advisory from the National Hurricane Center, reported that Boothville, Louisiana, recorded a wind gust of 70 mph. Another station, at Southwest Pass, reported sustained winds of 76 mph and a gust to 108 (observation point was at an elevation of 79 feet above sea level).
Map showing current winds and reported gusts over Louisiana.
--
How do Hurricanes Gustav and Katrina compare in terms of size?
Hurricane Katrina was a large hurricane. At one point, hurricane-force winds extended outward up to 105 miles from the center and tropical storm force winds extended outward up to 230 miles.
Diameter across = 460 miles.
For Hurricane Gustav, hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 70 miles from the center and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 220 miles.
Diameter across = 440 miles
--
9:45 pm ET
The Weather Channel meteorologists and reporters are all over the Southeast covering the effects of Gustav. Currently, Jim Cantore is in Houma, La., Mike Bettes is in New Orleans, and Mike Seidel is in Gulfport, Miss.
Click each city to see interactive maps with radar and satellite images of the conditions they're facing.
--
9:30 pm ET
Don't forget -- hurricanes can spawn tornadoes. Check severe weather alerts in the Southeast for any watches or warnings. You'all also see flood watches already posted.
--
Of course, people all over the country are concerned for folks in Gustav's path. Here's the personal story of one of our own, who has family in coastal Louisana.
--
8:05 pm ET
A nasty squall of strong-to-severe storms is moving through downtown New Orleans associated with the outer spiraling bands of Gustav.
The NHC advisory reports a lowering pressure within Gustav; from 960 millibars down to 952 millibars. This is one sign of some gradual re-strengthening. Its appearance on satellite is also improving with thunderstorms trying to wrap around the entire center of circulation.
--
6:45 pm ET
Meanwhile, as Gustav approaches, Tropical Storm Hanna is producing rough surf along the Georgia coast. At 6:00 pm, lifeguards on Tybee Island, Georgia are reporting numerous rip currents along the shoreline.
--
5:30 pm ET
The Republicans have announced a schedule-shortened agenda on Monday due to Gustav's impending landfall. Sen. John McCain's campaign manager Rick Davis said, "Tomorrow's program will be business only and will refrain from any political rhetoric that would be traditional in an opening session of a convention."
--
3:30 pm ET
The periphery of Hurricane Gustav is now appearing on weather.com interactive radar with its spiraling arms rotating close to the Gulf coast.
Meanwhile, in the Gulf, a ship reported wave heights of up to 45.9 feet at around 2 pm ET. The ship was located about 130 miles northeast from the center of Gustav.
--
Residents of Cuba are assessing the damage Gustav wrought on Saturday. About 250,000 Cubans were evacuated before Gustav made landfall on Cuba's Isla de la Juventud, then again on the Cuban mainland in Pinar del Rio.
--
Jindal says the levees are not fully restored and it won't be until 2011 before they are expected to protect from a 100-year event. He said, "We shouldn't count on them to protect our lives."
--
Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal and other state officals held a news conference Sunday afternoon to urge strongly that coastal residents evacuate as soon as possible. He said "there's no excuse" for folks not to leave.
--
12:55 pm ET
After a briefing Sunday at the Federal Emergency Management Agency, President Bush said he was assured that New Orleans' levees are "stronger than they have ever been." But he said people across the Gulf Coast and in New Orleans need to understand there is a serious risk of flooding from a storm of this size.
--
11:50 am ET
The same buoy is now reporting wave heights of 34.4 feet. Ten-minute sustained winds there are 60 mph with gusts to 78.
--
10:35 am ET
At a buoy northeast of the center, significant wave heights have risen from 13 feet early this morning to 30.5 feet on the latest observation. Ten-minute sustained winds there are 54 mph with gusts to 67.
--
The White House says President Bush's plans to attend the Republican National Convention on Monday were on hold because of worries about Gustav. Bush had been scheduled to speak late Monday night in St. Paul, Minn.
--
Alabama Gov. Bob Riley has issued a mandatory evacuation order for some coastal areas of Mobile and Baldwin counties.
--
In Louisiana, the traffic contraflow is in effect for easier evacuation out of coastal Louisana.
See contraflow maps for southeast Louisiana and for southwest Louisiana.
In Mississippi, contraflow is in effect from the Louisana border for Interstate 55 for 31 miles and Interstate 59 for 21 miles.
--
Overnight, Hurricane Gustav's winds decreased enough to make the storm a Category 3. But the 8 am ET NHC advisory says it could restrengthen in the next 24 hours.
--
At Sunday 5 am ET, the National Hurricane Center issued a hurricane warning for the Gulf Coast from Cameron, La., to the Alabama/Florida border.
A tropical storm warning remains in effect for the lower Florida Keys west of the Seven Mile Bridge to the Dry Tortugas.
--
Louisiana residents can dial 211 if they need a shelter inside Louisiana. Residents who are looking for a shelter in another state should call the toll-free number 1-866-Get Info (1-866-438-4636) for the location of Red Cross shelters in another state.
--
10 pm ET
The center of Hurricane Gustav moves off the Cuban northwestern coast and emerges into the Gulf of Mexico. It remains a Category 4 hurricane.
--
The New Orleans Saints open their season Sunday, Sept. 7, in the Louisana Superdome. But they've moved to Indianapolis to practice at the Colts' new Lucas Oil Stadium.
They played the entire 2005 season on the road while the dome underwent $185 million dollars worth of repairs to damage from Hurricane Katrina.
--
Likely GOP presidential nominee John McCain and his running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, are traveling to Jackson, Miss., Sunday to check on preparations for Hurricane Gustav.
-- 9 pm ET
New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin has ordered a mandatory evacuation of New Orleans.
Additionally, eight parishes have issued separate mandatory evacuations.
--
Contraflow traffic on interstates and highways begins along south Louisiana at 4 am CT on Sunday.
At the same, Mississippi opens all four lanes of Mississippi interstates 55 and 59.
--
At 8 pm ET, that same ship off the northwestern coast of Cuba reported 19.7 feet wave heights.
--
Hurricane Gustav is whipping up high waves in the Caribbean Sea. At 1:50 pm ET, a buoy located between the Cayman Islands and the Yucatan Peninsula recorded a peak wave height of 13.8 feet.
And at 6 pm ET, A ship reported a wave height of 14.8 feet off the northwestern coast of Cuba.
--
Flights in and out of New Orleans' Louis Armstrong International Airport are scheduled to stop at 6 pm CT on Sunday.
--
Republican governors Bobby Jindal of Louisiana, Charlie Crist of Florida, Haley Barbour of Mississippi and Rick Perry of Texas are all skipping the Republican National Convention that begins on Monday in St. Paul, Minn.
Republican officials are considering how to change the convention to reflect the serious of the storm.
--
The lower Florida Keys are under a tropical storm watch; they could be affected by wind and rain from Gustav's upper-right region.
--
6 pm ET Hurricane Gustav has made landfall over Cuba, in the Pinar Del Rio province.
--
Louisiana officials say they'll begin contraflow on interstates and some major highways on Sunday to allow for easier evacuation.
--
The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports grocery store shelves in the city have been cleared of perishables as residents who didn't evacuate hunker down.
--
The 5 pm update from the National Hurricane Center notes the first hurricane watch for the U.S. It extends from High Island, Texas, east to the Alabama/Florida border.
The NHC now forecasts for Gustav to remain a major hurricane through landfall.
--
Hurricane Gustav slammed Cuba as a Category 4 storm. More than 240,000 Cubans evacuated, says the AP.
--
Saturday 5:30 pm ET
It looks like Gulf coastal residents are heeding warnings to get to higher ground. About a million people reportedly have left.
--
Saturday 5 pm ET
Dr. Steve Lyons, The Weather Channel tropical weather expert, says there appears to be four impacts of concern for the U.S.:
1) Waves east of the center on the Alabama and western Florida coasts 2) High winds over a broad area over and within about 100-150 miles of the center that will cause power outages, down trees and result in some wind damage -- especially within 20-40 miles of where Gustav makes landfall 3) High surge over and east of the landfall point 4) Potential for flooding rains over, north and west of where Gustav makes landfall
--
At 5 pm ET, Gustav had 150 mph -- closer to that Category 5 status.
--
The Weather Channel's Jeff Morrow, who is reporting from New Orleans, --
At 1:20 pm ET, the National Hurricane Center issued a special update indicating Hurricane Gustav was now a dangerous Category 4 hurricane with winds at 145 mph. A Category 5 storm has 155 mph. Gustav is still strengthening.
Copyright 2008 weather.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. AP contributed to this report.
weather.com
9:31 a.m. ET 9/1/2008
Editor's Note: This is a running collection of notes, reports, and statistics about Hurricane Gustav.
--
9:35 am ET
A tornado has been reported in Hancock, Miss., near the Stennis Space Center.
--
Republican presidential candidate John McCain acknowledges he's feeling some frustration that Hurricane Gustav is affected the GOP convention. But he says, "This is just one of those moments in history where you have to put America first."
--
9:15 am ET
The National Hurricane Center reported at 8 am CT that Hurricane Gustav has weakened to Category 2 storm.
--
9 am ET
A Grand Isle, Louisiana, wind instrument measured a 105 mph gust around 8:15 am ET.
--
8:55 am ET
FEMA says it has enough food, water, ice and other supplies stockpiled for 1 million victims over the next three days.
FEMA Deputy Director Harvey E. Johnson says an estimated 2 million people have been evacuated from Louisiana, but as many as 10,000 remain in the New Orleans area.
--
8:50 am ET
President Bush is headed to the Gulf Coast. He's going to Texas, a staging ground for emergency response efforts and a shelter state for evacuees. He was supposed to have addressed the Republican National Convention tonight, but that speech has been canceled.
--
8:40 am ET
Heavy rain has been falling in southern Louisiana. The National Weather service reported at 7:19 am CT that Grand Isle had gotten 14.61 inches in the previous 24 hours.
--
8:05 am ET
The Weather Channel meteorologists and reporters are all over the Southeast covering the effects of Gustav. Currently, Jim Cantore is in Houma, La., Jeff Morrow is in New Orleans, and Mike Seidel is in Gulfport, Miss, and Stephanie Abrams is in Morgan City, La.
--
7:50 am ET
As of 7:30 am ET, Belle Chase, Louisiana, was reporting sustained winds of 69 mph, power was out over the entire island of Grand Isle and Point a la Hache has reported a storm surge of 9 feet and rising quickly.
--
7:25 am ET
Strong bands of heavy rain and damaging winds are rotating through New Orleans at this hour. New Orleans Naval Air Station recently reported a wind gust of 63 mph.
--
6:50 am ET
A Gustav-spawned tornado is being reported. A trained spotter saw one come onshore in Gulfort, Miss., near highway 49 at about 5 am CT.
Check severe weather alerts in the Southeast for any watches or warnings.
-- 6:45 am ET
Hurricane Gustav will be quite the rain maker. Areas in its path including New Orleans could get more than 18 inches of rain, while other areas could get at least 6 inches.
--
6:20 am ET
The same station at Southwest Pass, Louisiana, recorded sustained winds of 88 mph and a gust of 98 mph at 6 am ET.
Farther east, a buoy 74 miles south of Dauphin Island, Alabama is recording wave heights of 26.9 feet at this hour. Earlier this morning, wave heights were measured near 34 feet.
--
5:55 am ET
The 5 am ET advisory from the National Hurricane Center, reported that Boothville, Louisiana, recorded a wind gust of 70 mph. Another station, at Southwest Pass, reported sustained winds of 76 mph and a gust to 108 (observation point was at an elevation of 79 feet above sea level).
Map showing current winds and reported gusts over Louisiana.
--
How do Hurricanes Gustav and Katrina compare in terms of size?
Hurricane Katrina was a large hurricane. At one point, hurricane-force winds extended outward up to 105 miles from the center and tropical storm force winds extended outward up to 230 miles.
Diameter across = 460 miles.
For Hurricane Gustav, hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 70 miles from the center and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 220 miles.
Diameter across = 440 miles
--
9:45 pm ET
The Weather Channel meteorologists and reporters are all over the Southeast covering the effects of Gustav. Currently, Jim Cantore is in Houma, La., Mike Bettes is in New Orleans, and Mike Seidel is in Gulfport, Miss.
Click each city to see interactive maps with radar and satellite images of the conditions they're facing.
--
9:30 pm ET
Don't forget -- hurricanes can spawn tornadoes. Check severe weather alerts in the Southeast for any watches or warnings. You'all also see flood watches already posted.
--
Of course, people all over the country are concerned for folks in Gustav's path. Here's the personal story of one of our own, who has family in coastal Louisana.
--
8:05 pm ET
A nasty squall of strong-to-severe storms is moving through downtown New Orleans associated with the outer spiraling bands of Gustav.
The NHC advisory reports a lowering pressure within Gustav; from 960 millibars down to 952 millibars. This is one sign of some gradual re-strengthening. Its appearance on satellite is also improving with thunderstorms trying to wrap around the entire center of circulation.
--
6:45 pm ET
Meanwhile, as Gustav approaches, Tropical Storm Hanna is producing rough surf along the Georgia coast. At 6:00 pm, lifeguards on Tybee Island, Georgia are reporting numerous rip currents along the shoreline.
--
5:30 pm ET
The Republicans have announced a schedule-shortened agenda on Monday due to Gustav's impending landfall. Sen. John McCain's campaign manager Rick Davis said, "Tomorrow's program will be business only and will refrain from any political rhetoric that would be traditional in an opening session of a convention."
--
3:30 pm ET
The periphery of Hurricane Gustav is now appearing on weather.com interactive radar with its spiraling arms rotating close to the Gulf coast.
Meanwhile, in the Gulf, a ship reported wave heights of up to 45.9 feet at around 2 pm ET. The ship was located about 130 miles northeast from the center of Gustav.
--
Residents of Cuba are assessing the damage Gustav wrought on Saturday. About 250,000 Cubans were evacuated before Gustav made landfall on Cuba's Isla de la Juventud, then again on the Cuban mainland in Pinar del Rio.
--
Jindal says the levees are not fully restored and it won't be until 2011 before they are expected to protect from a 100-year event. He said, "We shouldn't count on them to protect our lives."
--
Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal and other state officals held a news conference Sunday afternoon to urge strongly that coastal residents evacuate as soon as possible. He said "there's no excuse" for folks not to leave.
--
12:55 pm ET
After a briefing Sunday at the Federal Emergency Management Agency, President Bush said he was assured that New Orleans' levees are "stronger than they have ever been." But he said people across the Gulf Coast and in New Orleans need to understand there is a serious risk of flooding from a storm of this size.
--
11:50 am ET
The same buoy is now reporting wave heights of 34.4 feet. Ten-minute sustained winds there are 60 mph with gusts to 78.
--
10:35 am ET
At a buoy northeast of the center, significant wave heights have risen from 13 feet early this morning to 30.5 feet on the latest observation. Ten-minute sustained winds there are 54 mph with gusts to 67.
--
The White House says President Bush's plans to attend the Republican National Convention on Monday were on hold because of worries about Gustav. Bush had been scheduled to speak late Monday night in St. Paul, Minn.
--
Alabama Gov. Bob Riley has issued a mandatory evacuation order for some coastal areas of Mobile and Baldwin counties.
--
In Louisiana, the traffic contraflow is in effect for easier evacuation out of coastal Louisana.
See contraflow maps for southeast Louisiana and for southwest Louisiana.
In Mississippi, contraflow is in effect from the Louisana border for Interstate 55 for 31 miles and Interstate 59 for 21 miles.
--
Overnight, Hurricane Gustav's winds decreased enough to make the storm a Category 3. But the 8 am ET NHC advisory says it could restrengthen in the next 24 hours.
--
At Sunday 5 am ET, the National Hurricane Center issued a hurricane warning for the Gulf Coast from Cameron, La., to the Alabama/Florida border.
A tropical storm warning remains in effect for the lower Florida Keys west of the Seven Mile Bridge to the Dry Tortugas.
--
Louisiana residents can dial 211 if they need a shelter inside Louisiana. Residents who are looking for a shelter in another state should call the toll-free number 1-866-Get Info (1-866-438-4636) for the location of Red Cross shelters in another state.
--
10 pm ET
The center of Hurricane Gustav moves off the Cuban northwestern coast and emerges into the Gulf of Mexico. It remains a Category 4 hurricane.
--
The New Orleans Saints open their season Sunday, Sept. 7, in the Louisana Superdome. But they've moved to Indianapolis to practice at the Colts' new Lucas Oil Stadium.
They played the entire 2005 season on the road while the dome underwent $185 million dollars worth of repairs to damage from Hurricane Katrina.
--
Likely GOP presidential nominee John McCain and his running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, are traveling to Jackson, Miss., Sunday to check on preparations for Hurricane Gustav.
-- 9 pm ET
New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin has ordered a mandatory evacuation of New Orleans.
Additionally, eight parishes have issued separate mandatory evacuations.
--
Contraflow traffic on interstates and highways begins along south Louisiana at 4 am CT on Sunday.
At the same, Mississippi opens all four lanes of Mississippi interstates 55 and 59.
--
At 8 pm ET, that same ship off the northwestern coast of Cuba reported 19.7 feet wave heights.
--
Hurricane Gustav is whipping up high waves in the Caribbean Sea. At 1:50 pm ET, a buoy located between the Cayman Islands and the Yucatan Peninsula recorded a peak wave height of 13.8 feet.
And at 6 pm ET, A ship reported a wave height of 14.8 feet off the northwestern coast of Cuba.
--
Flights in and out of New Orleans' Louis Armstrong International Airport are scheduled to stop at 6 pm CT on Sunday.
--
Republican governors Bobby Jindal of Louisiana, Charlie Crist of Florida, Haley Barbour of Mississippi and Rick Perry of Texas are all skipping the Republican National Convention that begins on Monday in St. Paul, Minn.
Republican officials are considering how to change the convention to reflect the serious of the storm.
--
The lower Florida Keys are under a tropical storm watch; they could be affected by wind and rain from Gustav's upper-right region.
--
6 pm ET Hurricane Gustav has made landfall over Cuba, in the Pinar Del Rio province.
--
Louisiana officials say they'll begin contraflow on interstates and some major highways on Sunday to allow for easier evacuation.
--
The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports grocery store shelves in the city have been cleared of perishables as residents who didn't evacuate hunker down.
--
The 5 pm update from the National Hurricane Center notes the first hurricane watch for the U.S. It extends from High Island, Texas, east to the Alabama/Florida border.
The NHC now forecasts for Gustav to remain a major hurricane through landfall.
--
Hurricane Gustav slammed Cuba as a Category 4 storm. More than 240,000 Cubans evacuated, says the AP.
--
Saturday 5:30 pm ET
It looks like Gulf coastal residents are heeding warnings to get to higher ground. About a million people reportedly have left.
--
Saturday 5 pm ET
Dr. Steve Lyons, The Weather Channel tropical weather expert, says there appears to be four impacts of concern for the U.S.:
1) Waves east of the center on the Alabama and western Florida coasts 2) High winds over a broad area over and within about 100-150 miles of the center that will cause power outages, down trees and result in some wind damage -- especially within 20-40 miles of where Gustav makes landfall 3) High surge over and east of the landfall point 4) Potential for flooding rains over, north and west of where Gustav makes landfall
--
At 5 pm ET, Gustav had 150 mph -- closer to that Category 5 status.
--
The Weather Channel's Jeff Morrow, who is reporting from New Orleans, --
At 1:20 pm ET, the National Hurricane Center issued a special update indicating Hurricane Gustav was now a dangerous Category 4 hurricane with winds at 145 mph. A Category 5 storm has 155 mph. Gustav is still strengthening.
Copyright 2008 weather.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. AP contributed to this report.
