- Oct 22, 2014
- 23,546
Twenty years ago, a storm named Katrina made landfall, for the second time, on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Our fellow crew member, my friend, and Hurricane tracker, Jim, was in the center of the devastation. Though he has experienced 29 storms/hurricanes, this one is always at the top of his list of Bad Hurricanes. James' calculations of the storm's strength identify the impact of a class 5 hurricane.
Here is a summary of what happened in August 2005 based on NOAA reports..
Hurricane Katrina began as a tropical depression over the southeastern Bahamas on August 23, 2005. Quickly intensifying into Tropical Storm Katrina, it moved northwest, gaining strength from warm Atlantic waters. By August 25, Katrina had developed into a Category 1 hurricane with sustained winds of 80 mph, making its first landfall near Miami, Florida. Despite causing flooding and power outages, the storm weakened slightly as it crossed the Florida peninsula.
Upon entering the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico, Katrina rapidly intensified due to favorable conditions, including high sea surface temperatures and low wind shear. By August 27, it had become a Category 3 hurricane, and within 24 hours, it strengthened to a Category 5 with sustained winds reaching 175 mph. The storm's massive size, with hurricane-force winds extending 90 miles from its center, posed a significant threat to the Gulf Coast.
As Katrina approached land, fluctuations in intensity occurred. NOAA reported that the storm weakened slightly to an intense Category 3 hurricane. [This conflicts with Jim’s on-site observations.” I had 175 mph winds at my house and BP 828.”] with winds around 125 mph before making its final landfall on August 29, 2005, near the Louisiana-Mississippi border. Jim’s home is about 15 miles from the border. The storm brought catastrophic storm surges, particularly along the Mississippi Gulf Coast, where surges reached 40 feet in some areas. Heavy rainfall, powerful winds, and widespread flooding followed, devastating cities like Waveland [ aka Jim's home port], Gulfport, and Biloxi.
Mandatory evacuations and widespread emergency preparations marked Katrina's approach and landfall. Despite these efforts, the storm caused extensive damage and loss of life, highlighting its unprecedented strength and the severe vulnerability of coastal communities in its path.
Katrina's eye split in 2, thus the idea of Cat 3 is false. I have videos to prove my rolled vinyl flooring bulged up when the main Eye passed between Slidell, LA, and Diamondhead, MS. My ears felt the low pressure, and being a scuba diver, I had to pop them back.
Jim's construction company spent 3 years helping to recover the Mississippi coast.
Super Dome 20 years ago.
Waveland's Ground Zero Museum
www.wavelandgroundzero.com
Jim and John.
