8/30 Gustav and Hanna Update
By Gannon Medwick
Saturday, August 30, 2008
I hope you’re enjoying the Labor Day weekend thus far! Let’s get you updated on the tropics…
Gustav:Major hurricane Gustav is slamming Cuba as I type this report Saturday evening. Gustav will likely maintain itself as a major - perhaps Category 3, 4 or even 5 - hurricane through tomorrow and Labor Day. Northwest-bound Gustav will very likely impact the coast of Louisiana late on Labor Day or perhaps Upper Texas coast early Tuesday. New Orleans’ levees would likely be inundated with a direct hit or even a near-miss from Gustav if it stays a Category 4 or 5 hurricane. If Gustav hits the central or western Louisiana coast or the coast of Upper Texas as a Category 4 or 5 hurricane, New Orleans may just barely be spared and said areas to the west would be inundated with an epic storm surge of 15 to 20 feet (perhaps locally higher at and just east of the point of landfall). Unfortunately, the legacy of Gustav is likely to be similar to that of 2005’s Katrina and Rita. Keep the residents of the Gulf Coast in your thoughts and prayers this Labor Day weekend.
Hanna: Tropical Storm Hanna will not enjoy the same favorable atmospheric or ocean conditions for intensification purposes that Gustav will. Nonetheless, Hanna will likely maintain its integrity as a tropical storm through Labor Day weekend and into early next week. A high pressure system building over the Eastern U.S. will guide Hanna toward the Bahamas in the coming days.
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