Rita's surge

[Kurt Wayne]

I know that research meteorologists have probably barely begun to process Katrina's information but...I remember people here saying there was a lot that wasn't known about the former storm and how she worked, particularly in regard to her powerful storm surge that was generated while she was Cat 5 and apparently didn't diminish in energy even as she did.

Could that possibly happen again here, or will it help that Rita (while she is Cat 5) may be further away from land than Kat was when she was a "5"?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Kurt Wayne]

"further" = "farther"

 

[david hilbert]

surge level measure?

I agree. I'm from the Mississippi Coast but was in L.A. when Katrina hit. I haven't got a clear understanding on why 8-12 hours before landfall in Louisiana there was no difinitive storm surge gauge, eventhough NOAA ha dotted the Gulf with bouys that measure such, i.e "Warning, NOAA measures a consistant 30 foot storm suge that will wash 1/2 mile inland in coastal Mississippi..." This is exactly what the storm surge did, and I've been to ground zero in Waveland and Bay St Louis to see it! Any info on why NOAA or NHC can't give a percisie measurement of a surge in the gulf as a storm is hours away from landfall is appreciated. Hell, they are supposed to be able to read an approaching tsunami, correct?

 

[Kurt Wayne]

...

David,

Dr. Jeff Masterson says to expect a Category 5 storm surge and has a map...hope he's incorrect.