11:00 am EDT August 25, 2005: NHC Advisory: Katrina is Strengthening as It Moves Towards Florida

In its eight advisory, The National Hurricane Center (NHC) retains the hurricane warning for southeast Florida, and tropical storm watches and warnings elsewhere, noting that the storm continues to strengthen. Models continue to agree Katrina will travel westward across the southern Florida peninsula for next 48 hours or so, but continue to diverge significantly in forecasting when and where Katrina will move north towards Florida panhandle or northwest Florida. One model indicates Katrina will move across northeast Florida, while another indicates Katrina will hit the western Florida panhandle. Katrina could still become a Category 1 hurricane prior to Florida landfall, and expected to re-strengthen after entering the Gulf of Mexico. Other aspects of the NHC Advisory include:
Location: 26.2 N, 79.3 W
Direction and Speed: West at 6 mph
Maximum Sustained Winds: 60 mph
Estimated Central Pressure: 997 mb
Probability that in the next 69 hours, Katrina’s eye will pass within 75 miles of:
West Palm Beach, FL: 99 percent
Panama City, FL: 13 percent
Gulfport, MS: 7 percent
New Orleans, LA: 5 percent [National Hurricane Center, 8/25/2005; National Hurricane Center, 8/25/2005; National Hurricane Center, 8/25/2005]