12:00 am August 29, 2005: NHC Advisory: Potentially catastrophic Katrina bears down on Northern Gulf Coast

The National Hurricane Center (NHC)‘s midnight advisory leads with: “Potentially catastrophic [Category 5] Hurricane Katrina continues to approach the Northern Gulf Coast…sustained hurricane-force winds nearing the Southeastern Louisiana coast.” Already, a wind gust to 98 mph has been reported from Southwest Pass Louisiana. Katrina remains quite large, and will likely cause storm surge flooding of 18-22 feet above normal, with increased surge to 28 feet in some areas, and may overtop New Orleans’ levees. Some changes to Katrina’s structure indicates that there could be some weakening, although the NHC reiterates that Katrina likely will still be a very dangerous Category 4 hurricane at landfall. Other aspects of the NHC Advisory include:
Location: 90 miles south-southwest of the mouth of the Mississippi River; 150 miles south-southeast of New Orleans
Direction and Speed: North-northwest at near 10 mph
Maximum Sustained Winds: Near 160 mph with higher gusts
Estimated Central Pressure: 908 mb
Size: hurricane winds now extend 105 miles from the center; tropical storm force winds extend 230 miles [National Hurricane Center, 8/29/2005]