6:00 am August 29, 2005: NHC Advisory: Katrina winds begin pounding Northern Gulf Coast

The National Hurricane Center’s (NHC) 6:00 am advisory is bleak: “Extremely dangerous Category 4 Hurricane Katrina preparing to move onshore near southern Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana.” Hurricane-force wind gusts are now hitting most of southeastern Louisiana, the New Orleans metropolitan area, and as far east as the Chandeleur Islands. Katrina’s eye is now midway between Grand Isle and the mouth of the Mississippi River. The NHC expects Katrina to move onshore near Empire and Buras, Louisiana within the next hour, and reach the Mississippi border by early afternoon. The NHC continues to warn that that storm surge flooding will be 18-22 feet above normal, with increased surge to 28 feet in some areas, and that levees in the greater New Orleans area could be overtopped. A buoy located about 50 miles east of the mouth of the Mississippi has reported wave heights of at least 47 feet. Other aspects of the NHC Advisory include:
Location: 70 miles south-southeast of New Orleans, and about 95 miles south-southwest of Biloxi, Mississippi
Direction and Speed: North at near 15 mph
Maximum Sustained Winds: 145 mph with higher gusts
Estimated Central Pressure: 918 mb
Size: hurricane winds extend 120 miles from the center; tropical storm force winds extend 230 miles [National Hurricane Center, 8/29/2005]