Gustav

[Brian Ellis]

Ouch! Looks bad and may even hit New Orleans again. US oil prices will rise.

[degrub]

it's looking like a cat 3 which isn't too bad. Most buildings will take that as long as debris doesn't take out a window or something. We are all watching it very closely as high pressure developing in the Ohio valley will control where this makes landfall. Most of the models are putting it into Lafayette La and then looping to the west a bit to get around the high. Most likely bad flooding from the extensive rains across western La and eastern Tx. With what we call "training" of the rain bands, we will likely see 10 - 24 inches from this storm in wide areas.

Oil / Natural Gas prices will spike for a week or so until everyone realizes that the well platforms are ok. Last workers are scheduled to off the rigs by tonight for most companies. All of the chemical and oil refineries are well into emergency preparedness plans. If shutdowns are required, most will start Sunday or Sunday night and be ready Monday to ride out the storm.

[Jammrock]

They are already rising.

[MultimediaMan]

I just got got a couple of advance disaster recovery units ready: Basically vehicles with Wireless Laptops and a Sat-Com relay aboard: oh and with a Laser printer... . Setting these up remotely, even using CLI over the satellite link was no fun at all...

I'll be taking a shift in our Emergency Operations Center on Sunday Morning... We're ready for this one.

[KRSESQ]

It's a cat 3 now. Once it gets out over that lovely warm Gulf water it'll have two days to gain strength before landfall.

Kevin

[degrub]

Now Cat 4 145 mph gusts to 170,. poor Cuba....

model forcast track is still straight into Louisiana with landfall as a strong 3 or maybe a 4.

The weather service is saying the heat content of the northern Gulf is lower than around Cuba, so cross your fingers.

[Dr Mordrid]

it's looking like a cat 3 which isn't too bad.

Katrina was a cat 3 when she landed.

Last map I saw Gustav had New Orleans dead bang.

Fortunately this time the Governor of Louisiana has implemented a real emergency plan unlike the moron that was there 3 years ago.

[rylan]

Its forecast to strength to cat 5 when it finishes with Cuba... it'll likely near the coast as a cat 4 or strong cat 3.

[Brian Ellis]

While slightly weaker now, forecasters said Gustav could hit top category five force as it moved toward the US Gulf Coast for a direct hit Monday or Tuesday. AFP

[Jammrock]

The mayor of New Orleans has ordered a mandatory evacuation of the city...

[Dr Mordrid]

This time people seem to be listening, they didn't for Katrina. That, the LA governor at the time not allowing the Federalization of the National Guard and their dummy mayor not using the city/school buses & thinking they could use the Superdome for a housing unit caused a lot of the humanitarian crisis back then.

Their new governor, Bobby Jindal, is doing much better by all accounts.