By this time tomorrow, the Gulf coast will be devastated.  Just over three years after Katrina scarred Louisiana and Mississippi, Hurricane Gustav is taking aim.  Fortunately, the city of New Orleans has learned a lesson:  a mandatory evacuation order is in place, and 700 busses are transporting people to inland shelters.  The news isn’t all rosy, though.  For New Orleans, at least, the situation could be even worse this time around.  If the eye comes ashore west of the city as predicted, the winds and storm surge could be worse than in Katrina.  The surge is forecast to be 18 feet or more, but the levees (which are not fully repaired) are designed to protect against a surge of 10 feet.  It is very likely that much of the rebuilding that has been done in southern Louisiana will be undone, and further damage will occur.

Various links:

National Hurricane Center: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/graphics_at2.shtml

Weather Underground: http://www.wunderground.com/tropical/tracking/at200807.html

National Weather Service: http://www.srh.noaa.gov/lix/ (New Orleans) http://www.srh.noaa.gov/lch/ (Lake Charles, LA)

VoIP weather net: http://www.voipwx.net/

HurriCam: http://www.gregledet.net/hurricam/hurricam.html

Other information will be posted here and to the Funnel Fiasco tropical weather page (http://weather.funnelfiasco.com/tropical)