Comments on: No major flooding in New Orleans area

By: Brendan Loy

Brendan Loy — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 13:03:57 +0000

Well, first of all, two different, non-circular objects (such as two hurricane whose wind fields aren’t perfectly symmetrical) could both have, say, a maximum T.S.-force wind radius of 200 miles east of the center, but one might only have T.S. winds out 150 miles on the west side, and the other might only have ‘em 100 miles out on the west. So Storm A would have a diameter of 350, while Storm B would have a diameter of 300. But they’d both have a maximum wind radius of 200.

However, I don’t think Dr. Masters was actually saying they have “the same diameter but with different radii.” I think he was simply correcting the media’s improper use of the word “radii” to refer to the diameter. That is to say, his point was that 440 miles was not wind radius of Katrina and of Gustav (which would imply a diameter of 880 miles, assuming perfect symmetry), but rather, it was the diameter of both storms. He’s correcting terminology, not suggesting that the storms have different radii but the same diamaters. That’s how I read it, anyway.

By: paul a'barge

paul a'barge — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 12:52:57 +0000

Two entities with the same diameter but with different radii?

You want to explain that to all us Math majors out here, bippy?

By: Fred

Fred — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 12:05:52 +0000

Maybe the models need to take into account the possibility of eyewall tilt. Once such a tilt can be empirically confirmed, adjustments can be made.

By: tmi3rd

tmi3rd — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 21:55:37 +0000

Brendan-

I’m getting this via WWL and the T-P, but there is an overtopped levee on the eastbank of Plaquemines Parish between Braithwaite and Scarsdale (upriver from NAS New Orleans and across the river from the Coast Guard reservation), and water is beginning to come in in lower Jefferson (mainly Lafitte).

tmi3rd

By: Micah Tillman » Blog Archive » Down to 1 (UPDATED)

Micah Tillman » Blog Archive » Down to 1 (UPDATED) — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 21:44:47 +0000

[...] “No major flooding in New Orleans area” –Weather [...]

By: Brian Neudorff

Brian Neudorff — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 21:44:41 +0000

Brendan you may have spoke to soon: Plaquemines Parish levee overtopped, subdivision threatened… http://www.nola.com/huSt. Bernard Parish firefighters are rolling to a levee overtopping in Braithwaite in Plaquemines Parish. Plaquemines Parish workers have been trying to bolster the levee along the Clearwater Canal that is being overtopped by floodwaters that threaten the Braithwaite Park subdivision.

St. Bernard Parish is sending all available firefighters to the area to help with any rescue efforts that take place, as well as shore the levee with sandbags.Plaquemines Parish workers have been furiously working on the levee since mid afternoon..

“We don’t think our efforts are going to be successful so we need to get everyone out now,” Parish President Billy Nungesser said. rricane/index.ssf/2008/09/plaquemines_parish_levee_threa.html