| It appears that as of right now Hurricane Ernesto is | | | | were poor, sick, handicapped, and otherwise unable |
| going to become a hurricane on Sunday. Right now, | | | | to leave the city and surrounding areas. So, when the |
| according to the National Hurricane Center and | | | | levees did break and the city flooded there were |
| NOAA, Ernesto is a tropical storm with sustained | | | | thousands that became stranded, drowned, etc. |
| winds of over 60 mph. Tracking shows it will go | | | | According to recent reports on CNN by the Army |
| through Cuba and head into the Gulf of Mexico. | | | | corps of engineers the levees have been rebuilt but |
| The Hurricane Center can only predict possible paths | | | | are not capable of withstanding another major |
| with any accuracy at 5 days out. 3 days out will | | | | hurricane. |
| show better accuracy, but one should also keep in | | | | Ernesto could become that major hurricane. Right |
| mind that hurricanes can be very unpredictable as | | | | now Ernesto is feeling the effects of sheering winds |
| recent ones that have struck Florida have actually | | | | which usually take the force and can even dissipate a |
| reversed direction headed back out to sea, | | | | storm altogether. Through these sheering winds |
| reorganized and strengthened, then come back again. | | | | Ernesto has not lost strength or weakened in the |
| So, there are no guarantees, but it sure does look | | | | slightest. That shows it has strength and endurance. |
| like hurricane Ernesto could take a path that would | | | | According to the National Hurricane Center Ernesto |
| endanger New Orleans and Biloxi all over again. | | | | should emerge from the shearing winds tomorrow |
| Both Biloxi and New Orleans have a long and hard | | | | and then quickly build into a hurricane with sustained |
| road ahead for rebuilding after the devastating landfall | | | | winds greater than 74 mph. The track then takes it |
| of Katrina last year which went on record as the | | | | through warm and optimal conditions in the Gulf of |
| most expensive national disaster ever for the U.S. | | | | Mexico similar to when Katrina went through last |
| When hurricane Katrina made landfall it had weakened | | | | year. Current weather predictions also show that the |
| from a category 5 hurricane to a category 3 with | | | | weather patterns will most likely encourage the |
| sustained winds of 111-130 mph. Even though it was | | | | hurricane to take a northern track to the area of |
| only a category 3 it did more damage than any | | | | Louisiana and Mississippi. These same current and |
| category 4 or 5 storm (sustained winds of greater | | | | near future weather predictions also suggest that it is |
| than 131 mph). Katrina had more to do with the | | | | highly likely that Ernesto will become at least a |
| topography and economics of the affected areas. | | | | category 3 or 4 hurricane before landfall in America. |
| New Orleans actually lies bordered by 3 bodies of | | | | Yes, it looks like Ernesto may well be the next major |
| water and is mostly below sea level. It is maintained | | | | storm headed to New Orleans. I do not wish this on |
| by a series of levees that keep the water out. | | | | anyone and actually hope it fizzes out or goes back |
| These levees or dams were not made for a high | | | | out to sea as any loss of life or severe hardship |
| level hurricane storm surge. Storm surges that usually | | | | caused by a storm like Katrina is terrible. I have one |
| accompany hurricanes can easily range from 15 to 40 | | | | question, though, if we spent over $70 billion on |
| feet. New Orleans did amount a mass evacuation | | | | repairing that area why could not we have either built |
| from New Orleans when it was determined that | | | | stronger levees when we just went through a |
| Katrina, then a category 5, was headed right for | | | | terrible tragedy for the same reason that they were |
| them. The problem was that many of the inhabitants | | | | too weak. |