A Nasty piece of Creation

[Robby]

http://www.goes.noaa.gov/browsh.html
Fingers crossed for the folk of New Orleans. This one looks like it will be a Cat5 hurricane when it hits land!!!! :scared:
Say a quiet prayer :prey:

Lets hope the very active Atlantic hurricane season does not mean we are in for a very active cyclone season this summer.
Cheers

[h0ughy]

I noticed on Astromart there is a guy who has packed up his scope and observatory and has it for sale! I think he knows there wont be much left of his house!

[iceman]

Another image of it on APOD today:
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap050829.html

Incredible image, especially the large version.

Let's hope the people in that region come out of it safely.

[gaa_ian]

My prayers are certainly with them ..
As some of you would remember I went through a Cat 4 Cyclone early this year.
Something I hope I never have to repeat !

[Orion]

As are mine.

[Daring Dave]

54 dead...terrible news 1.4 mil without power... CNN (http://www.cnn.com/)

Its gusting 42 - 50 kts here 5k east of Tulla Airport but thats insignificant to what Katrina is dishing out...

[asimov]

Our thoughts are with them as well.

[asimov]

Well, They copped it pretty bad...the aftermath is pretty disasterous, poor beggars..

[Daring Dave]

I watched the news tonight and the aftermath is terrible.....

[johnno]

Our thoughts and prayers are with them also.
John

[gaa_ian]

It is hard to believe that so many people are in such despate need of help there, and the the worlds greatest military power cannot mobilise quickly to get them out of there!
The more you read though, the more you realise the scale of the disaster & just what it is going to take to get under control.

[RapidEye]

I'm not sure how much news coverage you guys are getting of the aftermath down there, but here in the US, we've had pretty much non-stop news coverage of it since Monday.

Here in North Carolina we've had more than a few major hurricanes as well. Nothing approaching what just destroyed the gulf, but some bad ones just the same. Before the storm even left Mississippi; Power Crews, Emergency Workers, Red Cross Volunteers, and just lots of good samaritans from North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia were heading down with trucks full of supplies and repair equipment. All of us know it could have just as easily been any one of us and everyone rushes to lend a hand to our neighbors in need.

Don't let the news coverage fool you: things in New Orleans may look like a war zone, but it is not because people aren't trying to get in there in help. On the contrary, folks in Mississippi and Alabama were hit even harder and the rescuers are doing an amazing job of helping everyone out there. Its the fact that NO is cut off by the Mississippi river on one side and Lake Pontchartrain on the other side.

They are physically isolated and trying to get stuff in to them and people out of the area is next to impossible. With all the floating debris, it isn't as easy as loading up a bunch of boats and heading in. Also, most of their utility lines are above ground - if you bring in choppers, there are tons of power and phone lines and poles they have to keep out of.

The only story that is even coming close to getting as much air time is the gas shortage here on the east coast because the main gasoline pipelines out of the gulf area are without power.

Before the storm, we were paying about $2.50/Gal. Most of the stations around here are now at $3.40/Gal and I saw a few through town that are at $3.70/Gal. About %25 of the stations have no gas at all. Supposedly, they've restored power to the pipelines, but they are operating at less than half capacity.

I'm not complaining - it will get better. Just pointing out how this disaster is not only impacting ground zero, but also the entire eastern seaboard.

All of them are in our prayers and we are sending money, food, volunteers, anything we can to help them out. If you are going to pray for anything, pray that all of the assistance that has been sent can get through.