KHOU 11 Hurricane Katrina Coverage: August 29, 2005

Hurricane Katrina Makes Landfall

• 🌀 Hurricane Katrina, a powerful Category 4 storm with winds up to 150 mph, made landfall east of Grand Isle, Louisiana.
• ⚠️ While New Orleans is on the weaker side of the storm, it is still expected to experience severe weather, including heavy rainbands and strong winds.
• 🌊 The primary concern for New Orleans is the potential for Lake Pontchartrain to be pushed over or through levees into the city.
• 🎯 The strongest quadrant of the storm is predicted to hit the Mississippi coast, with Gulfport and Biloxi expected to bear the brunt.

Evacuation and Sheltering Efforts

• 🚗 Hundreds of thousands evacuated from New Orleans and surrounding areas, with traffic on I-10 backed up for miles.
• 🏠 Many evacuees headed to Houston, finding hotels and shelters quickly filled.
• 📍 Red Cross shelters in Texas, including those in Mount Belleview and Baytown, are nearing capacity, with a second shelter opened in Baytown.
• 🏛️ The New Orleans Superdome served as a last resort shelter for approximately 100,000 residents who remained in the city.

Impact and Preparedness

• 💨 Hurricane-force winds and heavy rains are already being felt in areas like Baton Rouge and Hammond, Louisiana, with downed trees and power outages reported.
• 💧 Some areas are experiencing street flooding, and transformers are popping due to high winds.
• 🆘 Texas Task Force One and members of the Texas State Guard have been activated to assist with rescue and shelter operations in Louisiana.
• 🚢 A cruise ship was forced to make an unplanned stop in Galveston to avoid the storm.

Storm's Trajectory and Forecast

• 📈 Katrina is moving north and northeast at approximately 15 mph, with hurricane-force winds expected to extend well inland into Mississippi.
• 📉 The storm has shown signs of weakening slightly due to drier air, but remains a significant threat.
• 🌡️ Houston is experiencing a quiet, warm, and humid morning with a light north breeze, with highs expected in the mid to upper 90s for the coming days.