The Weather Channel announced at 11:00 a.m. on August 28 that the National Hurricane Center is keeping Isaac at tropical storm status. Hurricane expert Jim Cantore noticed a pressure drop and reported at 10:15 on Twitter, “Newest recon shows pressure drop to 977mb and 89kts outbound wind in northeast quadrant. NHC could upgrade b4 next advisory.” However, Cantore posted earlier that there isn’t much difference between a tropical storm and a weak CAT 1 storm. “It’s like a promotion at work with no pay.”
The latest advisory from the National Hurricane Center, as reported at 11:00 a.m. ET on Tuesday, August 28, shows that Tropical Storm Isaac is very close to a hurricane, but remains a tropical storm. Isaac is located at 28.1 N/88.5 W. Its maximum winds are 70 mph and its pressure dropped to 976 mb. The storm is currently traveling NW at a speed of 10 mph. Isaac is located 77 miles SSE of the mouth of the Mississippi and 161 miles SE of New Orleans.
Despite remaining a tropical storm, Isaac still poses a threat. “This is going to be one of the more serious storms move into New Orleans in a while,” one Weather Channel reporter said at 10:50 a.m. However, he also noted that New Orleans is better protected by reinforced levees. The problems will include localized flooding and power outages caused by sustained rain and tropical storm force winds.
Bryan Norcross said that people might sit up and take notice more if Isaac is upgraded to a hurricane. “From a PR standpoint, it might be better to call it a hurricane. Yes, it’s right on the cusp, but it’s not quite there.” He added that hurricane hunters take hundreds of measurements to ensure accuracy.
The 11:00 a.m. advisory from the National Hurricane Center narrowed the hurricane warning area. Below are the most current warnings and watches for Tropical Storm Isaac.
- Hurricane warning: East of Morgan City, LA to the Mississippi-Alabama border, including New Orleans
- Hurricane watch: Intercoastal City to Morgan City, LA
- Tropical storm warning: The Mississippi-Alabama border to Destin, FL and Morgan City to Cameron, LA
- Tropical storm watch: East of High Island, TX to just west of Cameron, LA
The Weather Channel is a complete one-stop shop for tracking and preparing for hurricanes. The following tools can be found at Hurricane Central on weather.com.
- Hurricane Tracker Map: Includes storm details such as strength, location, wind speed, movement and pressure.
- WeatherREADY: Contains information and links to help prepare and keep informed before, during and after the storm.
- Live chats: TWC hosted an online live chat on Friday, August 24. Users were able to ask questions and get real time severe weather updates from TWC experts, meteorologists and local affiliates. Additional chats may be added.
- Notify!: Subscribers receive alerts by email, phone or SMS when severe weather warnings are issued in their area.
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