UPDATED MONDAY

The 86 to 90-degree water in the Gulf of Mexico allowed Katrina to strengthen to a category 5 hurricane, the most powerful on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane intensity scale. Her highest winds over the open waters were at 175 mph.

She hit southern Louisiana Monday morning with winds between 135 and 150 mph, making it a category 4 hurricane.

Storm surges of 15 to 25 feet pounded coastal Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. Storm surge is a wall of water created as the storm nears land, and pushes the ocean water towards the coastline. It is created in addition to the normal tide and waves. Storm surge is the number one cause of fatalities during hurricanes.

Much of New Orleans sits below sea level. Although Tropical Storm Allison caused major flooding in 1995, it has been 40 years since a major hurricane struck the area (Betsy in 1965).

The front right quadrant of the storm often produces tornadoes during landfall. During Monday, over 25 tornado warnings were in effect in parts of the southeast.

The remnants should move through the Tennessee and Ohio River valleys, providing rainfall for our area Tuesday into Wednesday . The amount of rainfall is contingent to Katrina's exact path, but much of the viewing area has the potential for 2 to 4 inches of rainfall, with isolated higher amounts. Flood watches extend from our viewing area south into southern Ohio, West Virginia and Kentucky.


For the latest advisories, check out the National Hurricane Center's website at

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/


Katrina formed quickly late last Tuesday as a tropical depression in the Bahamas. Within 48 hours, she became a category 1 hurricane, and swept across southern Florida. Some sections of southeastern Florida picked up in excess of 12 inches of rainfall.