National Weather Service bulletin for New Orleans region facts for kids
The National Weather Service bulletin for the New Orleans region of 10:11 a.m., August 28, 2005 was a very strong warning from the local Weather Forecast Office in Slidell, Louisiana. It warned people about the huge damage that Hurricane Katrina could cause along the Gulf Coast of the United States. Because of this clear warning, many people in southeastern Louisiana and southern Mississippi evacuated, meaning they left their homes to be safe. This helped save many lives.
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How Hurricane Katrina Grew Strong
On August 25, 2005, Hurricane Katrina first hit land in southern Florida. It was a Category 1 hurricane at that time. After crossing Florida, it weakened into a tropical storm.
The next morning, Tropical Storm Katrina moved into the Gulf of Mexico. Over the warm waters, it quickly grew stronger. It became a hurricane again and started to get much more powerful very fast.
New Orleans' Special Danger
New Orleans is a city located on the Mississippi River delta. A large part of the city is actually below sea level. This means that a strong hurricane could cause terrible flooding and damage.
Experts had warned for years about the danger to New Orleans. They said a major hurricane could trap many people. It could also cause the city to flood under many feet of water. The director of the National Hurricane Center, Max Mayfield, called the area a "nightmare scenario."
In 1965, Hurricane Betsy caused widespread flooding in New Orleans. After that, a system of levees was built to protect the city. However, these levees were only designed to protect against hurricanes up to Category 3 strength.
Warnings Before the Bulletin
Three days before Katrina hit land again, weather experts predicted it would be a major hurricane. By August 27, a hurricane watch was issued for the New Orleans area. This was upgraded to a hurricane warning later that evening.
At this point, Katrina was a Category 3 hurricane. Its winds were about 115 mph (185 km/h). It was about 335 miles (540 km) southeast of the Mississippi River's mouth.
That night, the storm became even stronger. By 10:00 a.m. CDT on August 28, it was a Category 5 hurricane. Its winds reached 175 mph (280 km/h). At this time, the Weather Forecasting Office in Slidell, Louisiana, sent out its urgent warning.
The Warning Message Itself
At 10:11 a.m. CDT (1511 UTC), Robert Ricks, a weather expert, sent out this important message:
000
WWUS74 KLIX 281550 NPWLIX
URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW ORLEANS LA 1011 AM CDT SUN AUG 28 2005
...DEVASTATING DAMAGE EXPECTED...
.HURRICANE KATRINA...A MOST POWERFUL HURRICANE WITH UNPRECEDENTED STRENGTH...RIVALING THE INTENSITY OF HURRICANE CAMILLE OF 1969.
MOST OF THE AREA WILL BE UNINHABITABLE FOR WEEKS...PERHAPS LONGER. AT LEAST ONE HALF OF WELL CONSTRUCTED HOMES WILL HAVE ROOF AND WALL FAILURE. ALL GABLED ROOFS WILL FAIL...LEAVING THOSE HOMES SEVERELY DAMAGED OR DESTROYED.
THE MAJORITY OF INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS WILL BECOME NON FUNCTIONAL. PARTIAL TO COMPLETE WALL AND ROOF FAILURE IS EXPECTED. ALL WOOD FRAMED LOW RISING APARTMENT BUILDINGS WILL BE DESTROYED. CONCRETE BLOCK LOW RISE APARTMENTS WILL SUSTAIN MAJOR DAMAGE...INCLUDING SOME WALL AND ROOF FAILURE.
HIGH RISE OFFICE AND APARTMENT BUILDINGS WILL SWAY DANGEROUSLY...A FEW TO THE POINT OF TOTAL COLLAPSE. ALL WINDOWS WILL BLOW OUT.
AIRBORNE DEBRIS WILL BE WIDESPREAD...AND MAY INCLUDE HEAVY ITEMS SUCH AS HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCES AND EVEN LIGHT VEHICLES. SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES AND LIGHT TRUCKS WILL BE MOVED. THE BLOWN DEBRIS WILL CREATE ADDITIONAL DESTRUCTION. PERSONS...PETS...AND LIVESTOCK EXPOSED TO THE WINDS WILL FACE CERTAIN DEATH IF STRUCK.
POWER OUTAGES WILL LAST FOR WEEKS...AS MOST POWER POLES WILL BE DOWN AND TRANSFORMERS DESTROYED. WATER SHORTAGES WILL MAKE HUMAN SUFFERING INCREDIBLE BY MODERN STANDARDS.
THE VAST MAJORITY OF NATIVE TREES WILL BE SNAPPED OR UPROOTED. ONLY THE HEARTIEST WILL REMAIN STANDING...BUT BE TOTALLY DEFOLIATED. FEW CROPS WILL REMAIN. LIVESTOCK LEFT EXPOSED TO THE WINDS WILL BE KILLED.
AN INLAND HURRICANE WIND WARNING IS ISSUED WHEN SUSTAINED WINDS NEAR HURRICANE FORCE...OR FREQUENT GUSTS AT OR ABOVE HURRICANE FORCE...ARE CERTAIN WITHIN THE NEXT 12 TO 24 HOURS.
ONCE TROPICAL STORM AND HURRICANE FORCE WINDS ONSET...DO NOT VENTURE OUTSIDE!
This strong warning was repeated again at 4:13 p.m. CDT.
What Happened After the Warning
After Hurricane Katrina, a special committee looked into how the government responded. They found that the warnings from the National Weather Service were given on time. They also said these warnings likely saved thousands of lives.
The National Weather Service itself looked back at the 10:11 bulletin. They called it a "significant moment" during Katrina. The warning used very detailed and specific language. This kind of message had not been sent out before.
The strong words in the bulletin convinced many people to leave. National news channels also shared the warning widely. Because it worked so well, the National Weather Service now suggests using similar detailed warnings in the future.
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