600 AM CDT MON SEP 01 2008
...EYE OF GUSTAV NEARING THE LOUISIANA COAST...HURRICANE FORCE WINDS
OVER PORTIONS OF SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA...
A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM JUST EAST OF HIGH ISLAND
TEXAS EASTWARD TO THE MISSISSIPPI-ALABAMA BORDER...INCLUDING THE
CITY OF NEW ORLEANS AND LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN. PREPARATIONS TO PROTECT
LIFE AND PROPERTY SHOULD HAVE BEEN COMPLETED.
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM EAST OF THE
MISSISSIPPI-ALABAMA BORDER TO THE OCHLOCKONEE RIVER.
FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...INCLUDING POSSIBLE
INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED
BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE.
AT 600 AM CDT...1100Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE GUSTAV WAS LOCATED
NEAR LATITUDE 28.8 NORTH...LONGITUDE 90.1 WEST OR ABOUT 85 MILES...
135 KM...SOUTH OF NEW ORLEANS LOUISIANA AND ABOUT 150 MILES...240
KM...SOUTHEAST OF LAFAYETTE LOUISIANA. THIS POSITION IS ALSO ABOUT
20 MILES...35 KM...SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF PORT FOURCHON ALONG THE
LOUISIANA COAST.
GUSTAV IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 16 MPH...26 KM/HR...AND
THIS MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT DAY OR SO WITH SOME
DECREASE IN FORWARD SPEED AND A GRADUAL TURN TOWARD THE WEST-
NORTHWEST ON TUESDAY. ON THE FORECAST TRACK...THE CENTER WILL
CROSS THE LOUISIANA COAST BY MIDDAY TODAY.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 115 MPH...185 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER
GUSTS. GUSTAV IS A CATEGORY THREE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON
SCALE. NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN STRENGTH IS LIKELY BEFORE
LANDFALL...WITH WEAKENING EXPECTED TO BEGIN AFTER GUSTAV MOVES
INLAND LATER TODAY.
HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 70 MILES...110 KM...FROM
THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 230
MILES...370 KM. A WIND GUST TO 63 MPH...102 KM/HR...WAS RECENTLY
REPORTED AT NEW ORLEANS NAVAL AIR STATION.
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE ESTIMATED FROM NOAA HURRICANE HUNTER
AIRCRAFT OBSERVATIONS IS 954 MB...28.17 INCHES.
AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS STORM SURGE OF 10 TO 14 FEET ABOVE NORMAL
TIDAL LEVELS IS EXPECTED NEAR AND TO THE EAST OF WHERE THE CENTER
OF GUSTAV CROSSES THE COAST.
GUSTAV IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE TOTAL RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 6 TO
12 INCHES OVER PORTIONS OF LOUISIANA...SOUTHERN AND WESTERN
MISSISSIPPI...ARKANSAS AND NORTHEASTERN TEXAS...WITH ISOLATED
MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF UP TO 20 INCHES POSSIBLE THROUGH THURSDAY.
ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE OVER THE CENTRAL GULF COAST TODAY.
