Katrina’s impact here: NE winds, incoming clouds
Katrina, once the bearer of 175 mph winds and 47-foot waves in the Gulf of Mexico, weakened to a tropical storm late Monday. Though likely to remain a prolific rain and tornado producer on Tuesday, the once Category 5-intensity system offered little prospect for rain to Chicago. Instead, its flooding downpours will drench the Ohio Valley area, where rainfalls could exceed 2” and flood watches are in effect.
Katrina produced one of the four lowest barometric pressure readings ever recorded in an Atlantic basin hurricane (902 mb. 26.63”) Sunday before roaring onto the southeast Louisiana coast at 6:10 a.m. Monday—and landfalling a second time at the Louisana/Mississippi border. By evening, the storm’s central pressure had increased from 26.63” to 28.73”—underscoring the speed with which it was losing strength.
Blistering heat gripped the West Monday. Temperatures topped 100° and established a new record at Havre, Montana (102°).