CNN reporting Katrina downgraded to category 4

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910mb 155mph winds

That's all I can remember of what they said. It's at the top end of Cat 4 though.

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/MIATCPAT2+shtml/290656.shtml

.....
AT 2 AM CDT...0700Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE KATRINA WAS
LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 28.2 NORTH...LONGITUDE 89.6 WEST OR ABOUT
70 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF THE MOUTH OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER
AND ABOUT 130 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF NEW ORLEANS LOUISIANA.

KATRINA IS NOW MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH NEAR 12 MPH. THIS MOTION IS
FORECAST TO CONTINUE TODAY WITH A GRADUAL INCREASE IN FORWARD
SPEED. A TURN TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHEAST IS EXPECTED LATER TONIGHT
AND ON TUESDAY. ON THE FORECAST TRACK THE CENTER OF THE HURRICANE
WILL BE VERY NEAR THE NORTHERN GULF COAST LATER THIS MORNING.
HOWEVER... CONDITIONS ARE GRADUALLY DETERIORATING ALONG PORTIONS OF
THE CENTRAL AND NORTHEASTERN GULF COAST...AND WILL CONTINUE TO
WORSEN THROUGHOUT THE DAY.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 155 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS.
KATRINA IS NOW A STRONG CATEGORY FOUR HURRICANE ON THE
SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. SOME FLUCTUATIONS IN STRENGTH ARE LIKELY
PRIOR TO LANDFALL...BUT KATRINA IS EXPECTED TO MAKE LANDFALL AS
EITHER A CATEGORY FOUR OR POSSIBLY A CATEGORY FIVE HURRICANE.
WINDS AFFECTING THE UPPER FLOORS OF HIGH-RISE BUILDINGS WILL BE
SIGNIFICANTLY STRONGER THAN THOSE NEAR GROUND LEVEL.
.....

And I said "Ma'am I am tonight"

I'll be anything if it will do an ounce of good;.

It could drop 20 miles an hour before hitting New Orleans and it'll still absolutely destroy the city.

... but at least we're not recording the fourth Category 5 to his the U.S. mainland.

Not comforting, but still.

BUT KATRINA IS EXPECTED TO MAKE LANDFALL AS EITHER A CATEGORY FOUR OR POSSIBLY A CATEGORY FIVE HURRICANE.

:(

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I know I read suwhere that they (I furget who "they" was) expect it to take a twist North



Looks like it may rip right thru NO dead center!

Yikes

Dial up users - link is about a 700k gif

Updated gif HERE