Hurricane Gustav update

As I was prowling around the web looking for indepth information on storms and local updates I found this site: www.wunderblog.com . A Dr. Jeff Masters is the technical talent and includes many helpful graphics and explanations in easy to understand language.

Hurricane Gustav is making landfall on the Louisiana coast just southwest of New Orleans as a powerful Category 2 hurricane. Latest data from the Hurricane Hunters at 8:30 am EDT shows that Gustav continues to weaken, with the pressure now 957 mb, and no surface winds above Category 2 strength observed. Cold water that the hurricane stirred up from the depths plus the effects of wind shear caused the eyewall to collapse a few hours before landfall, resulting in weakening. However, the hurricane reacted to collapse of the eyewall by broadening its wind field, spreading out the strongest winds over a wider area. The diameter of coastline being subjected to tropical storm force winds is now 440 miles, the same as Katrina. Hurricane force winds will be felt by a 115 mile-wide stretch of coast (Katrina's reach was 205 miles). Gustav remains a huge and powerful storm whose winds and storm surge will cause a tremendous amount of damage as the storm blasts through Louisiana today.

My thanks to Dr. Masters and prayers for those in the storm's patth !