Version 3; 18 October 2005
The order of presentation is from west to east around the Gulf of Mexico.
Texas Coastal Ocean Observation System (TCOON)
Gary Jeffress
Texas A&M Corpus Christi
The Texas Coastal Ocean Observation Network (TCOON) and the Houston/Galveston PORTS performed exceptionally well during Rita. There were some communications problems with PORTS for a while, but no data lost. We lost the Texas Point gauge leading up to the height of the landfall (about 10:24 PM Friday 23 September 2005) up until then it was tracking the rapid increase in water level with a last water level reading at 3.41 feet above mean sea level.
The NOS gauge at Sabine Pass Coast Guard Station was knocked out after 00:30 AM Saturday 24 September 2005. The last wind gust recorded was 80 mph, the last water level observation was 3.71 feet above mean sea level, and the last barometric pressure reading was 967.8 mb at 00:12 Saturday 24 September 2005. The anemometer and water level stilling well quit before the barometer. The end result for both gauges was total demolition. One of the TV stations in Fort Worth was broadcasting live data from our web site for this gauge up until it failed.
Our field crew is in the process of re-building the Sabine Pass gauge. The gauge is required for post-storm hydrographic surveys of the Sabine Pass ship channel.
Nowcast/Forecast Model Associated With TABS
Matthew Howard
Texas A&M University
We operate a nowcast/forecast modeling system for Gulf of Mexico currents in association with the Texas Automated Buoy System (TABS). Both of these activities are supported by the Texas General Land Office (TGLO) - the state agency responsible for oil spill response and mitigation. In this regard we work for Buzz Martin of the TGLO, whom I'm sure you have met.
On 1 September, shortly after Hurricane Katrina made landfall, we were contacted by C.J. Beegle-Krause of NOAA/HAZMAT who reported that they were no longer able to receive Navy wind products needed to drive their circulation models and that we were the only game in town. (I do not know which Navy products they use or how they obtain them. Perhaps the loss of satellite dishes at Stennis were involved - but this is pure conjecture on my part).
C.J. said, although their initial efforts would be directed towards human health and infrastructure issues they wanted to be prepared to respond to oil & chemical spills and debris and asked could we help. Over the next few days we were able to modify our model output formats such that they were ingestible by the NOAA/HAZMAT GNOME model—an oil spill trajectory model.
We now have two model outputs (ROMS & POM) in two forms (curvilinear and regular grid) in GNOME and LAS compatible formats available via web or OPeNDAP format.
The second area where we were potentially useful was in the delivery of NDBC buoy data. Following landfall, the NDBC web site went down. We pull down NDBC buoy data on a continuous basis via the GTS stream using Unidata's LDM software. For us, there was no interruption of data from undamaged NDBC buoys.
Testimony from C.J. Beegle-Krause
NOAA HAZMAT
When Hurricane Katrina made landfall in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, it created a social and environmental disaster. The NOAA Office of Response and Restoration Hazardous Materials Response Division (HAZMAT) supplies technical assistance and Scientific Support Coordinators to the US Coast Guard under the National Contingency Plan. The HAZMAT trajectory model, GNOME, is able to forecast the movement of oil spills given inputs of winds and currents. GNOME's ability to make these forecasts is largely independent of the grid on which the input data is provided, allowing HAZMAT to select the best model for the situation.
When Hurricane Katrina also knocked out the source of the Navy-supplied data for assimilation and wind forecast boundary conditions for the NOAA Coast Survey Development Laboratory's (CSDL) Gulf of Mexico (GOM) forecast circulation model, HAZMAT contacted the Texas General Land Office (TGLO, state spill response agency) and Texas A&M University (TAMU) Department of Oceanography to find out the status of their GOM forecast system. TAMU stepped up. With assistance from the NOAA Live Access Server (LAS) development team, the development pace for the TAMU OPeNDAP and LAS connections was accelerated to provide data fields to both TGLO and HAZMAT. NOAA CSDL and NOAA Center for Operational Products and Services (CO-OPS) are also setting up OPeNDAP servers and LAS connections for their respective experimental and operational models. HAZMAT recommends OPeNDAP and LAS for access to outside models because the speed of data access, analysis options, and custom subsetting provided meet their quick response timeline.
This picture shows GNOME with the NOAA shoreline for Texas and Louisiana overlaid with the TAMU current forecast for the Louisiana-Texas shelf from September 27, 2005 at 0500 CDT. The light brown area is the NOAA shoreline (upper left corner is a blank area left over from quickly cutting out the necessary piece). The dark brown and light blue lines are the circulation model's shoreline and open water boundaries, respectively.
Texas Automated Buoy System (TABS)
Norman Guinasso
Texas A&M University
Six of our buoys stopped working at the time of or shortly after the hurricane. Two of these were fairly far removed from the hurricane paths.
TABS Buoy R between Sabine and Lake Charles was directly in the path of Rita. We assume that it is lost. TABS Buoy V operated through the storm. The center of circulation of Rita passed about 40 miles from the buoy. Buoy V measured currents and winds through the passage of the storm but failed the following day. TABS buoy N failed 11 hours before the storm made landfall. TABS Buoy B off Freeport failed 17 hours before the storm made landfall. TABS Buoy D off Corpus Christi failed 29 hours following the storm making landfall. TABS Buoy K off Brownsville failed 10 hours after the storm made landfall.
We hope most of these buoys are still in place and can be recovered and fixed. We have working spares to replace all of them and will do so when a ship is available. We have the R/V Longhorn reserved for October 14th.
NOAA/NOS Tidal, PORTS and Operational Forecast Model Status
David MacFarland
NOS/NOAA
- CO-OPS currently operates 32 tide long and short term stations in the GoM, and ingests data from 31 partner operated tide stations as part of the National Water Level Observation Network (NWLON). These stations provide data in real time (every 6 minutes) or near real time (every hour).
- NOAA tide stations are multimission—they support safe navigation, long term sea level, habitat restoration, emergency response—and can provide real time storm tide observations critical to emergency response managers, NWS forecasters, and other users.
- NOAA tide stations often have other oceanographic and meteorological sensors associated with them such as wind speed/direction, barometric pressure, etc. that also are important parameters for storm events.
- CO-OPS also operates a PORTS® in Houston/Galveston and Tampa. Associated with the Houston/Galveston PORTS is the Galveston Bay Operational Forecast System.
Hurricane Katrina
- Tampa Bay PORTS: 11 major instruments, 10 working before Katrina (August 25). Old Port Tampa current meter failed during the storm and remains down.
- Houston/Galveston PORTS: 14 major instruments, all functioning before and after the storm (August 29).
- Four NOAA tide stations were destroyed by Katrina, all in Mississippi and representing all assets in that state. Two short term tide stations to support emergency hydro surveys have been installed in Gulfport and Pascagoula, MS.
- The only two hardened (elevated, strengthened support platforms) NWLON stations along the Gulf Coast (Dauphin Island, AL and Grand Isle, AL) operated successfully throughout both storms, validating the value of a hardened station.
Hurricane Rita
- Four NOAA tide stations were destroyed by Rita, one in Texas and three in Louisiana. Field crews completed the repairs of all stations.
- Houston/Galveston PORTS communications and data dissemination was disrupted by a power outage during Hurricane Rita. All instruments continued operating. Four of the 14 major instruments continued to disseminate data to the public; the distribution of the data from the remaining instruments was restored within 48 hours by installing an emergency generator at a Coast Guard facility. The Galveston Bay Operational Forecast System operated throughout Hurricane Rita.
- Tampa Bay PORTS operated successfully during Rita. Old Port Tampa current meter remains down.
Wave Current Surge Information System (WAVCIS)
Greg Stone
Louisiana State University
WAVCIS was used extensively during Katrina and Rita by OEP operations staffed by Federal, State and local emergency officials. Data were also provided to the National Hurricane Center and universities around the world. The web site was accessed over 500,000 times during the peak of these events. In summary, in situ metocean data were provided in real time along with storm surge, wave and current forecasts for as much as 86 hours in advance.
During Hurricane Katrina, CSI 6 was the only site affected by the storm. All the other sites performed very well and provided excellent data throughout the duration of the storm. CSI 6, however, failed about 12 hours prior to the landfall of the storm due to the critical failure of the underwater conduit. This caused a high current drain on the data logger because of the exposure of all of the cables to the sea water. The conduit failure and loss was due to pipelines being moved during the final approach of the storm and literally ripping it from the side of the rig leg. All of the equipment and cabling, except for the ADCP instrument, was lost. A re-design of the conduit is underway, but at present, nothing can be replaced due to the lack of funds with which to be able to replace the equipment and hire the commercial diving services needed to install the new conduit. The State Office of Risk Management requires that the equipment be replaced and the services be performed first before the insurance part is accessed and paid. This requires us to first come up with the funding to do this and we, at this time, do not have the funding to start the process of replacement. We were able to get the meteorological instruments for CSI 6 back online and working shortly after this storm.
During Hurricane Rita, all of the stations performed again very well. Communications with CSI 3 was lost right at the peak of the storm due to inland flooding of vital communications infrastructure that occurred during the storm surge. I suspect that the site survived and that all of the captured data is still there waiting to be downloaded. CSI 6 survived and lasted until Sunday morning on September 25, 2005. I suspect that there are some other problems that were not found from Hurricane Katrina that will have to be troubleshot so that the site will sustain itself a bit longer. The original design was to have the station operated up to the landfall of a hurricane. Any data that was received after the landfall was considered a bonus. We have been able to successfully capture the post storm conditions of how things return back to the normal conditions over the past four hurricane seasons as our sites have come on-line over the past four years.
Hurricane Rita has proven that an independent communications system is the most reliable means of getting the data back, thus a new satellite communications system will have to be installed at CSI 3 to prevent this from happening again. That will require the funding to purchase a satellite communications system capable of operating through a hurricane.
WAVCIS/BIO2
Nancy Rabalais
LUMCON
The Hypoxia Studies of Rabalais et al. joined the BIO2 with the WAVCIS system (http://www.wavcis.lsu.edu). One intact oxygen meter (mid-depth) was retrieved from the bracket on the broken conduit lying on the seabed. The data were retrieved from the meter by a YSI technician and they show the mixing of the middle water column during the storm, at least until the sonde went to the bottom. The bottom meter was broken in half, and the top meter has not been found, but remains unlikely to be found, along with the other instruments. The Si/NO3 meter, a light meter, two C/T and two oxygen meters were lost, along with the infrastructure described by Greg Stone (above). This is the first loss of oxygen sondes by storms for our group since deployments began in 1989 via anchored and buoyed cables. This is the first powerful storm to strike the oxygen observing system at C6C (CSI-6), and also the first since being connected real-time with the WAVCIS system. Losses (the BIO2 instrumentation, infrastructure and replacement costs) are being reported to the State of Louisiana Office of Risk Management and FEMA and were submitted to NOAA, Coastal Ocean Program, NGOMEX studies, post-Katrina for their consideration in a supplemental package. Having not heard anything on this, I expect the response is negative. A budget for replacing the underwater instrumentation at this site will be shared by LUMCON and LSU for the underwater equipment of both users. As noted by Greg Stone, it is difficult to begin replacement without funds in hand. At a minimum, the LUMCON NGOMEX study plans to deploy a bottom oxygen sonde in the near future.
LUMCON Environmental Monitoring System
Brenda Babin/Nancy Rabalais
Louisiana
Universities Marine Consortium
http://weather.lumcon.edu
LUMCON's Environmental Monitoring System held up well in both storms; however, we have not been able to retrieve data from two stations since the day before Katrina. Upon visual inspection of the LUMCON equipment at all of the stations, it appears that the only hardware loss sustained as the propeller of an anemometer at the LUMCON Marine Center station located in Cocodrie, LA. Around 2:30 am the morning of September 29, the eye was passing near the station. The average wind speed recorded just prior to this was close to 25 m/s. LUMCON's Tambour Bay station, located 4 miles due south of the Marine Center, faired the best. The last data collection from LUMCON's Southwest Pass station, located at pilot station at the mouth of the Mississippi River and directly in the path of Katrina, was recorded at Saturday, August 27, 2005 at 3:45 pm prior to the storm. This coincided with the pilots evacuating the station and turning the generators off. We have only assessed the hardware through pictures taken from the R/V Pelican since we are still unable to visit this station because of hurricane damage south of New Orleans. Although we are hopeful that the data loggers are continuing to collect data, the circular logging in the data logger and the memory constraints only allow for about 35 days of data storage, increasing the probability that the data from Hurricane Katrina has now been overwritten. The last data collected from LUMCON's Pontchartrain station, located on the north side of Lake Pontchartrain was recorded at Saturday, August 27, 2005 at 4:03 pm. The data are being transmitted to the roof of the University of New Orleans engineering building and to LUMCON though the Internet. We have not been able to access these data since the UNO engineering building was evacuated. This building was the one that received the most damage in the hurricane and is still without power and Internet connection. Due to high waters and many days of rough seas in Lake Pontchartrain, we were not able to access this station to download the data directly. Again the circular logging has probably overwritten valuable data from Katrina. We ceased collecting data from the Mississippi River-Audubon station, which uses a digital cell modem to transmit the data back to LUMCON, when LUMCON's T1 line went down at about 8:00 am the morning of August 30. We began downloading the data shortly after LUMCON's Internet connection came back on line on September 12. All of the data from Audubon seemed to be intact. We were not able to get to the Audubon station to physically inspect the station until after Hurricane Rita on October 3 when we found everything to be fine and in working order.
Hurricane Rita had very little additional impact on LUMCON's stations. We lost Internet connection at 8:00 am on September 23 due to power being shut off to the facility. When power was restored to the phone company's equipment on September 27, LUMCON's Internet connections came back and data from the three working stations were updated with no loss of data.
LUMCON's web site (http://weather.lumcon.edu) received over 150,000 hits the day before Katrina and over 75,000 hits were recorded on the day before Rita.
LUMCON's archive data is accessed by a variety of users. Both the National Weather Service and the National Hurricane center downloaded archive data from Tropical Storm Cindy, Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita. Several industry users also downloaded this archived data—Climatological Consulting Corporation (wind speed analysis of Hurricane Katrina), Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) Gulf of Mexico (tidal information for scientific study), T. Baker Smith (study water levels), BC&G, Inc. (looking at storm surge during Katrina and Rita as part of drainage projects in Jefferson and Orleans Parishes), and FTN Associates, Ltd. Academic users included University of Western Ontario to obtain wind speed data during hurricanes; University of South Carolina to see the effects of Hurricane Katrina on Lake Pontchartrain; and Louisiana State University for many studies. Patrick F. Taylor Science & Technology Academy used the data to plan units on hurricanes for students.
Earth Scan Laboratory (ESL)
Nan Walker
Louisiana State University
Beginning Friday, August 26, the Earth Scan Laboratory (ESL) staff and directors initiated preparations for 24-hour emergency support to the Louisiana Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (LOHSEP). Alaric Haag, ESL System Manager, ensured that the ESL satellite image data flow was operational so that real-time satellite imagery could be used to track the hurricane as it crossed the Gulf and made landfall. These data were also provided on the ESL web site (http://www.esl.lsu.edu). All indications were that Katrina was likely to intensify as it crossed the Gulf because its track took it over the Loop Current, the largest source of heat and energy in the Gulf (Figure 1). Weak upper level steering currents lengthened the time it spent over the Loop Current where it intensified from a category 2 to a category 5 hurricane (104 to 173 mph) on 28 August (Figure 2; animated gif).
On Saturday, 2pm, the ESL officially assumed its post at the EOC, adjacent to and in collaboration with the Southern Regional Climate Center (SRCC). Over the next 4 days, 24 hours each day, ESL personnel provided near real-time information on Katrina's most recent position as well as its predicted path. The GOES satellite, in Rapid Scan mode, provided image updates as frequently as every 3 minutes, and these were displayed on the large screen for all to view. Interpretations of the imagery and other important weather information were provided formally every four hours and informally to individuals on demand in collaboration with the SRCC personnel. The ESL support personnel included Alaric Haag (systems manager), Shreekanth Balasubramanian (programmer), Jessica Crochet (research assistant), Chet Pilley (undergraduate staff), and Nan Walker (director). S.A. Hsu also provided meteorological consultation to the LSU upper administration Saturday afternoon.
After Katrina's landfall, ESL support continued (mainly on the LSU campus) as urgent requests were received via email and phone for satellite image products from state, federal, non-profit agencies (DEQ, FEMA, Red Cross, U.S. Coast Guard, NOAA, CDC, to name a few) as well as the media (Time magazine, National Geographic, B. R. Morning Advocate, etc.). In addition to the personnel listed above, Jessica Crochet and Lawrence Kiage have assisted in image processing in support of Katrina. ON August 31, we obtained high resolution SPOT satellite imagery from the University of Miami CSTARS lab (Figure 3). The SPOT multi-spectral imagery provided a regional view of flooding across most of New Orleans, which was used by many agencies and LSU GIS experts for response activities and to compute volumes of water that required pumping. Over the new week, three additional SPOT images were obtained from Miami, geo-rectified by Mr. Balasubramanian, and made available to the public on the ESL web site. The high resolution, geo-rectified images were also provided to the FEMA Store for use by GIS experts (at LSU, FEMA, LOHSEP, Red Cross) and distributed on CD to researchers on the LSU campus. We also obtained images of oil spills and oil slicks from the University of Miami as well as NOAA NESDIS (Figure 4). Most of these were Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images from the Radarsat-1 satellite. This information was shared to LOSCO, DEQ, and the U.S. Coast Guard. Six images of New Orleans and the surrounding coastal areas have been provided on the ESL web page and digital files have been archived on the FEMA storage server.
The ESL real-time satellite image acquisitions from MODIS and Oceansat are now being used to monitor discharge plumes. Requests have been received from DEQ and NOAA for information on the location of algal blooms in the lake (Figure 5) and suggested sampling locations were provided. In response to need, we have constructed a new web site (http://katrina.esl.lsu.edu/) where we will post all Katrina-related information gathered and produced at the ESL. In addition, an NSF SGER was recently submitted to study the contaminants and algal blooms within Lake Pontchartrain. The ESL web page activity for August and September shows peak usage before Katrina’s landfall; however, the web site is still being used by several thousands each day. The daily time spent by ESL personnel is listed in Table 1.
Table 1. Time Spent on Katrina Response at LOHSEP and LSU by Earth Scan Laboratory personnel: 8/27/05 – 9/16/05
|
Alaric Haag |
Shreekanth |
Chet Pilley |
Jessica Crochet |
Nan Walker |
| 08/26/05 | 2 | 2 | |||
| 08/27/05 | 9 | 6.5 | 5 | 4 | 2 |
| 08/28/05 | 9 | 6 | 5.5 | 5 | |
| 08/29/05 | 10 | 5 | 6 | ||
| 08/30/05 | 12 | 8 | 8 | 8 | |
| 08/31/05 | 13 | 8 | 5 | 8 | 10 |
| 09/01/05 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | |
| 09/02/05 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | |
| 09/03/05 | 8 | 3 | |||
| 09/04/05 | 14 | 3 | |||
| 09/05/05 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 3 | |
| 09/06/05 | 9 | 8 | 2 | 8 | 5 |
| 09/07/05 | 3 | 8 | 8 | 6 | |
| 09/08/05 | 4 | 8 | 8 | 6 | |
| 09/09/05 | 3 | 9 | 8 | 6 | |
| 09/10/05 | 2 | ||||
| 09/11/05 | 2 | ||||
| 09/12/05 | 4 | 8 | 7 | 8 | |
| 09/13/05 | 2 | 8 | 7 | 7 | |
| 09/14/05 | 3 | 8 | 7 | 9 | |
| 09/15/05 | 5 | 8 | 7 | 7 | |
| 09/16/05 | 4 | 8 | 7 | 8 | |
| Total | 136 | 127.5 | 17.5 | 111 | 124 |
CONCLUSION: Hurricane Katrina has demonstrated the critical need for real-time satellite data, not only for tracking the hurricane, but for detecting flooding and assessing environmental impacts in its wake.
National Data Buoy Center (NDBC)
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Landry Bernard
Reports from NDBC stations in the Gulf of Mexico during Hurricane Katrina, 28-30 August 2005
This report provides a summary of some of the wind speed parameters, the sea-level pressure, and wave parameter reports from the National Data Buoy Center's (NDBC) stations in the Gulf of Mexico in the vicinity of Hurricane Katrina's track.
Figure 1. Hurricane Katrina's track and NDBC stations. Katrina's track (in red with the start of each day numbered) is from the current positions of the National Hurricane Center's Forecasts/Advisories.
| Wind Speed: | For stations in this report, wind speed is sampled at a rate at 1.0 Hz. For the Coastal-Marine Automated Network (C-MAN) stations, BURL1 and GDIL1, wind speeds are reported in knots to a resolution of 0.1 knots. C-MAN wind speeds have been converted to meters per second (m/s) for this report, where 1 m/s = 1.94 knots. For the buoy station (42003, 42040, and 42007) wind speeds are reported in meters per second to a resolution of 0.1 m/s. For the plot legends: | ||||
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| Pressure: | For stations in this report, pressure is sampled at a rate of 1.0 Hz and reported to a resolution of 0.1 hectoPascal (hPa). For the plot legends: | ||||
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| Wave: | For stations 42001, 42003, and 42038, the wave sampling period is 40 minutes and sampled at a rate of 1.7066 Hz. For stations 42036, 42040, 42007, and 42039, the wave sampling period is 20 minutes at a sampling rate of 2.0 Hz. | ||||
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| Closest Point of Approach (CPA): | Time, bearing (degrees True), and distance (nautical miles) from the station to Hurricane Katrina at CPA are computed using the positions from the National Hurricane Center's advisories that have been interpolated to hourly values for positions, wind speed (intensity), and central pressure. |
Figure 2. Station 42003: Winds (anemometer height 10 m) and sea-level pressure.
Figure 3. Station 42003: Significant wave height and dominant period.
Data were lost after 08/28/05Z because the buoy capsized. This is the first capsizing of a 10-meter buoy in the Gulf of Mexico in NDBC's 30-year history of operation.
Event |
Reported Value |
Date/Time of Event |
| Lowest sea-level pressure (BARO1) | 988.1 mbs |
08/28 0400Z |
| Maximum 10-minute wind speed (CWS) | 28.6 m/s |
08/28 0220Z |
| Maximum 5-s gust (MXGT1) | 38.9 m/s |
08/28 0218Z |
| Maximum significant wave height (WVHGT) | 10.58 m |
08/28 0500Z |
| CPA bearing and distance to hurricane | 195°/63 nm |
08/28 0300Z |
Link to station page.
Figure 4. Station BURL1: Winds (anemometer height 30.5m) and sea-level pressure.
BURL1 (Southwest Pass Louisiana) failed after 08/28/06Z because of storm surge.
Event |
Reported Value |
Date/Time of Event |
| Lowest sea-level pressure (BARO1) | 979.7 mbs |
08/29 0500Z |
| Maximum 10-minute wind speed (CWS) | 38.6 m/s |
08/29 0420Z |
| Maximum 5-s gust (MXGT1) | 45.1 m/s |
08/29 0446Z |
| Last report bearing and distance to hurricane | 184°/61 nm |
08/29 0500Z |
Link to station page.
Figure 5. Station GDIL1: Winds (anemometer height 15.8 m) and sea-level pressure.
GDIL1 (Grand Isle Louisiana) anemometers failed about 08/29/10Z.
Event |
Reported Value |
Date/Time of Event |
| Lowest sea-level pressure (BARO1) | 944.3 mbs |
08/29 1100Z |
| Maximum 10-minute wind speed (CWS) | 38.97 m/s |
08/29 0820Z |
| Maximum 5-s gust (MXGT1) | 51.17 m/s |
08/29 0838Z |
| Last wind report bearing and distance to hurricane | 146°/33 nm |
08/29 0900Z |
| Minimum pressure report bearing and distance to hurricane | 67°/20 nm |
08/29 1100Z |
Link to station page.
Figure 6. Station 42040: Winds (anemometer height 5 m) and sea-level pressure.
Figure 7. Station 42040: Significant wave height and dominant period.
Station 42040, located at 29°11'03"N 88°12'48"W approximately 64 nautical miles south of Dauphin Island, Alabama, reported a significant wave height of 16.91 meters (55.5 feet) at 1100 UTC, August 29, 2005. Station 42040 is a 3-meter diameter discus hull buoy deployed and operated by National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration's National Data Buoy Center (NDBC). Although 42040 does not measure maximum wave heights, the maximum wave height may be statistically approximated by 1.9 times the significant wave height (World Meteorological Organization, 1998), which would be 32.1 meters (105 feet). At the time of the report, Hurricane Katrina was approximately 73 nautical miles to the west of 42040 with maximum sustained winds of 145 miles per hour (Public Advisory 26A issued by the National Hurricane Center). In addition to the 55-foot report, 42040 reported seas 12 feet or greater for 47 consecutive hours.
The 55-foot report surpasses the previous highest significant wave height reported by an NDBC buoy in the Gulf of Mexico of 15.96 meters (52 feet), also reported by 42040 during Hurricane Ivan in September 2004, and matches the previous highest significant wave height reported by an NDBC buoy of 16.91 meters reported by station 46003 (in the Northeast Pacific Ocean south of the Aleutian Islands) in January 1991.
World Meteorological Organization, 1998. Guide to Wave Analysis and Forecasting (2nd Edition), WMO No-702, Geneva, 10p.
Event |
Reported Value |
Date/Time of Event |
| Lowest sea-level pressure (BARO1) | 979.3 mbs |
08/29 1000-1200Z |
| Maximum 10-minute wind speed (CWS) | 28.2 m/s |
08/29 1000Z |
| Maximum 5-s gust (MXGT1) | 37.4 m/s |
08/29 1008Z |
| Maximum significant wave height (WVHGT) | 16.91 m |
08/29 1100Z |
| CPA bearing and distance to hurricane | 267°/73 nm |
08/29 1100Z |
Link to station page.
Figure 8. Station 42007: Winds (anemometer height 5 m) and sea-level pressure.
Figure 9. Station 42007: Significant wave height and dominant period.
Station 42007 brook its mooring and went adrift after 08/29 05Z. Data reported after the buoy went adrift are not archived in the monthly historical files, but are provided here for information.
Event |
Reported Value |
Date/Time of Event |
| Lowest sea-level pressure (BARO1) (adrift) | 927.4 mbs |
08/29 1500Z |
| Maximum 10-minute wind speed (CWS) (adrift) | 28.6 m/s |
08/29 1450Z |
| Maximum 5-s gust (MXGT1) (adrift) | 37.9 m/s |
08/29 1454Z |
| Maximum significant wave height (WVHGT) | 5.64 m |
08/29 0500Z |
| Last moored report bearing and distance to hurricane | 194°/145 nm |
08/29 0500Z |
| CPA at lowest sea-level pressure (adrift) | 299°/6.5 nm |
08/29 1500Z |
Link to station page.
Central Gulf of Mexico Ocean Observing System (CenGOOS) buoy
Stephan Howden
University of Southern Mississippi
Our CenGOOS buoy dragged its mooring (first .8 km to the northwest and then 13 km to the southeast), but communications, the sonic anemometer, GPS, and ADCP kept working. A Canadian buoy tender picked up our buoy on the 20th and it is sitting at the NDBC yard. I have sent the Gill Windsonic anemometer up to the NDBC Sterling, VA, wind tunnel which can calibrate at higher wind speeds than the one at SSC. We are presently looking for funds for refurbishment.
Mobile Bay Monitoring System
George Crozier
Dauphin Island Marine Laboratory
A bottom-moored CTD offshore was damaged and flooded, but the rest of the array, including a bottom-mounted ADCP and the systems in the bay and delta, all survived and were successfully recovered intact! We were on the very edge of the storm and we do a good job of installations. We're particularly pleased with the survival and data of the 3-dimensional station near Middle Bay Light in Mobile Bay. The station at the head of the Bay had not yet been restored from Ivan so the instruments were spared, otherwise it would have been lost because the pier was completely destroyed (again). The unit had been scheduled for re-deployment the week of Katrina.
Institute for Marine Remote Sensing (IMaRS)
Frank Muller-Karger
University of South Florida
The Institute for Marine Remote Sensing (IMaRS) at the College of Marine Science, University of South Florida, established a partnership with Roffer's Ocean Fishing Forecasting Serving, Inc., to collect, process, and distribute imagery from various Earth observing satellites and assessments of impacts to areas affected by hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
IMaRS continued routine acquisition of direct broadcast satellite data from the two MODIS sensors, the AVHRR and SeaWiFS sensors through hurricane Katrina and hurricane Rita. These acquisitions facilitated near-real-time assessments of impact in coastal and urban areas along the northern Gulf of Mexico, and have provided a basis for continuing Gulf-wide assessments of the dispersal of river and other coastal waters discharged into the northern Gulf during and after the hurricanes.
Of particular importance immediately after hurricane landfall was the availability of near-real-time 250-m resolution MODIS imaging data. Images of the coast of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida were processed and posted widely over the internet within minutes of acquisition on Tuesday, August 30, hours after Katrina made landfall. This was the first opportunity during which clouds did not obscure the ground after Katrina. The 250-m images provided synoptic coverage of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, and Texas, while affording details about moderate sized cities.
Custom false-color images allowed clear differentiation between flooded and dry land based on a reference image collected prior to the hurricanes. The post-Katrina data allowed rapid assessment of the flooded areas in and around New Orleans, providing the first estimate of surface area flooded in square kilometers. Additional near-real-time images were compiled into a Flash movie and distributed directly to NASA, NOAA, and on-line via the IMaRS web site.
Roffer's Ocean Fishing Forecasting Service, Inc., has been providing ocean current analyses and the distribution of the coastal "Katrina" and "Rita" waters based on satellite data received from their private receiving station and from the IMaRS antennas. The NOAA AVHRR infrafred and the NASA MODIS infrafred, sea spectral reflectance (ocean color), and imaging RGB data were distributed via http://roffs.com and http://imars.usf.edu. SeaWiFS data were distributed by OrbImage, after being collected in real time through IMaRS.
The stream of products and assessments to the internet has been continuous, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Data have been delivered to researchers as well as to the public to help coordinate post-hurricane cruise surveys, and to address continuing public concerns about transport of polluted water from the northern central Gulf coast toward Florida Strait and toward the Flower Garden Banks. The effort also provides uninterrupted information about ongoing red tides off Florida. When the meteorological and oceanographic data flow from the National Data Buoy Center was interrupted during Hurricane Katrina, we acquired meteorological data from two private companies (Schaudt.US and WeatherFlow) to develop the maritime assessments.
ROFFS has continued to provide ocean current analyses for the oil and gas and fishing industires during and after these events, using the various datasets mentioned above. They were involved in the search and location of Artic-1 drilling ship (Global Santa Fe) after it was lost at sea during Katrina.
COMPS and Tampa Bay PORTS networks
Mark Luther
College of Marine Science, USF
Real-Time Platforms
We here at USF maintain and operate eleven coastal sites and eight offshore sites in the West Florida Shelf (COMPS) and Tampa Bay PORTS systems. (Details of instrumentation are given in separate spread sheets.) The TB PORTS system was not affected by either hurricanes Katrina or Rita. The data from the TB PORTS were posted on our College of Marine Science TB PORTS web site as well as on NOS web sites throughout both storms. On the other hand, during Katrina's travel in the Gulf, she damaged some of our COMPS network sites. Our Coastal Tower located at Northwest Florida Bay was damaged severely. The tower is located in 4 m of water SSW of Cape Sable at 25.084°N, 81.096°W. The transmission from the site stopped coming in at 08/26/05 0300 UTC. Katrina's position at 0300 UTC on that day was 25.5°N, 80.7°W. It was a category 1 storm with 75 mph winds and 984 mbar pressure. The wind gust recorded at that site was 68 mph, before it stopped transmitting; the barometric pressur was 993 mbar. Then, on 8/27/05, Katrina damaged our C17 offshore buoy located at 25.25°N, 82.21°W. The buoy stopped transmitting at 08/27/05 0100 UTC. Hurricane Dennis (7-11 July 2005) damaged two of our offshore buoys (C12 and C13). C13 had another hit from Katrina and the system received further damage.
Satellite Data Receiving Systems
Our GOES satellite receiving systems, the Local Readout Ground Station (LRGS) DOMSAT and Direct Readout Ground Station (DRGS), were collecting data throughout both storms. We also archive Sea-Keys sites and Everglades Monitoring Network raw data. Data from all the platforms that were operating and transmitting data during and after hurricane Katrina were archived at our base station in St. Petersburg.
COMPS, TB-PORTS, and OPeNDAP servers
Our data servers (COMPS web site) and our NetCDF OPeNDAP server were running. The data for SEA-COOS web site were disseminated via our OPeNDAP server from all our sites that were operating during and after hurricane Katrina's passage.
COMPS data upload to NDBC
Our upload of all our operational sites to NDBC for dissemination to GTS were affected as the ftp upload server located at NDBC Stennis Space Center, MS, was down during Katrina. Once the servers were back on-line by September 6, 2005, the ftp upload of data from USF sites resumed. During Rita the upload to NDBC was not affected.
NDBC stations data upload form USF to SEA-COOS
We download all NDBC data (CMAN as well as buoys) from the NDBC web site (using the 45 days real-time archive) pages and and package it in NetCDF file format for dissemination to University of South Carolina for map generation and storage for generation of observations map products for the SEA-COOS web site. This was down as the NDBC web site was down. We did not have the ability to pull the data through LDM, which we should look at the same. Downloads resumed once the servers came back on-line on September 6, 2005.
Nowcast/Forecast Models
We run two numerical models here at College of Marine Science, University of South Florida: the West Florida Shelf Nowcast/Forecast model and Tampa Bay Nowcast/Forecast model. The Tampa Bay Nowcast/Forecast model is undergoing modification and the WF Shelf model that uses some of the model forcing products from NAVOCEANO office for the use of running the model was affected due to the unavailability of NAVOCEANO data servers during Katrina.
Summary and Conclusions
- COMPS offshore buoy sites (C17, C13, and C12) were damaged by Hurricanes Dennis and Katrina.
- COMPS Coastal Tower located at Northwest Florida Bay was damaged by Katrina.
- COMPS network data upload to NDBC servers was affected while NDBC servers were offline due to Katrina.
- USF upload of NDBC sites data on USF OPeNDAP server was affected while the NDBC web sites were down.
- Access of NAVOCEANO office model products were not available while the servers were down.
- REDUNDANCY, REDUNDANCY, REDUNDANCY—For example, within GCOOS or any other RA, we should work together to have the capability to acquire/archive each other's observing systems data (if possible) and have the scripts to run the data and have a common data/web server that is available at two or more locations. Likewise, the numerical models should also be run at redundant locations.
- All our operations listed were not affected by Rita, except that we do not know whether there were any further damage to our sites located in the Florida Keys.
ROFFS Ocean Current Analyses
Mitch Roffer
Roffer's Ocean Fishing Forecasting Service, Inc. (ROFFS™)
Roffer's Ocean Fishing Forecasting Serving, Inc. (ROFFS™) has been providing ocean current analyses and the distribution of the coastal "Katrina" and "Rita" waters based on satellite data received from our private receiving station and from satellite data derived from our research partners at the University of South Florida Institute for Marine Remote Sensing. The data stream has been continuous 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We have been using the NOAA_HRPT infrared and the NASA_MODIS infrared, ocean color_chlorophyll+CDOM, and the RGB data.
When the National Data Buoy Center was not providing meteorological data after Hurricane Katrina, we acquired our data from two private companies (Schaudt.US and WeatherFlow). ROFFS™ continued to provide ocean current analyses for the oil and gas and fishing industries during and after these events. They were involved in the search and location of Artic-1 drilling ship (Global Santa Fe) after it was lost at sea during Katrina.