TROPICAL STORM HEADING FOR NEW ORLEANS

I guess we'll see if there is much threat from Corexit or oil if the storm surge occurs. More importantly, from a purely selfish point of view, maybe this storm will break the stranglehold the heat has had on the middle part of the country. I love summertime and all but really, 90 degrees when I walk out the door at 6 in the morning is just a bit much!

"SATELLITE AND SURFACE DATA INDICATE THAT THE DEPRESSION HAS LOST
SOME ORGANIZATION AND COULD BE DEGENERATING INTO A BROAD AREA OF
LOW PRESSURE.

AT 700 AM CDT...1200 UTC...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL DEPRESSION FIVE
WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 27.1 NORTH...LONGITUDE 85.8 WEST. THE
DEPRESSION IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 12 MPH...19 KM/HR.
THIS GENERAL MOTION IS FORECAST TO CONTINUE TODAY...WITH A DECREASE
IN FORWARD SPEED EXPECTED ON THURSDAY. ON THE FORECAST TRACK...THE
CENTER OF THE TROPICAL CYCLONE WILL BE APPROACHING THE NORTH
CENTRAL GULF OF MEXICO TONIGHT OR THURSDAY MORNING.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE DECREASED TO NEAR 30 MPH...45 KM/HR...
WITH HIGHER GUSTS. ALTHOUGH THE DEPRESSION HAS WEAKENED...SOME
STRENGTHENING IS POSSIBLE BEFORE THE CENTER REACHES THE COAST ON
THURSDAY.

...RAINFALL...TOTAL RAIN ACCUMULATIONS OF 3 TO 5 INCHES WITH ISOLATED
MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF 8 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE FROM SOUTHEASTERN
LOUISIANA TO THE WESTERN FLORIDA PANHANDLE THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING.

WIND...TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS COULD BEGIN TO AFFECT THE
TROPICAL STORM WARNING AREA BY TONIGHT OR EARLY THURSDAY MORNING.

STORM SURGE...A STORM SURGE WILL RAISE WATER LEVELS BY AS MUCH AS 2
TO 4 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL ALONG THE IMMEDIATE COAST NEAR AND TO
THE EAST OF WHERE THE CENTER MAKES LANDFALL."
NOAA