Federal Emergency Management Agency chief David Paulison told reporters several
times at a briefing Saturday that the storm was strengthening into a Category 5
hurricane.

FEMA officials said Bill Read, the director of the National Hurricane Center,
interrupted an afternoon teleconference involving the agency, Gulf Coast states
and the National Weather Service to say he is going to issue a special advisory
statement raising Gustav to Category 5. That means winds greater than 155 mph
and a storm surge greater than 18 feet above normal.

Word about the Category 5 development reached FEMA shortly before Paulison
briefed reporters.

dxAce
Michigan
USA

Still a Category 4 as of the 5 PM EDT update with winds up to 150 mph.

http://www.hwn.org/atlantic/nhcww2.html

http://www.hwn.org/data/TCPAT2.html

Look up Hurricane Camille.That was in 1969, Mississippi Gulf Coast.
cuhulin

Is everybody ready this time? I remember that one in 1969 too. I was in
Saint Petersburg, Florida then and I could see the big storm looking out
to the Gulf of Mexico. Seems like nobody was prepared then even though
warnings were given with the greatest sense of urgency to those in
Louisiana/Mississippi areas. I don't remember how many people were
killed then but they had plenty, plenty of warning.

Roger

They were forecasting a Cat 5.(Keyword forecasting) FEMA said it is now
a Cat 5.
cuhulin

Camille.I was driving a bread truck route for Sunbeam Bakery here in
Jackson way back then.Colonial bakery was price gouging along the
Mississippi Gulf Coast areas.Sunbeam Bakery didn't do any price
gouging.Years ago Colonial bakery merged with Hardins bakery, it is
Colonial Hardins bakery nowadays.I wont buy anything made by Colonial
Hardins bakery.Colonial Hardins bakery SUCKS!
Don't say bread, say Sunbeam!
cuhulin

wrote:

They were forecasting a Cat 5.(Keyword forecasting) FEMA said it is now
a Cat 5.

Still a Category 4 as of the 8 PM EDT advisory.

http://www.hwn.org/data/TCPAT2.html

http://www.hwn.org/atlantic/nhcww2.html

dxAce
Michigan
USA

This was an interesting period of time, Cuhulin. I remember being at St.
Petersburg, Fla. at that time on vacation. At this same period of time
the Woodstock Rock Concert was going on and, the Sharon Tate/ Manson
Family murders took place. I remember listening to all of these three
events taking place on the radio at this time. It seems that people
still talk about these three events to this very day.

Roger