Hurricane Gustav response

Update at 7:30 p.m. MT, Saturday, Aug. 30

Here are the hurricane models as of 6:00 p.m. MT today that predict the track for Gustav:


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As of 3:45 p.m. MT the hurricane has increased to a Category 4 storm, just shy of Cat. 5, and after it crosses Cuba is expected to reach Cat. 5 Cat. 4 status as it moves across the Gulf of Mexico. The forecast models still call for it to make landfall in the Louisiana area around mid-day on Monday.

Three National Incident Management Organization (NIMO) teams are being pre-positioned. Whitney's and Cable's teams will be staged in Dallas, and Custer's will be in Atlanta. The National Park Service has activated one of their All Hazard teams to report to Jacksonville.

FEMA has deployed Incident Management Assistance Teams (IMAT) to Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. An Advanced Emergency Response Team (ERT-A) has been deployed to Alabama and a "Warm Cell”" team is already active in the Louisiana Emergency Operations Center. FEMA has ordered 18 urban search and rescue teams, including one from Liverpool, England, as Firegeezer reports.

They have the following supplies and equipment already pre-positioned:

• More than 2.4 million liters of water (137 truckloads).
• More than 4 million meals (203 truckloads).
• 478 emergency generators.
• 141 truckloads of tarps.
• 267 truckloads of blankets and cots.

Organizations in Texas are making preparations:

The U.S. Forest Service is working with FEMA and has placed personnel in the FEMA Region VI headquarters in Denton, Texas in addition to several planning personnel at the State Operations Center in Austin. Texas Forest Service has received several assignments from the GDEM. The Lone Star State Incident Management Team has been activated and is awaiting instructions for deployment. Five Type III local government teams, led by TFS personnel, have also been activated. TFS aviation personnel have been requested to Galveston Island to assist with the possible airlift of patients from the University of Texas Medical Branch this weekend.

HERE is a link to a satellite loop that shows Gustav moving across Cuba. It is expected to rebuild over the warm Gulf of Mexico waters to Cat. 5 strength and head toward Louisiana.

Some hurricanes originate over the continent of Africa. This photo from WeatherUnderground on Thursday shows easterly waves moving from east to west that may develop into tropical storms or hurricanes after they move off the coast of Africa. If some of them do, the next week or two are going to be busy in the Atlantic.