000 WTNT32 KNHC 011057 TCPAT2 BULLETIN HURRICANE GUSTAV INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER 31A NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL072008 600 AM CDT MON SEP 01 2008 ...EYE OF GUSTAV NEARING THE LOUISIANA COAST...HURRICANE FORCE WINDS OVER PORTIONS OF SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA... A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM JUST EAST OF HIGH ISLAND TEXAS EASTWARD TO THE MISSISSIPPI-ALABAMA BORDER...INCLUDING THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS AND LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN. PREPARATIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY SHOULD HAVE BEEN COMPLETED. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI-ALABAMA BORDER TO THE OCHLOCKONEE RIVER. FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...INCLUDING POSSIBLE INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE. AT 600 AM CDT...1100Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE GUSTAV WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 28.8 NORTH...LONGITUDE 90.1 WEST OR ABOUT 85 MILES... 135 KM...SOUTH OF NEW ORLEANS LOUISIANA AND ABOUT 150 MILES...240 KM...SOUTHEAST OF LAFAYETTE LOUISIANA. THIS POSITION IS ALSO ABOUT 20 MILES...35 KM...SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF PORT FOURCHON ALONG THE LOUISIANA COAST. GUSTAV IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 16 MPH...26 KM/HR...AND THIS MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT DAY OR SO WITH SOME DECREASE IN FORWARD SPEED AND A GRADUAL TURN TOWARD THE WEST- NORTHWEST ON TUESDAY. ON THE FORECAST TRACK...THE CENTER WILL CROSS THE LOUISIANA COAST BY MIDDAY TODAY. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 115 MPH...185 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. GUSTAV IS A CATEGORY THREE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN STRENGTH IS LIKELY BEFORE LANDFALL...WITH WEAKENING EXPECTED TO BEGIN AFTER GUSTAV MOVES INLAND LATER TODAY. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 70 MILES...110 KM...FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 230 MILES...370 KM. A WIND GUST TO 63 MPH...102 KM/HR...WAS RECENTLY REPORTED AT NEW ORLEANS NAVAL AIR STATION. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE ESTIMATED FROM NOAA HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT OBSERVATIONS IS 954 MB...28.17 INCHES. AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS STORM SURGE OF 10 TO 14 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDAL LEVELS IS EXPECTED NEAR AND TO THE EAST OF WHERE THE CENTER OF GUSTAV CROSSES THE COAST. GUSTAV IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE TOTAL RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 6 TO 12 INCHES OVER PORTIONS OF LOUISIANA...SOUTHERN AND WESTERN MISSISSIPPI...ARKANSAS AND NORTHEASTERN TEXAS...WITH ISOLATED MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF UP TO 20 INCHES POSSIBLE THROUGH THURSDAY. ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE OVER THE CENTRAL GULF COAST TODAY. REPEATING THE 600 AM CDT POSITION...28.8 N...90.1 W. MOVEMENT TOWARD...NORTHWEST NEAR 16 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...115 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...954 MB. AN INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 800 AM CDT FOLLOWED BY THE NEXT COMPLETE ADVISORY AT 1000 AM CDT. $$ FORECASTER PASCH/BERG