From Louisiana to the east coast, the damage costs are adding up.

August 30, 2012
1030:00z
UNISYS Water Vapor North and West Hemisphere Satellite (click here for 12 hour loop)

Ileana in the Pacific and Leslie in the Atlantic are twins fueled by the direct solar rays. There is another circulation center at the Lesser Antilles. Leslie is reorganizing and moving like a freight train.

Below are the dynamics of Ileana. It is gaining strength and moving north and west. Ileana's eye may miss landfall, but, it outer bands are effecting the Baja Pennisula now.

   8  17.90 -112.00 08/29/12Z   60     - TROPICAL STORM
   9  18.20 -112.70 08/29/18Z   60     - TROPICAL STORM
 10  19.10 -113.10 08/30/03Z   65   987 HURRICANE-1
 11  19.70 -113.50 08/30/09Z   65   987 HURRICANE-1

In 18 hours Kirk has moved east by 2.1 degrees, dropped its central pressure by 10 millibars with 5 of those millibars within the past three hours and has gained speed of at 15 knots per hour with 5 in the past three hours to 55 knots per hour.

4  24.70  -46.90 08/29/15Z   40  1007 TROPICAL STORM
5  25.30  -47.60 08/29/21Z   45  1005 TROPICAL STORM
6  25.90  -48.30 08/30/03Z   50  1002 TROPICAL STORM
7  26.50  -49.00 08/30/09Z   55   997 TROPICAL STORM

During that same period Isaac is slowly losing strength. Isaac is being monitored intensely by the Hurricane Center. It is being reported frequently to maintain current information. Every time Isaac raised its central pressure as a hurricane; the Hurricane Center published the readings; then less frequently (ultimately every 3 hours) as it continued to raise central pressure as a Tropical Storm status.

  34  29.60  -90.70 08/29/15Z   65   972 HURRICANE-1
34A  29.70  -90.80 08/29/17Z   65   973 HURRICANE-1
34B  29.80  -90.90 08/29/19Z   60   974 TROPICAL STORM
  35  30.00  -91.10 08/29/21Z   60   975 TROPICAL STORM
35A  30.10  -91.10 08/30/00Z   50   977 TROPICAL STORM
  36  30.30  -91.20 08/30/03Z   50   980 TROPICAL STORM
36A  30.50  -91.30 08/30/06Z   45   981 TROPICAL STORM
  37  30.90  -91.60 08/30/09Z   40   983 TROPICAL STORM

During a period of 18 hours Isaac moved 1.3 degrees north and maintains a near stationary position longitudinally, only 0.9 degrees. During the same period Isaac dropped its speed by 25 knots.

August 30, 2012
1000z
UNISYS Surface Map 

The 'tornado watch box' is larger and nearly a perfect square. It indicates a stable storm with increasing internal turbulence.


Isaac to the right.

LAPLACE, La. (AP) — The state sent scores of buses and dozens of high-water vehicles to help evacuate about 3,000 people(click here) from St. John the Baptist Parish after Tropical Storm Isaac pushed water from lakes Pontchartrain and Maurepas into parts of LaPlace.
Rising water closed off all main thoroughfares into the parish, which is about 30 miles west of New Orleans. In many areas, water lapped up against houses and left cars stranded. The water was being driven higher by south winds as Isaac passed to the west and was expected to continue rising through the night.
Floodwaters rose waist-high in some neighborhoods, and the Louisiana National Guard was working with sheriff’s deputies to rescue people stranded in their homes and surprised by the flooding.
The floodwaters ‘‘were shockingly fast-rising, from what I understand from talking to people. It caught everybody by surprise,’’ Lt. Gov. Jay Dardenne said....
The waters rose quickly because the storm was essentially stable and the winds were 'piling up' water from the storm and from the Gulf. 
Photographer states:

Wednesday August 29, 2012
Braithwaite, LA
Homes are flooded as Hurricane Isaac hits Wednesday, Aug. 29, 2012, in Braithwaite, La. As Isaac made landfall, it was expected to dump as much as 20 inches of rain in several parts of Louisiana. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)



The cost of oil is rising because Louisiana's ports are cut off. They may be out of reach for some time considering the damage Isaac may have caused. I would think the Texas refineries are gearing up to make up the difference when the platforms open up in the Gulf again.



Are we going to continue to count on the petroleum industry for fuel as a nation or have we finally had enough of the high prices of an industry struggling to stay alive causing seismic activity as well as high food prices? It is time for the USA 'to get over it.'

West Palm Beach Flooding

By Allison Ross
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Eight Palm Beach County public schools will remain closed (click title to entry - thank you) Thursday as access to the schools continue to be hampered by flooding of surrounding streets.
Meanwhile, the Palm Beach County School District has tallied up more than $1 million in damages from the storm. And it’s preparing to request waivers that would keep it from having to make up every missed day of school, said Superintendent Wayne Gent.
The district kept its 187 schools closed on Monday and Tuesday this week as Tropical Storm Isaac passed, and as crews worked to clean up and clear out flooding and other problems left in the storm’s wake....