Brittany Lockley

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Friday marks the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, one of the most devastating natural disasters in U.S. history. On August 29, 2005, the powerful storm made landfall along the Gulf Coast, leaving behind a humanitarian crisis that would forever change New Orleans and the surrounding communities. Two decades later, the memory of Katrina still resonates deeply with survivors, first responders, and all who witnessed the destruction.&nbsp;<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/08/Screenshot 2025-08-29 082444-1756477525621.png">Katrina began as a tropical storm over the Bahamas on August 23 and quickly strengthened into a massive Category 5 hurricane over the Gulf of Mexico. It made landfall in South Florida as a Category 1 hurricane before moving into the Gulf. By the time it struck near Buras, Louisiana, on August 29, it had slightly weakened to a Category 3, but still packed winds of 125 mph and an unprecedented storm surge. The storm battered coastal areas of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, causing widespread damage and flooding.&nbsp;<video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/08/082725_PKG_TRT_4.09_JOSH WITH MISSISSIPPI RESIDENTS TALKING ABOUT THE EFFECTS OF KATRINA_NJ-1756463476792.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video>New Orleans bore the brunt of the disaster. However, it was not from wind, but from storm surge and catastrophic levee failures. About 80% of the city was submerged, with some neighborhoods under more than 10 feet of water. Tens of thousands of people were trapped without food, water, or medical care. The scenes of stranded families on rooftops and desperate conditions inside the Superdome shocked the world.&nbsp;<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/08/Screenshot%202025-08-29%20042812-1756463302396.jpg">In total, Hurricane Katrina claimed over 1,800 lives and displaced more than a million people. The economic impact was equally staggering, with damage estimated at over $125 billion. Entire communities, were devastated, many of which still struggle with the long-term effects today.&nbsp;<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/08/Screenshot 2025-08-29 042839-1756463328273.jpg">Twenty years later, Hurricane Katrina remains a defining moment in American history. While many parts of the Gulf Coast have rebuilt and moved forward, the anniversary is a time to honor the lives lost, recognize the resilience of survivors, and recommit to building safer, more equitable communities in the face of future storms.&nbsp;<video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/08/081225_SOT_.43_NAT PACK WITH KEN G READING THE WARNING BEFORE KATRINA WITH KATRINA BROLL_NJ_E081225-1756481328415.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video>Katrina was eye opening in the world of hurricane observation and forecasting. Meteorologist Jesse Kelley spoke with the current Meteorologist in Charge at the National Weather Service in New Orleans to see how Katrina still factors into their decision making today.<video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/08/PKG_TRT 4.26_KATRINAS LONG-LASTING IMPACTS ON NEW ORLEANS_JESSE KELLEY_LS_E082525-1756481347277.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video>Our own Hunter and Historian Josh Morgerman has close ties to the Gulf Coast, living in Bay St. Louis, MS. Dr. Jim Siebert sat down with him in a two part interview to talk about what made Katrina a historic storm and how he still sees its influences today.<video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/08/WHERE WERE YOU_TRT 4.23 PART 1_NJ_E082725-1756481839901.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video><video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/08/WHERE WERE YOU_TRT 5.17 PART 2_NJ_E082725-1756481927184.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video>

Dave Holder

Hurricane Katrina: Remembering the Devastation, 20 Years Later

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Rob grew up in South Florida, where daily afternoon storms and hurricanes piqued his interest in meteorology early on. That interest was fostered by his teachers and his father, who one time brought him onto the roof of their home to watch a funnel cloud move through the Everglades several miles away. Years of filmmaking and tv production in high school gradually pushed him toward broadcast meteorology at Florida State University, where he joined and eventually led the student run daily weather show. After graduating with a Bachelors of Science in Meteorology, he began his career at KESQ in Palm Springs, California before heading to KFSN in Fresno and WLOS in Asheville, North Carolina. He has covered a diverse array of extreme weather events, including haboobs and flash flooding in the desert, extreme snow in the Sierra, hurricanes, and Appalachian ice storms. He also enjoys telling stories and reporting about weather issues.

Connect with Rob on <a href="https://twitter.com/WxRobBradley">Twitter</a>

Rob Bradley

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As we near the peak of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season, one question on many minds is "why has it been so quiet?" About two-thirds of all Atlantic hurricane activity typically occurs between August 20th and October 10th. With only a handful of named storms and only one major hurricane through late August, the sluggish pace stands in stark contrast to what many seasonal forecasts had warned would be an active year. So, what's causing the delay?<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/08/Screenshot 2025-08-29 054005-1756467616664.png">Several key factors are at play in this unusually slow start. First, the Main Development Region (MDR) of the tropical Atlantic, where most storms form during peak season, has been cooler than expected. While still slightly above average, it falls short of the record-breaking warmth seen in 2024. Meanwhile, waters in the subtropical Atlantic are significantly warmer, disrupting the usual energy gradient that helps fuel storm formation.Atmospheric conditions have also been unusually hostile to storms. Persistent wind shear across the Gulf and Caribbean has torn apart developing systems before they can organize. On top of that, the upper atmosphere has remained unusually warm and stable, effectively placing a lid on the kind of deep convection hurricanes need to grow. Add in frequent plumes of dry, dusty air from the Sahara, and the result is a storm-suppressing cocktail that’s kept the basin eerily calm.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/08/Screenshot 2025-08-29 055625-1756468592102.png"><h1>Next Few Weeks</h1>However, do not let your guard down. The National Hurricane Center has issued an outlook for a wave off the coast of Africa. The area of disorganized showers and thunderstorms is supposed to emerge off the coast of Africa this weekend, and the NHC is giving it 20 percent chance of development in the next 7days.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/08/Screenshot 2025-08-29 054120-1756467690916.png">All it takes is one hurricane to make it a memorable season. The tropics in the Atlantic have a chance to stay active through the first week of September headed into the second week. While a large-scale Kelvin Wave is not likely to spur activity like it has over the last two weeks, additional tropical waves could develop in the Atlantic and the Gulf/Western Caribbean. During this time of year, any development will need to be monitored closely.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/08/Screenshot 2025-08-27 121008-1756318217179.png"><h1>Eastern Pacific</h1>The Eastern Pacific has been pretty active again, with two areas of interest with high chances for development. While the western wave looks to head west, it is likely to dissipate before reaching Hawaii. The wave behind it may need to be monitored more closely, as some forecast models bring its remnant moisture back into the SW U.S. in the long range (10-14 days).<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/08/PIC 1-1756515365065.jpg">Stay with WeatherNation for the latest.

A New Area to Watch in the Atlantic

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A frontal boundary has stalled out across the shores of the Gulf, increasing the flood threat into the holiday weekend with multiple rounds of heavy rain. Isolated severe storms are also possible. Intense rain fell on Thursday from Kansas to Mississippi, with over 5-8" reported in some areas.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/08/Screenshot 2025-08-29 061357-1756469666568.png">Storms will continue to track toward the Gulf Coast along the front, bringing heavy rain to areas from Mobile back to central Texas. As the next, slowly moving, low-pressure system drops south, it will continue to generate heavy rounds of rain from west to east through the weekend.<video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/08/FORECAST-1756515514833.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video>Rainfall totals of 2-7 inches may lead to flash flooding in some areas. Excessive rainfall outlooks have been issued for the next few days.<video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/08/gulferos-1756520213321.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video>For more details, be sure to join us on WeatherNation!

Flooding Risk for the Gulf Coast States

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WeatherNation Meteorologists

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As an upper-level high weakens and pivots south, moisture at the surface and stronger upper-level energy will combine to bring the threat of heavy thunderstorms back to New Mexico and West Texas. <img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/08/Screenshot 2025-08-29 200121-1756519481985.png">There will be a chance for severe thunderstorms into the early morning hours of Saturday across the High Plains and into western Kansas and the Panhandles. <h1>Timing</h1>Daily rounds of thunderstorm complexes are likely through the weekend. The consistent storms will also bring a risk for flash flooding.<video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/08/moistnmtx-1756519561004.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video><video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/08/nmeros-1756519700431.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video>The best time for storms will be during diurnal heating in the afternoons, but because a significant amount of moisture is in place, some morning and overnight storms will also be possible. The Weather Prediction Center (WPC) has issued multiple&nbsp;Excessive Rainfall&nbsp;Outlooks for the threat of flooding over several days.

Heavy Rain and a Flood Risk for New Mexico and Texas

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While it wasn't that long ago we were dealing with record-breaking heat across the Northwest, there is high confidence in another heatwave that will be particularly intense by the middle of next week.<video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/08/nwheat-1756510938496.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video>Upper-level high pressure will build in as we head through the weekend. As it continues to build north, the thermometer will rise sharply! <img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/08/Screenshot 2025-08-29 174022-1756511065996.png">Temperatures will be pushing 15 degrees above average across western Oregon, including the Willamette Valley. Even more anomalous, temperatures in the Inland NW will rise up 20 degrees above average, as locales such as Spokane, WA, will be feeling triple-digit heat. <img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/08/Screenshot 2025-08-29 174001-1756511294879.png"><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/08/Screenshot 2025-08-29 174009-1756511277810.png">While the numbers may not seem too high, many residents in these areas do not have air conditioning. Because of this, the Willamette Valley through interior Washington will be feeling Major and Extreme heat impacts by Wednesday.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/08/Screenshot 2025-08-29 174031-1756511416611.png">Here are some good tips if you're unfortunately dealing with the heat without the benefits of air conditioning. <img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/08/Screenshot 2025-08-29 173954-1756511016977.png">The WPC 3-7 Day Temperature Outlook shows high confidence in above-average temperatures as we round out next week and head into next weekend. Unfortunately, that means that the heat could be sticking around for a prolonged period.

Heatwave Looming for the Northwest

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Taban Sharifi grew up in Southern California between Los Angeles and San Diego. She is a Certified Broadcast Meteorologist (CBM) with the American Meteorological Society (AMS). She has a B.S. in Atmospheric, Oceanic, and Environmental Sciences with a minor in Environmental Systems and Society from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Go Bruins! While in school, Taban was a meteorology intern with NBC LA. There she helped forecast daily weather for the greater Los Angeles region and created a playbook to deploy weather sensors for NBC owned-and-operated stations across the country. Her first on-air job took her to San Angelo, Texas, where she was a morning meteorologist and co-anchor. Working in West Texas gave her knowledge and experience covering severe storms. From there, she moved to Palm Springs, California. People think forecasting in California is sunshine all the time, but with temperatures in the 120’s, wildfires, damaging winds, floodings, and earthquakes, the forecasting kept her very busy! She also worked there as a general assignment reporter and told community stories. Taban is excited for the challenge and opportunity to forecast nationally with WeatherNation. She also looks forward to exploring all that Colorado has to offer!

Taban Sharifi

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Conditions in the Northwest have been hot and dry. The Flat Fire began on August 21st near Sisters, OR, and has grown to over 23,000 acres (above).There is a risk for isolated dry thunderstorms (with lightning and wind but very little rainfall) through tonight across the Northwest. In other words, conditions are still dry at the surface, and with thunderstorms that form, the lightning can spark another fire.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/08/PIC 1-1756427699221.jpg">Monsoonal moisture will be moving into the region, bringing some areas of relief, but also bringing flooding threats.An inch or two of additional rainfall is possible here through the overnight hours.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/08/PIC 1-1756427666701.jpg">The bulk of the rain will slow overnight, although some of it will continue the next couple of days into the interior.<video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/08/FORECAST-1756427594796.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video>More details can be found during your Western Regional Forecast :50 past the hour on WeatherNation.

Patrick Crawford

Northwest: Fire Danger and Flooding

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Residual moisture from Tropical Storm Juliette will move into the desert southwest. Southern California can run into some trouble with flooding concens on Thursday. However, there is no excessive rainfall outlook from the weather prediction center as of now. Parts of Arizona, Nevada, Utah, and Colorado between Thursday and Friday will also receive some of this remnant moisture. The moisture will extend upward over an upper-level high and push into the southern plains as well. This moisture will mix into existing Monsoon moisture across the region.<h1><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/08/Screenshot 2025-08-28 072805-1756387704794.png">Rainfall</h1>Up to 1 inch of rainfall is possible with Juliette's remnant moisture. Cities like San Diego, Las Vegas, St. George, Salt Lake City, and Grand Junction can expect some rain. Areas over burn scars are particularly concerning due to the fact that it does not take that much rainfall to cause mudslides and debris flows.<h1><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/08/Screenshot 2025-08-28 072841-1756387735526.png">Timing</h1>Most of the moisture streams across the Southwest Region between Thursday and Friday.<video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/08/2025-08-28 07-26-17-1756387617627.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video><h1>Drought</h1>The moisture will help many drought-stricken locations.<img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2025/08/TOMER SW DROUGHT UPDATE-1756341786689.jpg">Tune into the Western Regional forecast :50 past the hour for more details.

Moisture From Juliette Arrives Thursday-Friday

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Denver is normally a very dry city. It averages only 14.30" of moisture a year. December is one of its driest months of the year. But Monday December 10 brought a whole new level of dry. Precipitable water is one of the many measurements meteorologists use to determine how much moisture is in the atmosphere. Just like it sounds, it's water able to be precipitated (rained out) if there is a mechanism to do so. It's measured by launching a weather observation balloon twice a day, every day.

On December 10, the precipitable water reading in Denver was a measly 0.02".  It set a record for the driest ever reported for Denver in December. Plus, it was only 0.01" away from breaking the all-time driest! On an average December day, it would be closer to 0.2".

A surface observation at the same time reported a temperature of 59 degrees. The dewpoint scraped the bottom of the barrel at -23, leaving the humidity at a whopping 3%.

https://twitter.com/NWSBoulder/status/1072240649573937152

The National Weather Service in Boulder said the dry air came from high in the atmosphere, which often happens in the cold months as the atmosphere compresses. Our affiliate <a href="https://www.9news.com/article/tech/science/record-setting-dry-air-is-sitting-right-above-denver/73-e3b2df86-05a8-4e1d-8bc0-87de3ce293c3">9News in Denver spoke to Meteorologist Mike Baker with the National Weather Service</a> about what lead to such a record:
“The entire stratosphere had compressed down, and we were getting this intrusion of stratospheric air right down, almost to the surface on the east side of the mountains,”  “It was just amazing to see that coming down.”
Your body probably felt the dryness on the skin, nose, and eyes. Baker compared it to the sickness that tourists get when they come from a more humid sea level and go straight up to the slopes.
“First I’m craving oxygen, and the next thing they start craving moisture, and your brain starts to react to that and you get these terrible headaches. That’s Rocky Mountain Sickness,” said Baker.
The extended forecast from the Climate Prediction Center keeps Denver, and much of the country on the warm and dry side through Christmas.

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Record Setting Dry Air for Denver

Hurricane Katrina: Remembering the Devastation, 20 Years Later

Friday marks the anniversary of Hurricane Kat

A New Area to Watch in the Atlantic

As we near the peak of the 2025 Atlantic hurr

Flooding Risk for the Gulf Coast States

A frontal boundary has stalled out across the

Heavy Rain and a Flood Risk for New Mexico and Texas

As an upper-level high weakens and pivots sou

Heatwave Looming for the Northwest

While it wasn't that long ago we were dealing

Northwest: Fire Danger and Flooding

Conditions in the Northwest have been hot and

Moisture From Juliette Arrives Thursday-Friday

Residual moisture from Tropical Storm Juliett