South Florida has already enjoyed the caresses and buffets of Hurricane Katrina. Katrina was upgraded from Tropical Storm to Hurricane just about the time it hit landfall in South Florida on Thursday.
After quickly passing W-S-W through Florida, it moved into the Gulf of Mexico where it has continued to strengthen.
Currently a Class 3 Hurricane, there is a significant chance of it growing to a Class 4 Hurricane before making landfall on the northern Gulf coast, somewhere between the central Louisiana coast and the Florida Panhandle.
Quoting the National Weather Service's 10pm CDT Saturday 8/27/05 update:
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS REMAIN NEAR 115 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. KATRINA IS A CATEGORY THREE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS…AND KATRINA COULD BECOME A CATEGORY FOUR HURRICANE ON SUNDAY.
Landfall is expected somewhere on Monday. The current forecast track centers on New Orleans with a projected landfall around 7am Central Daylight Time.