I posted this in a couple of other places but the threads are so big that nobody seems to have seen it. So here is my first diary:
Landfall can occur ANYWHERE within the cone of possibility and for planning purposes, you should ignore the projected path of the eye of the hurricane. Here are some links:
For critical Hurricane Local Statements for all affected areas, see the NOAA weather service homepage:
http://weather.gov/
[more after the jump]
For the latest official forecasts, graphics, advisories, discussion, etc., the National Hurricane Center's Tropical Prediction site:
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/
For concise computer model projections from Weather Underground:
http://www.wunderground.com/tropical/tracking/at200518_model.html
For the GOES 1 Floater Satellite images:
Visible loop: http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/PS/TROP/DATA/RT/float-vis-loop.html
Infrared loop: http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/PS/TROP/DATA/RT/float-ir4-loop.html
Make sure to check the appropriate boxes at the top of the GOES 1 Floater screens to better see what's happening.
Another useful tool is the new National Weather Service Topographical Radar. Here is a link to the Baton Rouge/New Orleans short range radar loop. Use the arrows in the upper left hand corner to navigate to adjacent sites. And use the hyperlinks for alternate views.
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/ridge/lix_N0R_lp.shtml