Hurricane GUSTAV - Morgan City, LA - September 1, 2008

Hurricane Gustav ravaged portions of the Caribbean in late August 2008, resulting in deadly flooding over Haiti and then crossing western Cuba on the 30th as a strong Category Four, with 150 mph winds.

A day after emerging into the southeastern Gulf of Mexico, Gustav leveled off as a Category Three. The hurricane remained at that intensity as it approached the coast of Southern Louisiana, prompting the largest evacuation in the state's history on fears of another Katrina-type disaster.

Throughout the evening of August 31st, drier air began to work its way into the system and Gustav responded by weakening slightly to Category Two intensity.

Just prior to, and during, landfall Gustav began a trend of increasing organization with intense convection developing within the northwest and western eyewall. The hurricane made landfall near Cocodrie, Louisiana on September 1st at 14:30UTC with sustained winds of 110mph and a central pressure of 955mb.

Storm chasers Michael Laca, Jim Leonard and Max Hagen, as well as filmmaker Chris Terrill, intercepted Hurricane Gustav in Morgan City, Louisiana. Our chase team recorded a minimum pressure of 957.3mb at 17:26UTC and estimated peak winds at our location between 80-100mph. An unofficial observation of 103mph was reported by another chase team in Morgan City. Official wind readings include 86mph at Grand Isle; 82mph at Amerda Pass; 75mph at New Iberia; and 91mph at Baton Rouge.

After intercepting Gustav's eyewall and eye in Morgan City, our chase team repositioned ourselves to the northwest and intercepted the northwestern eyewall a second time between Franklin and New Iberia. During this second eyewall intercept, we encountered exceptionally heavy rainfall that made driving conditions extremely hazardous.

After Gustav's eyewall moved on, we once again repositioned ourselves to the northwest in Lafayette, Louisiana and intercepted Gustav's core a third time. Though weakening, the storm still produced intense winds, driving rains and significant damage well inland.