As I have mentioned on this site before just look at the hurricanes that made landfall last year. There were a bunch. Not a single observation station
anywhere reported a sustained wind anywhere close to what the NHC reported.

Going to have to agree with Indy here on those points... Having been in so many last year, we didn't see anything NEAR what the NHC was saying for
sustained winds, even when right on top of us...
Still, they've gotten MUCH better at predicting the path, so gotta give them credit on that point at least.
At least this storm won't be too bad...mostly rain for us on the West Coast (I'm in Tampa Bay), maybe some minor surge if it gets up to cat 1 after
going into the gulf, but I doubt it. It'll probably be a cat 1 when making landfall, then quickly break up as it moves over the state, being a weak
TS or even a strong depression by the time it gets to the gulf. (imho)
8am advisory from NHC:
************************************
AT 8 AM EDT...1200Z...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM KATRINA WAS
LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 26.2 NORTH...LONGITUDE 79.0 WEST OR ABOUT
30 MILES... 45 KM...SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF FREEPORT GRAND BAHAMA
ISLAND AND ABOUT 70 MILES... 115 KM...EAST OF FT. LAUDERDALE
FLORIDA.
KATRINA IS
MOVING TOWARD THE WEST NEAR 8 MPH...13 KM/HR...AND THIS
MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE WITH SOME DECREASE IN FORWARD SPEED
DURING THE NEXT 24 HOUR. THIS MOTION SHOULD BRING THE CENTER INTO
THE FLORIDA STRAITS TODAY...AND NEAR OR OVER THE SOUTHEASTERN
FLORIDA COAST LATER TONIGHT OR FRIDAY MORNING.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 50 MPH... 85 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER
GUSTS. ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING IS POSSIBLE TODAY AND TONIGHT...
AND KATRINA
COULD REACH CATEGORY ONE HURRICANE STRENGTH BEFORE THE
CENTER REACHES THE SOUTHEASTERN COAST OF FLORIDA.
TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 70 MILES
...110 KM FROM THE CENTER. AN AUTOMATED OBSERVING STATION AT
SETTLEMENT POINT ON GRAND BAHAMA ISLAND RECENTLY REPORTED SUSTAINED
WINDS OF 43 MPH WITH A GUST TO 50 MPH...AND FREEPORT ON GRAND
BAHAMA ISLAND ALSO REPORTED SUSTAINED WINDS OF 43 MPH.
THE
ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 999 MB...29.50 INCHES.
STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 4 TO 6 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS...
ALONG WITH LARGE AND DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES...CAN BE EXPECTED
NEAR AND TO THE NORTH OF WHERE THE CENTER MAKES LANDFALL IN FLORIDA.
STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 3 TO 5 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS...
ALONG WITH LARGE AND DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES...CAN BE EXPECTED
NEAR THE CENTER IN AREAS OF ONSHORE WINDS IN THE BAHAMAS.
DUE TO ITS SLOW FORWARD SPEED...KATRINA IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE A
SIGNIFICANT HEAVY RAINFALL EVENT OVER THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS...AND
SOUTH FLORIDA... WITH TOTAL RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 6 TO 10
INCHES AND ISOLATED MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF 15 INCHES POSSIBLE.
[edit on 25-8-2005 by Gazrok]