Published: August 28, 2008 12:33 am            

Gustav expected to strengthen

Gulf Coast meteorologist believes storm will fade toward Florida

If the Mississippi Gulf Coast is the fairway and Hurricane Gustav is the golf ball, the storm may have a little too much slice on it to affect Mississippians.

"If the storm continues to track slowly then it will bend back toward Florida," said Jim Loznicka, chief meteorologist for NBC channel 15 in Mobile, Ala. "But when the storms move fast, then that takes some of the bend out of the track."

Other forecasters have warned that Gustav could hit somewhere along a swath of the Gulf Coast from the Florida Panhandle to Texas.

As some coastal residents began to plan evacuations on Wednesday, gas prices began to soar. Locally, prices jumped 30 cents — from 3.33 a gallon of regular to 3.63 at some stations — in a matter of hours late in the afternoon.

Loznicka has worked in places such as Gainesville, Fla., Greenville, Miss., and Meridian at WTOK-TV. He said living and growing up in this part of the country gives him the advantage of knowing local weather patterns and the importance which accurate weather forecasts play in daily life.

Loznicka said Gustav will be fed plenty of warm water when it creeps into the southern part of the Gulf of Mexico. He said a strength by Sunday of a Category 3 storm with wind speeds of around 120 mph is not out of the question.

"I believe, though, western Florida will be where Gustav ultimately makes landfall," he said. "But right now we still have to realistically consider any place along the Coast from Lake Charles, La. to Tampa, Fla."

Most importantly, Loznicka says the slow plodding nature of Gustav gives everyone plenty of time to prepare no matter where they live.

"Before Katrina people would be still sitting around not doing nothing," said Loznicka. "I don't believe that is the case anymore. Katrina was a very good teacher."

Loznicka began working in Mobile back in 2002 as the Morning and Noon Meteorologist for NBC15. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Broadcasting from the University of Florida, and a Master of Science degree in Geosciences from Mississippi State University. He is also a member of the American Meteorological Society and holds their Television Seal of Approval for weather broadcasts.

        

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