Now we examine the rainfall potential or TRaP product approximately 20 hours before Georges was expected to make landfall along the central Gulf Coast. (Click here to see a TRaP calculation description.) Storm intensity had changed little in the preceding 12 hours, but official track forecasts now began to hint more strongly that Georges would slow significantly as the eye made landfall.

Georges' forward motion had slowed to 6 knots on the morning of the 27th. Hurricane warnings remained in effect from Morgan City, Louisiana to Panama City, Florida. By mid-morning, rain began falling along the coast and winds intensified to gale force from the western Florida panhandle to New Orleans.

A 20.8-inch rainfall potential (TRaP) was computed for Georges on this day using 14:25-Z SSM/I rain rates and a storm motion of 6 knots. Again, as was the case 12 hours earlier, Georges was forecast to slow considerably upon making landfall. If the forward motion slowed to 4 knots as anticipated, the TRaP estimate would reach 31 inches across the storm's path where the more intense rain bands were occurring.