to answer a question from last page....why Gulf storms peak then weaken.

I'll go with the "too much fuel" or "too high of an octane" theory. There is too much warm/hot water that Gulf that hurricanes floor the gas peddle and deepen very rapidly but they reach a point of critical mass (or strength) and then implode (for lack of a better term) due to "mechanical" breakdown from over-reving the engine.

It was obvious that Katrina was in a perfect environment for becoming a 175mph Cat 5 yesterday (and you just had that feeling she was going to do something big) but it then after spinning like a perfect top, she suddenly got the wobbles (first) which (then) allowed the dry air to take a big bite out of her strength.

Note that Camille landed as a Cat 5 because she had such a short life, starting just South of Cuba and did not over-rev her engine (for too long). I'll even presume based on pressures and winds that Camille never had an ERC.