Hurricane Rita Live Thread, Part III

NHC - NOAA ^ | 21 September 2005 | NHC - NOAA

[NautiNurse]

Extremely dangerous and large Category Five Hurricane Rita is churning westward across the Gulf of Mexico toward Texas. Air Force Reconnaissance indicated the central pressure has dropped to 904mb, making Rita the fifth most intense hurricane ever in the Atlantic Basin.

Hurricane and Tropical Storm Watches have been issued from Northern Mexico through the South Louisiana coastline. Galveston TX used school buses to evacuate residents. Mandatory and voluntary evacuations are in effect along the Texas coastline.

The following links are self-updating:

Public Advisory Currently published every 3 hours 5A, 8A, 11A, 2P, etc. ET
NHC Discussion Published every six hours 6A, 11A, 6P, 11P
Three Day Forecast Track
Five Day Forecast Track

Rita Forecast Track Archive
Forecast Models
Buoy Data Western Gulf of Mexico
Current Weather Warnings and Watches for Texas
Current Weather Warnings and Watches for Louisiana

Images:

Storm Floater IR Loop
GOM WV Loop
GOM IR Still Image
Visible Storm Floater Still (only visible during daylight hours)
Color Enhanced Atlantic Loop

Streaming Video: (coverage may be intermittent)

KHOU-TV/DT Houston: mms://beloint.wm.llnwd.net/beloint_khou
WWLTV NOLA

Additional Resources:

FReeper Sign In Thread Check in to let us know whether you are staying, going, and when you get there
FReepers Offering Lodging To Rita Evacuees People and/or Pet Friendly FReepers Offering Shelter
Coastal TX Evacuation Maps
KHOU Houston
KTRK ABC News Houston
Hurricane City
Wxnation Houston
Galveston Webcams
Golden Triangle Weather Page Provides Galveston Weather, Warnings, Radar, etc.

Category	Wind Speed	Barometric Pressure	Storm Surge	Damage Potential
Tropical Depression	< 39 mph < 34 kts			Minimal
Tropical Storm	39 - 73 mph 34 - 63 kts			Minimal
Hurricane 1 (Weak)	74 - 95 mph 64 - 82 kts	28.94" or more 980.02 mb or more	4.0' - 5.0' 1.2 m - 1.5 m	Minimal damage to vegetation
Hurricane 2 (Moderate)	96 - 110 mph 83 - 95 kts	28.50" - 28.93" 965.12 mb - 979.68 mb	6.0' - 8.0' 1.8 m - 2.4 m	Moderate damage to houses
Hurricane 3 (Strong)	111 - 130 mph 96 - 112 kts	27.91" - 28.49" 945.14 mb - 964.78 mb	9.0' - 12.0' 2.7 m - 3.7 m	Extensive damage to small buildings
Hurricane 4 (Very strong)	131 - 155 mph 113 - 135 kts	27.17" - 27.90" 920.08 mb - 944.80 mb	13.0' - 18.0' 3.9 m - 5.5 m	Extreme structural damage
Hurricane 5 (Devastating)	Greater than 155 mph Greater than 135 kts	Less than 27.17" Less than 920.08 mb	Greater than 18.0' Greater than 5.5m	Catastrophic building failures possible

Previous Threads:
Hurricane Rita Live Thread, Part II
Hurricane Rita Live Thread, Part I
Tropical Storm Rita
Tropical Depression 18

[Amityschild]

It is incredible how beautiful they appear.

[thoughtomator]

See 146

[Howlin]

It's gonna be a L O N G night.

[Lazamataz]

Laz, I am beginning to feel we are under attack by demonic forces. It wouldn't surprise me if we had a major earthquake in California or if Yellowstone erupts.

Errrr... if Yellowstone erupts, its TEOTWAWKI.

[nwctwx]

Leave now, everybody!

I'll second that.

[Interesting Times]

There have been 22 Category 5 hurricanes in the Atlantic since records began in 1886.

Actually, that table is a bit out of date. Isabel reached Cat 5 two years ago, as of course did Katrina last month, so that's at least 25 Cat 5 hurricanes in the Atlantic including Rita.

[CindyDawg]

Speaking from experience she will be able to concentrate more on what she needs to do too, if she doesn't have to worry about him. It goes both ways:')

[Lazamataz]

We good. You ok?

[steveegg]

Hurricane Rita Intermediate Advisory Number 17a
Statement as of 7:00 PM CDT on September 21, 2005

 
...Category five Hurricane Rita continuing to deepen...
...Now the third most intense hurricane in the Atlantic Basin 
   on record...

 
a Hurricane Watch has been issued for Gulf of Mexico coast from Port
Mansfield Texas to Cameron Louisiana.

 
A tropical storm watch has been issued for east of Cameron to Grand
Isle Louisiana and from south of Port
Mansfield to Brownsville.

 
The government of Mexico has issued a tropical storm watch for the
northeast coast of Mexico from Rio San Fernando northward.

 
A Hurricane Watch means that hurricane conditions are possible
within the watch area...generally within 36 hours. A tropical storm
watch means that tropical storm conditions are possible within the
watch area...generally within 36 hours.

 
Interests in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico should monitor the
progress of dangerous Hurricane Rita.

 
For storm information specific to your area...including possible
inland watches and warnings...please monitor products issued
by your local weather office.

 
At 7 PM CDT...0000z...the eye of Hurricane Rita was located near
latitude 24.5 north...longitude 86.8 west or about 580 miles
east-southeast of Galveston Texas and about 680 miles east-southeast
of Corpus Christi Texas.

 
Rita is moving toward the west near 13 mph and this motion is
expected to continue during the next 24 hours.

 
Maximum sustained winds are near 165 mph...with higher gusts. Rita
is an extremely dangerous category five hurricane on the
Saffir-Simpson scale. Some fluctuations in intensity are likely
during the next 24 hours.

 
Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 70 miles from the
center...and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 175
miles.

 
Pressure has been falling rapidly during the day and the latest
minimum central pressure recently reported by an Air Force
reconnaissance plane was 898 mb...26.55 inches. This makes Rita the
third most intense hurricane in terms of pressure in the Atlantic
Basin.

 
Tides are currently running near normal along the Mississippi and
Louisiana coasts in the areas affected by Katrina. Tides in those
areas will increase up to 3 to 4 feet over the next 24 hours with
large waves on top and residents there could experience flooding.

 
Repeating the 7 PM CDT position...24.5 N... 86.8 W.  Movement
toward...west near 13 mph.  Maximum sustained winds...165 mph.
Minimum central pressure...898 mb.

 
The next advisory will be issued by the National Hurricane Center 
at 10 PM CDT.

 
Forecaster Stewart/landsea

 
$$

[Strategerist]

Also of note is that Cat 5 Typhoons are quite normal in the Western Pacific; they had 11 Cat 5s in one year, 1997.

[SE Mom]

Just made a fresh pot of coffee.

Other than that- I'm speechless.

[RDTF]

[CindyDawg]

Did you see that we decided that the next "L" is to be named after you?:')

[Lazamataz]

Interesting chart. Note that there are only TWO times that two Cat-5's formed in one year.... and of those two times, not one of them made landfall anywhere on the globe.

This is unquestionably peculiar.

[Miss Marple]

Well, the really interesting thing to me is that some people consider this normal.

Look, we have had a a once-in-a-hundred-years hurricane, immediately followed by another one. The odds of this happening are pretty high.

Given that the forces of evil have used Katrina to their benefit, it does make one pause and think about the cause of the storms.

Or, it could be science and bad luck.

Prayer won't hurt anything, though.

[NautiNurse]

...Category five Hurricane Rita continuing to deepen...
...Now the third most intense hurricane in the Atlantic Basin on record...
Maximum sustained winds...165 mph. Minimum central pressure...898 mb.

[Mr. Jeeves]

And so did Ivan last year...and Emily this year was right there, and may have briefly been a CAT 5

[johnb838]

It's either our God, the one true God, or theirs -- Satan [hurricanes, disasters, etc]!

I really believe that what happens in nature is almost the opposite of God. The natural order is entropy -- of order gradually breaking into disorder, into chaos, corruption. God's way is the opposite -- of taking the raw material and shaping and forming and producing something better, something higher, growth, potential, greatness. JEsus said that Satan is the ruler of the world, and I think that in a sense he is the ruler of nature. That doesn't mean it isn't beautiful or that I don't enjoy a beautiful sunset. But it means I would NEVER worship nature, and I think those that do are horribly misguided. And it also means that I don't believe that God sends things like hurricanes to punish or anything else. Quite the opposite. Sorry to run on, but your post reminded me of this notion that I've thought quite a bit about.

[Bahbah]

Hi, Leapfrog. I have friends in Sugar Land. How is this looking for you?

[steveegg]

Did you see that we decided that the next "L" is to be named after you?:')

I thought it was every first major hurricane of the season, but that's just me (I get dibs on the second :-)