Hurricane Rita Live Thread, Part VII

NHC - NOAA ^ | 23 September 2005 | NHC - NOAA

[NautiNurse]

Hurricane Rita landfall is anticipated within the next few hours. Strong winds and heavy rains are battering southern Louisiana and southeastern Texas.

MSM news crews are shouting over the howling winds as they foolishly describe blowing rain, swaying trees, and crashing waves through rain splattered camera lenses. It's a hurricane. We know these things already.

An 18 wheeler rig reportedly overturned on an I-10 bridge. The fate of the truck driver is unknown at this time. Reports of widespread power outages in Lake Charles. KPLC-TV Lake Charles local news has remarkably improvised their reporting from a remote location. They are taking calls from residents, NWS, and public utility representatives, and alerting residents to local conditions.

On the flip side, CNN announced to the world that law enforcement officers had evacuated from Port Arthur TX with the rest of the population. Engraved looter invitations would have been more elegant.

Godspeed to all those in the path of this storm.

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
Houston/Galveston/Beaumont/Lake Charles Wx Watches/Warnings
Jefferson Co TX NWS Weather
Current Weather Warnings and Watches for Texas
Current Weather Warnings and Watches for Louisiana
Hi Res Houston Flood Zone Map Slow load, great detail

Images:

Lake Charles Long Range Radar Still image, with loop link
Houston/Galveston Long Range Radar Still image, with loop link
Lake Charles Experimental Radar Outages and Delays May Occur

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
KPRC-TV/DT Houston
KTRK-TV/DT Houston
KTRH-AM Houston
KPLC-TV/DT Lake Charles/Lafayette
KSLA-TV/DT Shreveport

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
KHOU Houston
KTRK ABC News Houston
KPLC Lake Charles Evac Routes, news
KFDM Beaumont/Port Arthur News, evac info
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 VI
Hurricane Rita Live Thread, Part V
Hurricane Rita Live Thread, Part IV
Hurricane Rita Live Thread, Part III
Hurricane Rita Live Thread, Part II
Hurricane Rita Live Thread, Part I
Tropical Storm Rita
Tropical Depression 18

[Nita Nupress]

Can someone assure me that Rita is not turning around and coming back this way right now? My brother is taking off the boards from the windows. I don't have the battery power to sit here and search for current news. Thanks in advance!

[McGavin999]

Howlin has started a Check In Thread so we can find everyone. Come on over everyone and check in.

[No Blue States]

"Some Louisianians, me included, are disgusted with the officials down here. But we voted against them. And we don't deserve the contempt of this forum."

BTTT

[Colorado Doug]

Glad you made it through okay. Hope your grandmother is doing well.

[laz]

It's just that Texas understands how they operate.

That, and that Louisiana didn't allow FEMA to operate.

[dixie sass]

Rotfl, that would be hilarious! Let's see where is the potato and the wire or better yet maybe I could hook the dog up to a wheel and ...

[Howlin]

You know that the anger is not directed at the good people of Louisiana.

It's the local authorities and the MSM that everybody is livid with.

Hell, North Carolina just declared 37 counties disaster areas from Opehlia and Cheney is in the hospital right this minute having surgery and STILL all we're hearing is comparisons of Rita to Katrina.

[RummyChick]

I would LOVE to see someone do sound clips comparing the two states officials.
It would be a hoot.

[eddie willers]

Don't forget the "Peace" march.

[No Blue States]

Downtown Houston Chase bank highrise still shedding flying glass.
The video looks like quite a few windows missing.

[GodBlessUSA]

Steve Forbes is on. I like him. :)
Speaking of the weather cycles that go back centuries. Brings up long before people like Al Gore. LOL!

[cajungirl]

Oops, this is from the Times Picayune!

.The water rushing through the damaged levee was not the only concern. Hurricane Katrina damaged the locks dividing different water levels between Lake Pontchartrain and the Mississippi River. "They are not functional," Rodriguez said of the locks. "You can't open or close them, and right now they're open."

[Zacs Mom]

Yikes!! I hadn't heard that! My grand daughter is at Duke in Durham

[laz]

I think it's grossly irresponsible, and even criminally negligent, to even consider bringing any residents back to NOLA while hurricane season is still going on. Rita just proved the city is in no condition for that.

But then, everything Blanco and Nagin have done has been grossly irresponsible and criminally negligent, so why break that track record now?

[STARWISE]

Great point.

[GodBlessUSA]

Bush is on now. ;)

[TX Conservative]

My grandmother who is now deceased used to talk about a Doctor Barclay in Woodville.

I saw a report on local news that roads in and out of Woodville / Jasper are blocked by fallen trees.

[Miss Marple]

I have no idea. When we had tornadoes come through our neighborhood a few years ago, FEMA paid for the debris removal. I was very glad they did, but I didn't expect them to come and pay for anything else. Everyone had homeowners' insurance, and most people who had to temporarily leave damaged homes went to stay with relatives.

Until Katrina, I never imagined that there were people who expected FEMA to come in and take care of everything from Day One.

Oh, Lord, Steve Forbes is on, telling us again how the President has handled this better than Katrina.

I have my list and Forbes is on it.

[texianyankee]

I love NOLA. I have a lot of fond memories there. It's been many years since I last visited, but I want you to know, cajungirl, that we love you and everyone over there.

I want NOLA rebuilt.

[cajungirl]

I know that but I quit coming here for a week after dealing with constant insults, constant outrageous comments.

It wears very thin when your life is a mess, your house if full of refuges and you hear heartbreak, loss, dislocation, sadness every day.

This is a forum for discussion and information and lately all I read are insults. And I skip those posts for the most part while my blood pressure rises.

I swear, If I could figure out how to start a thread, I would write a damned opus.

I know it isn't you, and alot of nice people. But I wish to hell others would police this forum. I have too many other things going on right now to do that too.