Hurricane Rita Live Thread

NHC - NOAA ^ | 20 September 2005 | NHC - NOAA

[NautiNurse]

Hurricane Rita is in the Florida Straits, impacting the Florida Keys and South Florida Peninsula. Hurricane watches and warnings are in effect for numerous portions of South Florida. Check local weather statements for updates.

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 SE Florida
Current Weather Warnings and Watches for Florida

Images:

Storm Floater IR Loop
Visible Storm Floater Still (only visible during daylight hours)
Color Enhanced Atlantic Loop
Florida Radar/Sat Loop Caution: Broadband users only
Extra Large Miami Radar Broadband only
Extra Large Key West Radar Broadband only
Miami Long Range Radar Loop
Key West Long Range Radar Loop
Miami Experimental Radar Still Image
Key West Experimental Radar Still Image

Streaming Video: (coverage may be intermittent)

WTVJ-TV/DT Miami (NBC6)
WFOR-TV/DT Miami (CBS 4)
WSVN-TV/DT Miami (Fox)

Other Resources:

Florida East Coast Surf Reports Lots of great info here, including surf cams
Central Florida Hurricane Center
Hurricane City

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:
Tropical Storm Rita
Tropical Depression 18

[vetvetdoug]

She's probably your veterinarian. She's 5'4" tall and as mean as a bear and ugly as a duckbilled platypus. I only wished for one house to get hit and it wasn't yours. Ha...

[Bahbah]

the current crop is making me think I should re-enter the field.

We could certainly use you.

[sheikdetailfeather]

BWAAAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

[bwteim]

Sorry about raising anxiety level. The majority of people in central Alabama made it just fine...

"So,TxGirl, depending on how far your house is inland, your house should be be fine, the wind will blow more than a tiny bit, you'll get a nice rainfall and you might lose some tree branches and lose electricity, so get the hurrican kit ready just in case..."

[shield]

You've got time to see where Rita will hit. By Thursday you'll know better. If Rita hits Matagorda you're approximately 70 miles...from Matagorda...you'll also know how big in size and wind she'll be by then.

LOL...wonder what that prison farm (just down from you) plans to do? Bet they'll not evac those prisoners. In fact, there's a prison farm just out of Freeport (a little west) and another one off hwy. 288 in Rosharon...bet those prisoners will be brought to the large prison farm in Sugar Land.

[Dog Gone]

The hurricane draws its strength from the eye, so as long as that's over water, it will still have maximum force winds onshore.

The winds are stronger closer to the eye, though, and just as soon as the eye crosses the shore, the storm begins to weaken.

You won't get the same strength winds at your place as they did at the shoreline.

But depending on how fast the storm is moving in a northerly direction, it might not weaken fast enough to be too noticeable to you.

Let's just say Rita is packing 130 mph winds when it comes ashore and the eye will pass over your house. Since you're nearly 50 miles inland, your maximum sustained winds might be 105 to 110 mph, with gusts probably 10 or 15 mph higher than that.

It's more than enough to turn loose objects into projectiles.

[bwteim]

" strip of aluminum soffit flapping"

The horror, the horror. Remember last year with Anderson Cooper crowing about that Ramada Inn sign? Guess he got a reality check with Katrina this year.

G*d speed on your trip to Texas.

[Dog Gone]

I've got three extra. Don't ask me why.

[bwteim]

The power outage was tremendous with that storm. Lots of those trees in the piney woods were topped.

[Dog Gone]

Wish FR came with a 'beam up' function so we could wisk away folks like you...

LOL, that would be handy. Colorado sounds pretty good right now.

[LadyPilgrim]

Yes they were!
We get a lot of wind because we are half way up a mountain.
If there is any extra wind, we really do suffer from the outages.
Where are you lacated?

[shield]

Depending on where Rita hits...we're
77 miles from Matagorda
65 miles from Freeport
68 miles from Galveston

[Dog Gone]

Oh man, THAT IS PRICELESS!

ROFL!

[RDTF]

Quick off topic question - Did you see Brit tell that story about John kerry at the Georgetown restaurant while Bush was giving his speech on Katrina? And how he ignored the speech at the bar with his back to the tv?

[ken5050]

Thanks for the link.....look interesting....gonna play with it later tonight..regards..

[CindyDawg]

I was thinking maybe your brain told you two and your fingers just misspelled:') I call them "walk in closets":')

[cmsgop]

Whatever Happens Buddy, You have my Best Wishes.

[Sally'sConcerns]

http://www.sitesatlas.com/Maps/Maps/TX1.htm

ping to the map

[SE Mom]

The storm is going to do some moving around in the next 36-72 hours...depends on the front- when it turns north etc.

[meyer]

Well, we all know the best way to determine where Rita is going...where is the Weather Channel sending Jim Cantore?????

Since Katrina, I'm wondering if it's better to see where Mayor Nagin is.