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

[ErnBatavia]

I was just thinkin how Sheehan caught such a break in Crawford back when Katrina was going thru FLA and thousands went down there to stand up for the troops and it didn't get much coverage.

I think RDTF's timing is a bit off....the true Americans were there in force a full week before Katrina, but the press ignored them for their usual reasons; nothing to do with a hurricane that had passed (rather quietly) through Florida.

The good thing about Katrina is that it got that goofy post-menopausal "grieving mom" off the radar.

[Arrowhead1952]

Central TX near Giddings.

[NautiNurse]

Where is the link for your post re: the Harris Co. Flood Control?

All: Please do not post local info, notices, stories
or rumors without a specific link to the source.

[samantha]

You are right Mississippi was hit much worse than LA, but they are not expecting Uncle Sam to build them a house. Gulf coast and east coasters have been handling things long before Katrina, and without Uncle Sam's big wallet.

[Robert A Cook PE]

Tapcons are good: Just be careful that the hole drilled is exactly the right dia for the tapcon available: Even a few 1/64's will make the tapcon loose. Or, if the drilled hole is too small: extra torque needed to to try to drive the tapcon into brick/mortar will tear the screw in half from excess torque.

Howlin: we need a "hurricane prep's and recommendation" thread - Kind of like a 3-day crash course in Y2K prep's.

[lonestar]

I changed it.

I'm worried. I have a bed-ridden mother at home (hospital bed) and we depend on electricity more than most people.

[Iwo Jima]

Please put me on your ping list. We're staying put. I think we'll be ready.

Somebody's got to discourage any looters.

[SouthTexas]

Have a granddaughter in NC and she's half Texan, that's why ya'll were covered.

The lack on info did frustrate the h*ll out of me. Did get more from here than anything on TV.

[Types_with_Fist]

That's what I thought. But (forgive my ignorance) I was hoping that high pressure ridge would mean an infusion of cold air or something. So, it only has to do with steering in this case?

[Flyer]

I could walk there if I had to.

I could walk swim there if I had to.

Fixed.

[RummyChick]

Farakhan wants the Red Cross destroyed

[silentknight]

GRLevel 3 Radar Grab - RITA at 9:45 Eastern

http://www.usawx.com/945pmeasternrita.jpg

[weef]

I heard a category 4 will have 115 mph sustained winds in Conroe and Katy.

[hobson]

That's not a bad idea but if the water get's that high we are in BIG trouble. My house is located on one of the highest points in Houston. During Allison we were high and dry while everyone a mile away were flooded.

[deport]

We got family up that way..... Now if'n they get too fussy well I may look you up... lol.

[SouthTexas]

Freezer is FULL already!LOL

Live in a small town and we have water towers. Unless we take a direct hit, which is doubtful at present, we will have plenty of water even without being able to refill them for days.

[Howlin]

http://www.wxresearch.org/family/evacmaps.html

[RDTF]

HUH? My timing is a bit off? I was following the thread about the rally, right here, throughout it all and none of us could believe that it got no live coverage because all they could talk about was Katrina. Look it up. You need to get your facts straight before you post something like that.

[Robert A Cook PE]

Gee: Consider Galveston in 1900: many tens of thousand dead, and losing two ports on the Gulf coast in the 1800's. One was never rebuilt: abandoned instead.