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

[CindyDawg]

No. I'm serious. I put masking tape on windows and when I got around to removing them (don't ask) even that stuff needed help. I had to scrape with a razor. I never did get it all off and ended up trading (mobile home) it as was:')

[toldyou]

Thanks....in NJ with 2 kids in the area..... NJ and NYC area. Good gifts...may come in handy some day!

[sinkspur]

Budge, you're one of the best!

[Howlin]

What is a Black and Decker Storm Station?

[RummyChick]

What about something you can use to store water. Like Trash cans.

[A Citizen Reporter]

When we lost power a couple of weeks ago, I went out to Radio Shack and bought one for around $50. I also like the hand-crank radio that Radio Shack has. (I'm not sure, but it might have the audio for certain TV broadcasts.)

[SaveTheChief]

Not a bad idea. Thanks!

[Howlin]

On some of the Katrina TV shows, they showed on lady who had everything in her house filled with water; when they opened her kitchen cabinets, every single bowl, glass and cup was filled with water, just sitting there on the shelf.

[buickmackane]

The "high-pressure ridge" you've been hearing about has been blamed for the 100+ degree temperatures this week in the Alexandria, LA area. I have no idea what effect it would have on Rita, but I imagine that high temperatures would keep water warm enough to sustain hurricane conditions.

[SE Mom]

BREAKING- Cat 3 PER NBC

[Robert A Cook PE]

Once charged, lead-acid's are good fer many days. If ignored (not recharged or left on a trickle charge) for longer than a month, they BEGIN to loose voltage as the acid combines and the lead plates begin to flake and distort/expand. But you'll still have a charge even after several months of ignoring the battery. Not much as originally, but you'll have some power.

Best to use a trickle charge and expect no more than 1-2 on an automotive style wet cell, 2-3 years on a typical deep-cycle wet cell, 3-4 years on a deep-cycle solar power rated (expensive!) battery.

Yep, all them solar-power freaks are merely forcing the recycling of thousands of 100-dollar lead and acid batteries in their "free" solar power homes.

[Dysart]

I think you asked about the cost of a battery operated TV.

http://www.cyberwalker.net/gizmos/jeep-tv-lantern.html

I got this little number at Sams Club for around $50.00 and it's proved invaluable to me. AM-FM-Wx Band Radio/Tv/Lantern/Flashlight//Compass/Thermometer etc.

[Miss Marple]

HA! We own an earlier version of that lantern/radio. My husband is big on survival supplies (deue to us being stuck when we were first married in the Great Blizzard of 78. We ran out of cat food, mil, cokes, toilet paper, etc. He finally had to take a sled and hike a mile to a grocery that was miraculously open. Never again!

We stockpile food, firewood, various light sources, batteries, radios, water, etc. Heck, I even have plastic sheeting and duct tape in case of a chemical attack! And yes, we bought a CO monitor (because we have a gas furnace and water heater) and also I buy large quantities of cat food!

[NautiNurse]

Statement as of 11:00 PM EDT on September 20, 2005

...Rita rapidly strengthening as it passes south of Dry Tortugas.

Movement toward west near 13 mph. Maximum sustained winds 110 mph. Minimum central pressure 965 mb.

Isolated tornadoes will be possible over South Florida and the Florida Keys tonight and early Wednesday.

[Howlin]

Oh, I give those to everybody, but that is a GREAT price!

[DrewsMum]

What is a Black and Decker Storm Station?


It's this cool orange rechargeable "station" with a rechargeable flashlight, radio (tunes to am, fm, tv audio, and weather channels, it has a room light and an inverter plug for small appliances and a 12v ac adapter, it's pretty cool

[Howlin]

Remember, it helps to read the instructions.



How long was your power out........and why was it out?

[BlueAngel]

Thank you for the prayers. I'm getting nervous.

[Howlin]

Well, she's a big girl now.

[Sam Cree]

Well, you shouldn't use any of that stuff inside, except maybe a gas range? I used a Coleman stove inside after Andrew that burned liquid gas, but I think them less of a danger. But I was going to put the CO monitor in the room we sleep in, maybe get another to put right outside the door, in the hall. I suppose most people should be running a CO monitor all the time, hurricane or no, if they use anything with gas.