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

[Iwo Jima]

Unbited States of America?

I like it.

We are the UNBITTEN.

[WoodstockCat]

no way, the sky and grass are Blue in Kentucky...he's a Wildcat.

[blam]

"I think Don McLean caught the moment about 35 years too soon."

"Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levey was dry". (?)

[Gabz]

Sleep is something you probably need to get now........sleep well.

We can continue our media rant tomorrow!!!!!!!

Prayers are also coming from the East Coast. stay safe.

[Sans-Culotte]

I just drove back to Gerland's. They said earlier they would get more water tonight. I got there @ 10:00-ish my time, and they were already out of the water in small bottles, like Ozarka, etc. But they had jusat gotten in some gallons of drinking water, so I picked up 2 cases (12 gallons). It was 65¢ a gallon, so they weren't gouging.

Flyer: you might try Gerland's @ the Dairy Ashford exit for some of those gallons.

I already intended to fill the bathtub for washing water, maybe toilet flushing, etc. I have a PUR filter that I will use for filling any extraneous empty soda bottles between now and zero hour.

[Don'tMessWithTexas]

I guess that means that places like San Marcos, New Braunfels, and low lying urban areas in SA and Austin could get hit hard.

I've got good friends in CC. Is there any chance that it could hit down that way?

[onyx]

Good, then the high pressure system must still be intact.

[WoodstockCat]

the high pressure from every model I've seen shows weakening on Friday ..that's when it's going to turn..who knows how much..

[rwfromkansas]

Let us know if you find out more.

[fatima]

I just did pray Palladin.God I can't believe this.I am sitting here crying.Mary Immaculate Patroness of the United States of America, spare Houston and all of Texas by some great miracle!

[Brad’s Gramma]

One does. About 100 miles from my location,

Good. And great advice on the cell phones. IF you all have the $$, and time, I'd suggest buying a SECOND BATTERY for those phones, too...

[onyx]

OK. Thanks.

[DrewsMum]

Time to beseech Our Blessed Mother, Mary Immaculate, Patroness of the Unbited States of America, to spare Houston and all of Texas by some great miracle


In Jesus' Name!! Amen!!

[dfwgator]

You havent heard? He is a Sooner.

If you ask somebody from Arkansas, he'll tell you God plays for the USC Trojans. :)

[jbstrick]

"no way, the sky and grass are Blue in Kentucky...he's a Wildcat."

I can't argue with that.

[Brad’s Gramma]

:(

[onyx]

Or a charger for the car. I didn't have one of those. I do now.

[Termite_Commander]

I noticed that. (the first part)

Either Jim is getting old and frail, or his Spidey Senses are kicking in, as I've never seen him call something scary before.

[Sam Cree]

My wife keeps wanting me to get rid of some of my "lumber yard." We lost all of our Dade Co pine trees (some fully mature) during Andrew. A few weeks into the aftermath, a guy is in the neighborhood with a portable saw mill, so I had him mill out one or two of the largest trees. I still have a waist high stack of very large heavy planks in the carport that I didn't use yet :-)

[Dog Gone]

Thanks for your thoughts. This is just going to be horrible, but it's only about 12 hours of being really really scared and most of us will make it through okay.

The bigger problem will be what it means to the nation's energy supply and other repercussions. For example, the worst case scenario puts NASA under 20 feet of water. That can't help those supercomputers run better and there's no upstairs to move them to in advance if you even could.

No telling how long the refineries would be out of business. And gasoline is only one of the critical products they produce. It's everything from paint to medicine and every plastic thing you use.

Not to mention the Port of Houston is where everything from South America and much of the eastern hemisphere is delivered.

I'm going to bed. The more I think about this, the worse.