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

[acad1228]

Falls Creek Baptists Assembly In Davis, Oklahoma was ready for NOLA evacuees. Could easily be made ready again for Hustonians.

[NautiNurse]

Just got back from picking up the neighbor's trash can. It was blown into the road.

[rodguy911]

Thanks meg.

[samantha]

You are not going to believe this , I am sitting here freeping, listening to Rush, and watching the birds and squirrels feed in my back yard. I look up and one of my stray cats is sitting on my barbecue looking like she is trying to stalk something, all of a sudden I see this huge black like thing in my back yard, and this crazy cat starts stalking it. I ran to see because normally it is only squirrels or birds, hell no, it was the biggest otter I have ever seen. Since I was shoeless and the cat "mouth " is stalking the Otter heading down the street now, I hollered to my husband to make "mouth" stop the stalking because it could kill her. He finally got her and the stupid otter is still running in that silly darting way the opposite of the lake where he lives. I don't know why he did that, it is very windy here but that usually does not bother otters.

[NautiNurse]

Mercy - unless you have something productive or resourceful to add, please stay off this thread.

[nwctwx]

Hopefully Corpus will be spared. TX has a lot of area that could take a big hit without much damage/death. I remember seeing a cat 4/5 hit the coast a few years back, and it really only hit some farmland. Unfortunately, the greater population areas are in the region it seems to want to go. I just hope it doesn't come in just south of one of the bays... that could be a big mess.

She is looking pretty good right now, some high clouds over the eye... should clear later. We'll probably have a pretty classic looking storm by later this evening.

[Dog Gone]

NOGAPS has an inconsistent track record, although none of the models are consistently accurate. It's only run twice a day, so it can be well behind the other models at times.

It's always worth a look. The GFDL model was the best for Katrina, but it's been all over the place with Rita, not maintaining a consistent solution at all.

At some point, the respected models will all generally point to a landfall with a spread of 60 miles or so between them, and then it's pretty much a done deal. Right now they point to everywhere between Brownsville and Houston, so they're not much help.

Maybe the models will all line up tonight, but I'm not expecting that. But if I had to bet, I'd say they'll all eventually conclude that the upper Texas coast gets clobbered.

[RDTF]

"FEMA has already been part of this. They have offered whatever support we need,'' Walt said. "Texas is not Louisiana. You won't see that breakdown occurring here."


I love it

[numberonepal]

The Louisianna Delta will keep sinking as long as there is a city sitting on the Mighty MS is not allowed to dump its sediment into it.

[getmeouttaPalmBeachCounty_FL]

I have two questions popping into the thread:
1.) Are the cruise ships for the Katrina refugees still in the Gulf of Mexico?
2.) Would a hurricane still be a hurricane over, say, the Dallas metro area?

Thank you, FReepers :)

[nwctwx]

http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/phod/dataphod1/work/HHP/NEW/2005262go.jpg

Heat potential is not as high in certain areas of the central GOM as it is where she is sitting now. The water is warm, but maybe some good news in regards to eventual landfall strength.

[rodguy911]

"although real estate prices looked like they were spiraling upwards"
vast understatement.
Last year in Islamorada, price rose 425 n a single year. over 30 % in the rest of the Keys. Most property is out of sight for average folks. I know I can't buy anything.

[numberonepal]

The GFDL model was the best for Katrina, but it's been all over the place with Rita, not maintaining a consistent solution at all.

You think so? I was thinking that LBAR was the first to call LA/MS border area and consistently stay with it throughout the cycle.

[Sally'sConcerns]

Even my little town (Marlow) could accomodate 30-45 hotel rooms if they wanted hotel rooms. They aren't the Ritz but they're clean and comfortable. I've stayed at one when my air conditioning went out. When I stayed there the room was 30.00 a night, typical small town America. They'd have to be ready for the town rolling up the sidewalks at 9:00 pm.

[samantha]

I have got squalls now with wicked winds in south Central Florida, maybe that Otter knew what he was doing. I have not seen him head back this way yet. hope he is OK.

[CajunConservative]

[SaveTheChief]

The newest track (2PM ET) isn't looking any better for the Houston area.

[CajunConservative]

[numberonepal]

The water is warm, but maybe some good news in regards to eventual landfall strength.

There's a good man with some hope.

[Txsleuth]

I heard that the ships were going to be moved...

I would think here in the Dallas area, it would be downgraded to a tropical storm....but we could get tornados...

FYI--for anyone interested..The SENATE is going to have a LIVE hearing on Hurricane predicting starting at 2:00 et on C-span 3.