Update: Category 5 Hurricane Rita - Live Thread, Part II

NHC - NOAA ^ | 21 September 2005 | NHC - NOAA

[NautiNurse]

Category 3 Hurricane Rita became the fifth major hurricane of the 2005 season during the night. Hurricane Rita threaded the needle through the Florida Straits and moved into the Gulf of Mexico. Storm damage in the Florida Keys and South Florida Peninsula was light, with scattered power outages, scattered tornados, and mild to moderate flooding.

Mandatory evacuations are in effect for Galveston County TX and New Orleans. Additional evacuation orders in the Greater Houston Metropolitan Area are anticipated throughout the day.

Crude oil prices reacted as oil producers shut down and evacuated workers from platforms in the Gulf of Mexico.

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 Eastern Gulf of Mexico
Buoy Data Western Gulf of Mexico
Current Weather Warnings and Watches for Texas

Images:

Storm Floater IR Loop
GOM WV Loop
GOM IR Still Image
Visible Storm Floater Still (only visible during daylight hours)
Color Enhanced Atlantic Loop
Key West Long Range Radar Still Image

Streaming Video: (coverage may be intermittent)

KHOU-TV/DT Houston: mms://beloint.wm.llnwd.net/beloint_khou
WWLTV NOLA

Additional Resources:

Coastal TX Evacuation Maps
KHOU Houston
KTRK ABC News Houston
Hurricane City
Wxnation Houston

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:
Hurricane Rita Live Thread, Part I
Tropical Storm Rita
Tropical Depression 18

[burzum]

Temperatures are cooler where Katrina went. But Rita is not following the same path. The only areas that Katrina and Rita really had in common is the Gulf loop which has already refreshed itself. The temperatures a couple of days ago:

http://www.osdpd.noaa.gov/PSB/EPS/SST/data/gulfmex.c.gif

[raygun]

You're reading it correctly all right. However, if you check out the Vortex Messg in post #1295, highest surface winds are reported at 110KTs 277 Deg. 5 nm from center of the storm.

In the addendum (item P), it's reported that highest FL (700mb) winds are reported to be 153KTS W Quad. But highest observed FL (700mb) winds measured on last 100nm of inbound leg are bearing 016 (NNE quad) from center at 153 KTs (item F). Its interesting to note that while item G should be referring to Item F, it actually is describing item P. This intimates to me that the flight came in from the NNE, and exited W. So while we don't know how far from center item F was observed, we DO know that FL (700mb) are observed at 153KTs in at least two places. This storm is cookin'.

Moreover, what we do know is that both FL (700mb) winds, and estimated surface winds are that of the eyewall (w/in 10nm of storm center). So anyways, what's that ultimate ratio here? Who ya gonna believe, a theoretical ratio, or the pilot's disbelieving eyes.

As far as anemometers, they usually blow up because stuff hits 'em (not because the winds go too fast for 'em). Moreover, I believe that automatic equipment is designed to shutdown once it detects a peak (because after maxing out they would be considered unreliable and in need of maintenance/re-calibration). This is emminently observable in the Try Tortuga's bouy that reported a wind gust of 80KTs, and a minimum pressure. The very next obs reported a sharp rise in pressure and decrease in winds. Ergo, an auto-shutdown contition.

In the case of all the bouys off the coast of LA during Katrina, none of 'em reported anything exceeding 50KTs. Why'd they shut down? Answer: sea state of 50' waves knocked 'em silly.

[MamaB]

I am watching KHOU. Hubby has his ham license but no equipment!! He sold it years ago when he became interested in bass fishing and golf. I have a large Drake SW8 shortwave radio and it can pick up some ham stations. I got it when hubby bought a 62" TV with all the surround sound stuff. Can you get ham stations on the net?

[CedarDave]

A sea surface temperature map posted earlier on this thread shows the impact of Katrina limited to the northern Gulf. There was no Katrina impact shown on the path that the current storm is taking.

[Miss Marple]

There is a new series on ABC tonight called "Invasion."

The premise is that the aliens are here and they control hurricanes, and that is why we have had so many.

I am not making this up.

Got to leave. When I return I will have a well-deserved martini.

[ContemptofCourt]

Katrina was 902 I believe.

[mjwise]

902mb. All-time Atlantic basin record is Gilbert in 1988 @ 888mb. All-time worldwide record was Supertyphoon Tip in 1979 @ 870mb.

[Howlin]

Sometimes people around here act like a bunch of "tight" you know what's, don't they?

There is an ebb and flow to these threads.......and while we're posting, we are MERGING into the community that we are.

Now, I might bash your brains out on another thread, but today, this week, figuratively speaking, you are all "my friends."

This is what we "do" on FR -- and as you all know, the live threads are my favorites -- for that very reason.

It is FR at its very best.

[TexAgg_IE]

Here in College Station, Blinn (the local junior college) has decided to close starting tomorrow at noon. The A&M website is going slow, so no word yet, except the the A&M vs TSU game is now tomorrow night at 7:30.

[Rebelbase]

I was alluding to 1947.

[Sam Cree]

" let's face it, things are going to "go wrong" with Rita too - "

I am dreading what may happen. We don't know even what really happened in Katrina yet.

Hoping for the best anyway, though.

[defenderSD]

"when money doesn't matter, they grab for the finest beer around, Heineken."

Re: Post 1562....Lol, that's a classic picture.

[Sprite518]

You know what cracks me up is when I hear the histerical leftist tell me that I am brain washed.. LOL! Yeah ok..

Whenever, we get in to a debate about say Iraq... They are so clueless on what is going on there. They do not even know where is the Sunni Triangle, the Oil for food scandal, that Al Zachari is with Alcida..

[hummingbird]

Thanks...man o' man, we sure are getting an education on hurricanes and weather patterns this year!

[NautiNurse]

Good heavens! It is blowing near gale here the past several minutes. Wind is whistling the windows...spooky, very spooky.

[Spktyr]

Pacific fleet is sitting around with nothing better to do.

[steveegg]

Thanks. Is anybody insane enough to start a pool on how low Rita will go?

[TxWxguy]

...or it could mean that the high is simply being weakened by the trough to its north.

[Howlin]

Is Rita sucking wind around you?

[Arizona Carolyn]

Someone Bill Hemmer interviewed this week said one lession they learned from Katrina -- ham radios!