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

[AliVeritas]

You know my friend offered his home on the island of NC to a evac family (it's sweet btw), and no one answered. I told him maybe they were fed up with water right then. Here comes the hurricane right after to SC and up.

[DocRock]

"Those radios have a MINIMUM range of 15 miles."

Most truckers have a linear stuck under the seat that can extend that range substantially.

[CindyDawg]

I really liked the commercials TWC used to have. I've said it before but I wish they would show the babies. We see the moms growing for nine months and then they are back in their suits, business as usual.

[Tiger Smack]

http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/PS/TROP/DATA/RT/float-ir4-loop.html

Is it just me, or does it look like it s now going more of a NW track ?

[steveegg]

Thanks again. Rita will rival Katrina, but I just can't see her challenging either Gilbert or Tip.

[james_f_hall]

Katrina reached 902 I think.

[hummingbird]

Thanks, Moose4! Why do I always feel like cleaning house when a hurricane is headed our way...if you can answer that, the beer's on me!

[Sprite518]

I do not know, but I noticed before the 2004 election.. When Fox News thought Kerry was going to win all of sudden they were on Bush.. I can't point out an example but I do remember getting really upset about it.. However, after the election they slipped back a little bit.

[defenderSD]

Sorry if this is a repetitive question, but where are you located?

[CajunConservative]

What can possibly slow this thing down?

Prayer? At this point, I don't think anything else will.

You are correct. I'm getting ready to do just that.

[Bahbah]

I have been impressed by Texas for 3 weeks now!

LOL. I've been impressed by Texas since I was 10 years old.

[dawn53]

My kid was at his piano lesson, and then traveled up the interstate to church and I just called him to see how it was on the interstate.

Even yesterday I was getting bounced around.

Holy Moly, just glad that thing isn't headed our way.

Prayers for those in her path.

[WxMan2000]

Recon data from Texas A & M site:
http://www.met.tamu.edu/personnel/students/weather/weather_interface.html

For station, type NHC. Select Raw Data, and scroll down to Reconnaisance. It'll display all data the recon sends in.

[NautiNurse]

Tampa Bay

[milagro]

PRAYER--and lots of it!

[Arizona Carolyn]

I thought they had postponed this due to Katrina? Guess they changed their minds and decided to cash in on these storms.

[mjwise]

Duly noted. I still think high SSTs are overrated for contributions to major hurricanes in comparison to other favorable conditions such as the utter and total absence of sheer or dry air interfering. Rita is firmly in command of the Gulf. Even if we get "lucky" and it weakens to say Cat 3 before landfall the storm surge is still going to be prodigious if it spins around out there as a cat 5 for any length of time.

[duffthor]

It may have just been coincidence, but when NO was being flooded, my Alltel service up here in nebraska got real flaky....even more than normal...

[Rutles4Ever]

Friday is the feast of St. Pio (Padre Pio). Catholics should be praying fervently for his intercession since the hurricane may make landfall late on Friday.

[hummingbird]

Thank you, too, numberonepal. Looks like I've got a lot of studying to do...while cleaning?! LOL!