Hurricane Rita Live Thread, Part III

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

[NautiNurse]

Extremely dangerous and large Category Five Hurricane Rita is churning westward across the Gulf of Mexico toward Texas. Air Force Reconnaissance indicated the central pressure has dropped to 904mb, making Rita the fifth most intense hurricane ever in the Atlantic Basin.

Hurricane and Tropical Storm Watches have been issued from Northern Mexico through the South Louisiana coastline. Galveston TX used school buses to evacuate residents. Mandatory and voluntary evacuations are in effect along the Texas coastline.

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 Western Gulf of Mexico
Current Weather Warnings and Watches for Texas
Current Weather Warnings and Watches for Louisiana

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

Streaming Video: (coverage may be intermittent)

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

Additional Resources:

FReeper Sign In Thread Check in to let us know whether you are staying, going, and when you get there
FReepers Offering Lodging To Rita Evacuees People and/or Pet Friendly FReepers Offering Shelter
Coastal TX Evacuation Maps
KHOU Houston
KTRK ABC News Houston
Hurricane City
Wxnation Houston
Galveston Webcams
Golden Triangle Weather Page Provides Galveston Weather, Warnings, Radar, etc.

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

[Flux Capacitor]

Oh, believe me, I understand. I was born and raised in Louisiana. I'm watching it die EVERY DAY, by a thousand not-so-little cuts that started almost a month ago. I'm watching my roots, my family, and everything I know either turned upside-down or destroyed altogether. I'm waiting expectantly for Rita vanden Heuvel to wobble eastward and destroy MY home and livelihood.

And when and if it does that, I'll still be saying the same thing.

-Dan

[rwfromkansas]

oh oops.

Sorry......I tested it out first and it worked great. Now it just sends me to the sign-on page.

[johnb838]

You're right, Polly, NO was utterly unique. Not a city on earth like it. Lots of cities have stupid venal corrupt city governments. Houston's isn't that great as far as that goes, this mayor is running things pretty well, but that last one, ohmygawd... he made Nagin look smart.

I too grieve for the secondlines, the smell of gumbo, the sense of history and the ghosts of the past that were sort of around you all the time. I've only been there once, but I imagine you can't really understand the city if you've only been there at Carnival.

[Dog Gone]

We'll ask. We're putting ourselves at risk for the hospital when some employees are just bailing. A little accomodation can go both ways...

[NautiNurse]

thanks--will look around for more info

[steve86]

I just added a new account with no problem.

[Lazamataz]

I hope you are out of the path of this monster. The pictures of it show a rapidly-perfecting eye, which is a sign of strength!

[fishntex]

This is what they have right now.


http://www.srh.noaa.gov/showsigwx.php?warnzone=TXZ118&warncounty=TXC439&local_place1=Euless&product1=Special+Weather+Statement

[johnb838]

Thank you, all the crap is making it hard to keep up with the thread and its mostly garbage. And its my life too.

[johnb838]

And Fox isn't covering anything but a potential plane crash.

[steveegg]

Advisory 17a has been corrected to reflect the conversion of pressure between 898 mb to inches of mercury (it should be 26.52 inches, not the 26.55 inches originally reported). Also corrected, the time of the eye fix on the last Vortex Data Message (changed by a few monites from 2313Z to 2309Z - 6:0* pm CDT/7:09 pm EDT).

Since neither correction is not substantial, I won't be reposting either.

[Flux Capacitor]

I will, thanks. :)

-Dan

[numberonepal]

I've seen claims that Slidell did have sustained Cat 5 winds

I have as well, and once in the Mobile Press Register, but I can't find the dang story. That was the only reference I saw and it said sustained at 174 mph and gusts 190?. If it wasn't there then I heard it on the radio from a NOLA station I could pick up in MS that was constant around the clock talk radio and storm/recovery info (maybe krock - not sure).

[Bahbah]

Now it just sends me to the sign-on page.

That's what I got when I tried it.

[Prolifeconservative]

Okay.....you can't come in here and mention "Steve Lyons, stall, moving North" and not add anything more. That's too much suspense and drama ;>))

[CindyDawg]

Most definately.

[Lazamataz]

Please do what you can to prepare for this thing! It ain't a joke! You have a way to evacuate?

[steveegg]

That's more immediate. Rita won't be making landfall until Friday.

Speaking of reporting, TWC's Storm Jumper Jim Cantore is in Seabrook, Texas.

[RDTF]

Steve are looking at Storm2k?

[abb]

cantore in seabrook, tx. where's that?