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

[Lazamataz]

Are you SURE hunkering down is smart?? What do the authorities say???

Remember, last time they said 'Git', they MEANT it.

[don-o]

You already got a comment pulled. If I were you, I would back off this thread for a while.

[Lazamataz]

A PRESSURE OF 898 MB IS ASSUMED

HOLY SH*T.

[fishntex]

Cantore was talking about this last night. What he said makes the stop and turn north worse than the gradual turn north was the unpredictability.

[Lazamataz]

Please try to talk less about personal vendettas and keep the topic on Rita.

Thanks in advance.

[DaisyCutter]

Looks like SE of Houston and NW of Texas City, on Galveston Bay.

[steveegg]

Damn; I could use the rain up here in Wisconsin (those storms slamming Minneapolis are too small and violent).

[abb]

right next to nasa

[johnb838]

Just strikes me as a bit similar to Fox's penchant for breaking into their regular programming to follow a Los Angeles Police Chase.

[Nita Nupress]

Hmmm... You could probably even bring your laptop and get a connection, too. They should have a wireless connection somewhere in that hospital, doncha think?

Freepin during a hurricane. You could give us a blow-by-blow description of how high the water was rising. lol!

[steveegg]

Steve are looking at Storm2k?

Nope; no account there.

What frightening news is there now?

[Flyer]

I think I am am safe. And we have establised a Mutual Aid Pact with quite a few local FReepers. We have food, guns and chainsaws.

[GRRRRR]

HiYA Steeeeve...based on the curve, we just might get the last remnants of Rita on Tuesday???

Depends on what systems are coming in from the west I'm sure, but we might see some precip...my guess only of course..

G

[janetjanet998]

i suspect the winds will catch up with the pressure soon..165MPH is low for a pressure like that.....i suspect next update windds will increase to 175 at least

[STARWISE]

Coastline at Freeport, TX .. reminds me of NO.

Views of Surfside Beach

I pray they've all left ..

Max Mayfield isn't pulling any punches:

... told a congressional panel that he believes the Atlantic Ocean is in a cycle of increased hurricane activity that parallels an increase that started in the 1940s and ended in the 1960s.

The ensuing lull lasted until 1995, then "it's like somebody threw a switch," Mayfield said. The number and power of hurricanes increased dramatically.

[steveegg]

That's 3 of the 4 essentials. You guys have water stocked up or some sort of purification system (tablets or filter)?

[don-o]

We have food, guns and chainsaws.

What about sandbags?

[johnb838]

IT's gridlock. They're just trying to get the people in the storm surge areas out right now. Those of us that are just in danger from the wind are pretty much out of luck at this point in time. We're talking 5 hours to go 10 miles.

[Lazamataz]

I think I am am safe. And we have establised a Mutual Aid Pact with quite a few local FReepers. We have food, guns and chainsaws.

Okay. Having seen what happened in Katrina, don't get too confident. AND IF YOU HEAR AN EVACTUATION ORDER, HEED IT!!!

[rwfromkansas]