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Posted on 09/22/2005 3:25:57 AM PDT by NautiNurse
Extremely dangerous Category 5 Hurricane Rita continues to threaten the Greater Houston Metropolitan area. The forecast track has shifted slightly to the northeast, increasing the risk to Southwest Louisiana, and a significant portion of the oil and gas operations in the Gulf of Mexico. Texas Governor Perry is urging all coastal residents between Beaumont and Corpus Christi to evacuate as soon as possible.
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
Houston/Galveston/Beaumont/Lake Charles Wx Watches/Warnings
Current Weather Warnings and Watches for Texas
Current Weather Warnings and Watches for Louisiana
Hi Res Houston Flood Zone Map Slow load, great detail
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)
KPRC-TV/DT Houston - KPRC-TV/DT Houston - http://mfile.akamai.com/12944/live/reflector:38616.asx
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
Beaumont TX evac Routes
Lake Charles/Southwest LA Evacuation Map
KHOU Houston
KTRK ABC News Houston
KPLC Lake Charles Evac Routes, news
KFDM Beaumont/Port Arthur News, evac info
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 III
Hurricane Rita Live Thread, Part II
Hurricane Rita Live Thread, Part I
Tropical Storm Rita
Tropical Depression 18
She should have said, "use your bingo markers." They'd understand that.
Missed it, they had a sound problem.
And Arianna only drives in them if they are already going to where she is heading.
Back on.
Yeah, that is what should have been said.
"Blanko Dubois, as I like to call her."
As in - she always relies on the "kindness of strangers?"
Yeah, Blanco, a little revisionist history going on already!
Put the bunny back in the box...
The rain bands are more and more dark with moisture here in Central Fl. and thunder and rain here.
Except for downtown New Orleans, there are no effective levees. They're gone.
Geez, these people still have no clue.
Nothing to do with semantics. Two different directions.
I said it before, but I despise Mike Easley, but I never once doubted a word he said last week during Opehlia.
He got the job done without so much as a whimper....or George W. Bush.
I would presume gas trucks would head down the southbound lanes and put gas in jerry cans and carry it to stalled vehicles. But I also imagine any such truck stopping will be overwhelmed by other drivers who are short of gas and just haven't run out yet. Definitely a tense, volatile situation.
After this is all over, I would expect that they will put permanent gates at freeway entrances that can be easily closed to prevent access once contraflow is introduced. I haven't traveled I-45 north of Houston in about 10 years, but back then you could move off the highway to the frontage road just by going across a grassy strip and concrete curb. Don't know whether they have it fenced now or not.
Last I heard it only had a forward speed of 9 mph. Can't get much slower.
They aren't idiots, a Galveston hit is still a very real possibility, the track can easily shift back and forth. Depending on several factors, this could again move more westward after turning more northward. It is still Russian roulette.
That is just a rediculous idea by Blanco. I can't believe she said that. If people write their ssn's on their arms you'll see the biggest epidemic of identity theft in history down in LA.
LMAO
Corpus Christi had mandatory evacuation. Now, people are turning around and going back.....same for Houston. They all hear, "Rita has turned east and is going to hit LA" so.......why should they leave? I think I might feel the same way....sit in a traffic jam for hours or go home.
2000+ Katrina evacuees in Calcasieu Parish have been evac to two other parishes.
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