Hurricane Rita Live Thread, Part IV

NHC - NOAA ^ | 22 September 2005 | NHC - NOAA

[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

[SolomoninSouthDakota]

"Trust me, I know what is going on. I've been tracking it as has everyone else. We need to be correct in our terms or misjudgements can be made."

As I said I think the poster was just using relative positioning terminology. It seems most people understood that "more eastward" is the same as "less westward".

[abb]

not if ur a louisiana dem pol.

[mother22wife21]

Con-Air

[Ichneumon]

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.

That's still the case now.

[lugsoul]

I evac'd the first time. Stayed put when she came back.

[RDTF]

Please - you are the only one here that doesn't get it. If reading the postings here doesn't explain it, then go to the NOAA site at the top of the page, and read the latest data. Nobody here is guessing or making it up.

[ekwd]

Hurricanes can and do change directions at the last moment.
Hurricanes can and do die out at the last moment. You cannot depend on either. As big is this one is now the eye could go in over LA and still cut of Galveston/Houston from the world for days. Get out.

[bwteim]

Other than someone - can't look back now - who had written in all caps that nola was gonna get hit, which got a lot of people on the thread upset due to no source, no one with any knowledge/sources said that was the case. Just that the cone is shifting eastward.

However, let me pull Blanco's quote from her latest Presser:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1489163/posts?page=1156#1156

Today 1:10 EST
Blanco on CNN: "Rita will hit Louisiana"
15 seconds later
Blanco on CNN: "possibly hit us directly"

[jeffers]

out 4 awhile...errands and levee assessment work...hang tough all

[abb]

flood warning for calcasieu river

[BurbankKarl]

I will FedEx you some granola

[Not A Snowbird]

People are taking 3 of their cars out of town

We'd be taking two if we had to evac, and would have to leave one to fate. Rest assured we would have the Harleys trailered and the kayaks atop the SUV on our way out of town. And the cats, of course. Must bring the wee felines.

[Diddle E. Squat]

Lot's of info and questions being answered at the Houston/Harris County news conference, which I guess is why Fox, CNN, and MSNBC are NOT covering it. Much better for the Dayside bubblehead and poofter to repeat the same info every 5 minutes for hours on end, and fret about the traffic, then actual show the answers to their repeated frantic questions.

[RDTF]

Thanks

[BurbankKarl]

Did Blanco actually say that about the pens?

[Jrabbit]

Fox News people freaking out over NO....forget Houston.....NO is getting rain. Get Shep and Jerry there, pronto!!

[Guenevere]

That's what I mean....

..New Orleans is doomed, IMO.
Those levees will not hold.

Unless something drastic changes!

[bwteim]

Let's relax and take a breath. I think doubletap gets it.
Let's focus on what's happening.

I will also try to keep you updated on any pressers, since you said you had no tv at work.

[Lazamataz]

I believe you said, on yesterday, that this would hit NOLA. Most everyone else thought it was going closer to Houston or close by..

The eye of Rita will pass within 20 miles of the French Quarter.

The reason I know this is, I just know how life happens. Things that are maximally inconvenient are the things that happen. Lightening ALWAYS hits in the same spot, OVER and OVER and OVER and OVER and .....

[Petronski]

Perry has done a great job so far - but Texas needs to keep an eye on these changes in the forecast, especially if the houston area evacuation starts to become unmanageable with congested roads and people running out of gas et al.

Starts to? I think that train has left the station...