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

[RoseyT]

"Thousands of cars are running out of gas."

Absolutely horrifying. Here in Lufkin stations are running out of gas. I had to go out for a couple of last minute things. It's getting scary out there.

[Zechariah_8_13]

This was such a botched evacuation that it almost makes Gov. Blanko look good.

I really hope you're joking. That statement is ridiculous and has no basis whatsoever in fact.

[dfwgator]

A smaller bar than that which you get in your high-priced room at the better hotels. Also called a minibar.

A millibar has real teeny bottles.

[Knitting A Conundrum]

This is why you can't buy into any civil defense scenario about evacuating major cities. We aren't set up to do it well. It's hard to evacuate so many people. You have to get fuel for them, you need a place to put them, and you need ways to get them out in good order.

We don't have that.

[LA Woman3]

Wasn't Floyd involved in a fight with the chief of police or the mayor or somebody last week? Over his people not getting enough supplies? I hate to play the race card, but the voice over said something about one accusing the other of racism, and I'll be darned if I knew who is black and who is white!


Yes, he was in a fight with the police chief of Kenner. The chief said Floyd wasn't giving any supplies to the Hispanics in one apartment building (housed 500). I tried to find the story....saw it on WDSU TV. (WWW.WDSU.com) CNN was there as well so they may have a link.

[WoodstockCat]

mmmmm..shut my mauf!

[NautiNurse]

can someone knowledgeable break it down? Help a sister out! ;)

The storm is a very powerful and large hurricane that will cause extreme damage to coastal areas, and may cause significant inland wind damage and flooding. If you live anywhere near where she is headed, and you have not already evacuated, get out now.

How was that? :o)

[Genoa]

UKMET and GFDL are the two most recent by far. I call UKMET.

[SE Mom]

We had staggered ones here in FL...for hurricanes..and fires. It works. HOWEVER- with all the doubt about where it's actually going..it's hard to know when/where to tell people to leave. We thought Corpus, then Freemont, then Galveston/Houston..now a little further east. The logistics are tough.

[Strategerist]

UKMET and GFDL are the two most recent by far. I call UKMET.

Like I just pointed out, that UKMET track is ALREADY wrong.

[RDTF]

LOL! My mom is a mother of 5. (4 of which are girls). And we grew up with only one bathroom... My dad worked nights and I thought he was such a hard worker - now I realize it was to get away from all of us!!

[oceanview]

what do they want the Pentagon to do? drop gasoline cans from planes alongside the expressway?

[ekwd]

I checked the NHC page for Ophelia and you are right.
Here is the NHC summary for Ophelia:

http://www.erh.noaa.gov/mhx/14Sep2005/14Sep2005.html

It did do significant damage and the eye did go along the coast but it never came ashore and the maximum gusts listed were 93 mph at Cedar Point. Unless there is a miracle, Rita will be as bad as Katrina.
I did not understand that you were talking about raping, pillaging and murdering. I thought you were comparing the preparations for the two.

[numberonepal]

That would be HOT METEROLOGIST Stephanie Abrams. :-)

[JFC]

I only had 2 kids but goshamighty, this has to be a huge ordeal if your one stuck in traffic.... with kids and they can not even run their air conditioning... Houston is suppose to be 100 degrees with unbelievable humidity, then add stuck in traffic and Mom, I have to go potty!!!!

Nightmare in Houston!

[advance_copy]

A millibar has real teeny bottles.

They've miniaturized an entire bar just for me.

[bwteim]

May not be far fetched: "life-long Southern Baptist" as were the previous Center directors.

http://www.floridabaptistwitness.com/4410.article

[HoustonCurmudgeon]

My wife picked up a couple of people and left her mom's in old Sugar Land at 0750. It took her just over 4 hours to get to Grant Road @ Jones, several miles north of 1960 going Eldridge all the way.

[Syntyr]

"google earth running"

Google 5555 San Felipe
Houston, TX 77056


Thats me waving!!!

[freema]

Not surprised. One of our local 'playas' just left for NO.