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

[BurbankKarl]

I was looking up some nat gas prices for some friends...that will put it over a buck a therm in Seattle...its 90 cents in So Cal...

[numberonepal]

Conditions at 42001 as of
(12:50 pm CDT)
1750 GMT on 09/22/2005:

Wind Direction (WDIR):	N ( 360 deg true )
Wind Speed (WSPD):	56.3 kts
Wind Gust (GST):	73.8 kts
Wave Height (WVHT):	30.8 ft
Dominant Wave Period (DPD):	13 sec
Average Period (APD):	9.7 sec
Mean Wave Direction (MWDIR):	ENE ( 69 deg true )
Atmospheric Pressure (PRES):	29.00 in
Pressure Tendency (PTDY):	-0.31 in ( Falling Rapidly )
Air Temperature (ATMP):	79.0 °F
Water Temperature (WTMP):	83.3 °F
Dew Point (DEWP):	79.0 °F
Heat Index (HEAT):	83.7 °F

 

Continuous Winds

TIME (CDT)	WDIR	WSPD
12:50 pm	N ( 2 deg )	55.9 kts
12:40 pm	N ( 3 deg )	58.3 kts
12:30 pm	N ( 3 deg )	55.2 kts
12:20 pm	N ( 7 deg )	55.4 kts
12:10 pm	N ( 8 deg )	58.3 kts
12:00 pm	N ( 9 deg )	53.6 kts

[HoustonCurmudgeon]

The grapes in chicken salad are OK if you're using it as a salad or stuffing tomatoes. However with the storm we will just eat it on sandwiches and I don't care for the grapes on bread.

[Howlin]

Knock it off.

[Rightly Biased]

Bump your post for later finding

[TheBigB]

I hate to say it, but the more it moves north and east, the safer my Sister and her family are.

[numberonepal]

Back off NautiNurse.

Now that comment wasn't very smart. Do you know with whom you are speaking?

[NautiNurse]

There is a hotel on a pier over the water in Galveston. That may be what you are seeing.

[Types_with_Fist]

T_w_F, how many years have you been exposed to weather?

LOL. Sometimes I actually have to try and remember. I've been around weather now almost 46 years (also more than a few hurricanes).

[Howlin]

You're not going to trick me into that, pal. :-)

[fooman]

Where is a model that shows the GUNA track. I dont it. Even the colo models dont seem to show it, tho they do have GFDI which seems to work pretty well.

[Howlin]

Thanks for your support! Nauti does most of it though.

[steveegg]

It's going to be a very expensive winter up here in Wisconsin as well. At least the local power and gas company (We Energies, you ought to be able to figure out the nickname) is able to expand the local power plant with coal instead of natural gas.

[Web Offset]

Does anyone have a Google Earth KMZ file link for radar, etc. concerning Hurricane Rita like there was for Katrina?

[Howlin]

Heh.

[brothers4thID]

Are you seeing the decrease in shear evidence in the SW quadrant? I'm also seeing better wrap around convection near the eye.

Thoughts?

[bwteim]

I'm thinking 24, 25 years max.... ;)

[numberonepal]

It ain't too often there's a Met woman where you'd hit it like a screen door in a hurricane.

[Howlin]

No, no...he's defending you!

[bwteim]

Back off NautiNurse.
I *think* was
Back off of NautiNurse.