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

[steveegg]

Doesn't this statement contradict itself?

Yes it does. Of course, it shows that they don't know what it's doing.

[cgk]

Ouch. I was watching some info on the Galveston sea wall on FNC last night. They were saying it's a 17 foot wall (though info here says it has sunk 2 ft since being built), and they were expecting a 17-20 foot storm surge?

I read on some other weather sites that Andrew probably underwent a very fast eyewall replacement cycle and that is why it was so unexpected for Homestead. It was weakened then suddenly got much stronger.

[Dog]

LOL!

[Jrabbit]

I detest him, also. Whoraldo is a drama queen....and Shep reminds me of a teen-age girl with PMS.

[grey_whiskers]

I saw a couple riding bikes and using kayak's as their gear trailers behind their bikes leaving New Orleans during Katrina.

I'd guess about 12 mph with the gear.

So six hours they are out of trouble.

Full Disclosure: If they were in Texas, heading towards Austin, they'd be in trouble. Those hills in Bastrop State Park are no fun at all.

Prayers for those evacuating.

Full Disclosure: Are all the Galveston and Houston hospitals equipped with handy basement-mounted generators like in N.O. ?

[fanfan]

I'd like about a half gallon of gasoline for my chain saw.

Don't come here to buy it. ( Canada).

We are currently running at about $7.88/ Gallon.

[conservative in nyc]

L. OPEN SE

Does that mean the eye wall has been breached? I guess it's a part of the regeneration cycle, but I'm no meteorologist.

[AliVeritas]

LOL

[bwteim]

Oh, I don't know, losing your property, house, or worrying about elderly parents, little stuff like that - somehow seems to get people riled up...

[alarm rider]

"Anderson Cooper is probably somewhere trying to get his butt unpuckered."

Whew, for a fleeting moment there I read that as "unplugged".

[steveegg]

If Christine Amanpour shows up, it's gonna be a war zone.

Very true.

[Carolinamom]

I concur. Just wishing that Rita blows that Joe Palooka mustach off his face and reveals...ta da...Jerry Rivers.

[AliVeritas]

Or Tweety as they call him at DU (lather, rinse, repeat).

[Arizona]

On long trips we kids played "Cow Poker", counting the cows we saw on "our side" as opposed to the other kids counting them on the other side. Winning the cow count was enough...no prizes at the end of the trip.........cheapo and non-"feeling" parents in the front seat. LOL

You just reminded me of a similar long-forgotten game. We called it "bury the cows" and played it the same as you except for when you drove by a cemetery the kids on that side of the car "lost all their cows" and had to start counting all over. LOL! Thanks for the memories!

[Spktyr]

We don't usually have basements in TX. The generators here are usually outside on stilts or on top of the buildings.

[Moose4]

Somebody's gotta ask...so where's the Storm Stud and the Storm Babe? No hurricane is complete without Jim Cantore and Stephanie Abrams, y'know.

I think Cantore attracts hurricanes. Something about heat reflection off the bald head, and heat absorption from the black T-shirt. Or something.

}:-)4

[RoseofTexas]

They have been instructed to pull over, or push their cars to the side and the service gas truck will make it's way there. But good question, I wonder how they're going to pull that out?

[NautiNurse]

Don't know who Marciano is, but if he stands outside in hurricanes, I wouldn't give him the time of day. I loathe media hurricane wetheads.

When the storm is in the vicinity, we just want to stare at the radar going around, with an occasional interruption for windspeed and pressure updates. No drama.

[Arizona Carolyn]

I wish CNN would deport her back to England (permanently).