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

[Spktyr]

That one belongs to a buddy who lives nearby. Mine's "cream-colored". There's a few more of us GW owners around here on FR. Seems like people are rediscovering just how capable and practical the old tanks are. And you can build them out however you want - urban assault craft, kiddie hauler, offroad dominator, whatever.

If you need help with it, just check out the forums over at IFSJA.org. I just got done installing Ford Explorer seats in mine to modernize it a bit.

[RedFred In A Blue State]

Hawaii retailers were quite creative in the aftermath of Hurricane Iniki in '92. So many tee-shirt shops for the tourists had their inventory scattered all over the island, and got stained permanently with the red clay.

A whole new industry sprouted up "Red DirtTee Shirts". I own a few, need to go back to HI for some new ones.

Any excuse to go to HI will do, but this one works for this thread...

[Howlin]

LOL.......you sound like my husband!

We can't even remember what we did for fun before we "got" them. And we give them anything they want, let them stay up late, and suck sugar all the time they are here. :-)

We have had to start watcing our language lately because, as you know, they repeat everything. And they have begun to "squeal" on us. At their other grandmother's house they stood up at the dining room table IN THE CHAIRs and started singing "Happy Birthday to PlayDoh" -- when told "we don't stand in good chairs and sing at the tables," in unison they said, "Mimi let's us!"

[SE Mom]

k- thanks...we'll see what he says then- so far he's off on this one.

[steveegg]

Does this mean that its eyewall has been replaced and it will now strengthen or speed up again?

I am not good enough of an amateur to interpret this one. That last Vortex was rather full of holes. We'll have a full update from the NHC inside of an hour.

[cgk]

(you were too busy reading the advisories for us laymen?) ;)

[handy]

Geez, just caught that CNN Cafferty dude on the TV in the break room. He just as big an arse as you guys all say he is!

[Dog Gone]

LOL!

[WoodstockCat]

steve,

does that last vortex update show the pressure going the other direction? I thought it was 916...that's 914 right?

[antivenom]

OK will do...Oak Forest Section 6 , Houston

Howlin thanks for the help with GRRRR, I am in the hotel in Austn thanks to you...THANKS a million times over and over agin!

GRRRR safe and sound and the 2 dogs are in a private shelter across the street (well across 35) so things are going well.

Prayers to all who are fighting to get out of Houston...

[ekwd]

Do you know what CNN does with those e-mails? They count them and use the number to convince their sponsors how big their audience is. I took CNN off my TV in 2001. Now I would like to find a way to avoid Shep and Jerry.

[Arizona Carolyn]

You got that right. We paid extra for gas for heating and cooking in our huose and now I might as well have all electric, gas has gone through the roof...

we got $crewed by the California issues here since our electric company was based in Northern California and had to make up the loss across the board.

Then they sold out to another company -- who raised prices and then tried to sell again when they couldn't raise rates even more to make up the high cost of the sale and the AZ Utilities commission stopped the sale.

Personally, I don't know why out city doesn't invest in solar.

[steveegg]

ROFL (seriesly, I was stuck on TWC).

Speaking of TWC, Jungle Jim Cantore is on the move; he's now in Houston, though I doubt that's his final destination.

[Torie]

Thanks providing us all with a much needed laugh.

[Carolinamom]

LOL! i can hear the other grandparents' teeth grinding from here!

[IamConservative]

Might also mention the loaded firearm per house ratio is about 5:1..!!.. Kinda light there! ; < )

Course we don't count anything under .44 as a gun, their just varmint killers.

[JFC]

Geez, just caught that CNN Cafferty dude on the TV in the break room. He just as big an arse as you guys all say he is!

That is why CNN can not be taken as a serious news channel. They are biased and full of liberal agenda.

Email them... I know I have!!

[hawkaw]

Thanks for sending the Email. I appreciate it!

[Arizona Carolyn]

Very interesting... The news has been so focused on Rita that this is the first I'd heard about tornados in the Midwest.

[Spktyr]

Um, you might want to upgrade it. The Suburban, Tahoe, and relatives are *very* fragile when taken off road. Their tie rods and balljoints in particular are too small and weak for offroad usage out of the box. The old Jeeps, on the other hand, do not require any upgrades.