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]

I think Fox can get off that kick now or wait for the boot in the behind. NHC has reduced the max sustained surface winds to 170 mph.

[sweet_diane]

But...but...those buses don't have bathrooms! sheesh

Anyway, got an email from my sister in League City, they left last night at 11:45 for their farm in Trinity. Don't know when they'll make it. A friend is riding it out at work in Houston.

Anyone with guesstimations of a trip from League City to Trinity?

[dixie sass]

I'm glad to know that you are safe. Take care.

[humblegunner]

Have a beer!

Uh.. I still have to go in to work.

On another note, boss is also riding it out and asked if I had a spare gun!
SKS-2 is going on loaner duty for the duration.

[LikeLight]

The "gusts to 212" thing is hours old and Fox keeps repeating it like it's some new development. It's the most sensational tidbit they can grab onto. Frustrating.

[Flyer]

Anyone with guesstimations of a trip from League City to Trinity?

Gee, that could easily take 12 hours. Maybe more.

[NautiNurse]

Heavy rains associated with Rita are forecast to begin to affect the western and central Gulf of Mexico coastal areas tonight into Friday. Rita is expected to produce total rainfall accumulations of 8 to 12 inches with isolated maximum amounts of 15 inches from the central Texas coast to southwestern Louisiana. Rainfall amounts of 2 to 4 inches will be possible elsewhere across southern Louisiana Including the New Orleans metropolitan area. After Rita moves inland total rain accumulations of 5 to 10 inches will be possible over eastern Texas... and central and eastern Oklahoma during Saturday and Sunday.

Movement toward...west-northwest near 9 mph. Maximum sustained winds...170 mph. Minimum central pressure... 907 mb. Wind gusts reported at 212mph

[NautiNurse]

Heavy rains associated with Rita are forecast to begin to affect the western and central Gulf of Mexico coastal areas tonight into Friday. Rita is expected to produce total rainfall accumulations of 8 to 12 inches with isolated maximum amounts of 15 inches from the central Texas coast to southwestern Louisiana. Rainfall amounts of 2 to 4 inches will be possible elsewhere across southern Louisiana Including the New Orleans metropolitan area. After Rita moves inland total rain accumulations of 5 to 10 inches will be possible over eastern Texas... and central and eastern Oklahoma during Saturday and Sunday.

Movement toward...west-northwest near 9 mph. Maximum sustained winds...170 mph. Minimum central pressure... 907 mb. Wind gusts reported at 212mph

[SauronOfMordor]

With landfall still being called for Saturday morning, there seems to still be time to get it straight. Surely they can get gasoline to the pumps.

Take a look at the water vapor image for Rita

The EYE is scheduled to make landfall on Friday night/Saturday morning. Rita is a BIG storm. The texas coast will probably start seeing the outer rain bands sometime tonight, and be seeing high winds by tomorrow afternoon. NOLA will see outer rain bands later this morn by the looks of it

[Hatteras]

I wish you the best of luck and I'll send along a few prayers for good measure. Take care.

[txdoda]

We can bank on Texans in general being tough with politicians that won't cry.

yep.......(but I think many of our pols that opt to "run off & hide" are some major 'cry-babies'.

glad to see they have started to one way 45, this will help many traffic jams

[Flyer]

Uh.. I still have to go in to work.

Drop off the gun and then call it a day. You won't be shipping anything - trucks can't get to you.

[Quick Shot]

Your right about being pro's. If you ever get a chance ask some of them what percentage of the crew is sick when they go to sea in something like this. The number is staggering. It is a case where a bunch of "Pro" adults have a bunch of kids for crew.

[AntiGuv]

Rita's not as perfectly symmetrical as Katrina. This is the ugly twin..

[LikeLight]

Or maybe the gusts to 212 thing is continuing? Oh well.

[dixie sass]

Just talked to my friend Judy. Eric and Trish left at 2:30am and by 5:30am had only advanced 15 miles. Judy and Ralph aren't leaving. There has to be a better way evacuate people. At least the Texas people took to heart what has happened with other catastrophic storms and urged people to leave far enough in advance.

Judy said that everything is closed and everything was already sold out yesterday - water, canned goods, etc.

[silentknight]

I had friends that took of bus to New Orleans to help get people out - they would NOT let them in because the bus did not have air condition and because there wasn't enough water on board for everyone.

TOTAL IDIOTS ARE RUNNING LOUISIANA

[Syntyr]

"On another note, boss is also riding it out and asked if I had a spare gun!"


HAHAHAHAHAHAHA Lets see looking around a the 6 pistols and 5 riles, and 2 shotguns.... ummmmm NO Sorry nothing to spare :-)

[kms61]

Still on as far as I know. There was some talk about moving it to Sunday or Monday. Given the likely track, there shouldn't be anything more than a lot of rain in BR. We're supposed to drive down for the game (we live in N. La.) But getting back home may be a tough drive, what with all the rain plus a lot of displaced Texans on the road.

[Sooner Gal]

I need some advice.

I am in northwest Houston, near 290 and Barker Cypress. My husband will not leave. My family in Oklahoma is beseeching me to get out - with or without my husband.

My options are:

I've booked a Continental flight for tonight
I've booked a Continental flight for tomorrow morning at 11:00
I don't know whether these flights will still go, or if I can even get to the airport with the traffic nightmares.

I can head out on 290 alone, but am afraid of being trapped in my car or running out of gas. I have no hotel reservations or people that I know in that direction.

I can't bear the thought of leaving my husband here.

What are other Freepers in my general vicinity doing?