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

[floriduh voter]

The trouble with hurricanes is that all the cable stations have new electro-pop-fushion hurricane music and it's really fast. Talk about electronika. This ain't no disco, it's a hurricane.

[Flyer]

Please pet him once or twice for me

Mason has a 30 minute minimum on petting. I got that covered for ya.

[dirtboy]

This landfall might the best one we can hope for under the circumstances.

Yeah, I figure that's the third-best place for a major hurricane hit on the Texas coast, after the King Ranch and Matagorda Bay.

But it'll clobber Beaumont, Port Arthur and Lake Charles, and the refining over there. But better that than all the refineries around Galveston Bay.

I actually think the worst surge in your area might be Texas City - winds pushing WSW across the bay as the storm comes up to the east.

[Petronski]

Last time that came out, Lake Ponchartrain was under a TS Watch (yellow), now it's a warning (blue).



Ooooooh.

[Rightly Biased]

You stickin it out Flyer?

[tcrlaf]

<< Are there no back roads people can drive through??>>

There are, but the bottlenecks will be bridges, rivers, etc...

PLUS, you better have a plan BEFORE you leave...

Mapquest isn't easy to get along the highway...

[steveegg]

And in the duelling Vortex reports, the Air Force wins; the 4 pm advisory mentions their last (extrapolated) pressure number.

[Howlin]

Wolf on CNN: "We have just learned that New Orleans, yes, New Orleans is under a tropical storm watch." Calling it an "ominus sign."

[floriduh voter]

I'd like to put my fist through Wolf Blitzer's drum set.

[redgolum]

.308 is my favorite rifle, with the varmint style AR a close second.

.45 ACP for a handgun. Good enough for Grandpa, good enough for me.

[RDTF]

Just what I thought. A know it all that doesn't really know much.

[fanfan]

Who?

[dirtboy]

Did I miss the post where you gave your credentials?

Yeah, just like Dan Rather was a respected, seasoned journalist and Buckhead was just a mere freeper with no journalism experience.

[Flyer]

Ok, but I hope the smoky aroma doesn't mess up the FR server.

[NautiNurse]

Gee whiz...and you had been on such good behavior lately. All good things must come to an end, huh?

[Dog]

Are we doomed yet?

[tcrlaf]

<<< o TXDOT is having trouble buying fuel - in the middle of the refinery hub of the US,>>>

You can "Buy" all you want, but who is going to stick around to DELIVER it??

[sheikdetailfeather]

All lanes of I-45 out of Houston are now Northbound per Fox.

[Petronski]

Have you any credentials?

[null and void]

But, they didn't have all the vanity plates that we have today. What do you do without any numbers on your license plate?

Since having no numbers is atypical, that counts as odd...