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

[Eaker]

In exchange for one of your steaks? You bet!

I bet if we threw in one of TheMom's Kick-Ass Enchilada meals you would dress like a French maid while setting the cam up!

[SE Mom]

HAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!! Thank you, thank you:)

The description is so vivid I can "see it"...

And in a happy coincidence, the president will be IN Texas just in time to receive the full brunt of the MSM's blamebushitis...

[texianyankee]

"...I also heard President Bush is coming to Texas tomorrow."

lol....i betcha Sheehan is going more nutz just trying to catch up with Dubya.

[eastforker]

They can be one and the same. some ranges use natural gas and others can use butane/propane.

[mware]

The NOAA flight came in from the northeast, found 123 knot flight-level winds 33 degrees true and 12 nm out from the eyewall (which does not beat 133-knot winds found in the northwest quadrant earlier in the flight). It fixed the eye at 2043 zulu (3:43 pm CDT) at 25 degrees 50 minutes north 89 degrees 25 minutes west, measured a sea-level pressure of 911 mb there, and found a closed double eyewall. The inner eyewall is 15 nm wide and the outer eyewall is 40 nm wide and contracting.

Does thst mean the storm is getting stronger??

[floriduh voter]

If the eyewall is contracting, that means there is high pressure surrounding the eye and outer bands. With a cane, if the lower the pressure in the eye, the worse it is. Low pressure and the saffer-simpson scale wind rating - those are two key indicators imo anyway. I don't need weather trolls flaming me so, IMO.

[steveegg]

Explain that to civilians, please:)

See #2388. It sure looks like the eyewall replacement cycle is nearing an end, and she's trying to intensify. The winds don't yet support that however.

[kjam22]

People have been burning propane in their gas range in doors for years and years. Half of the rual homes in Oklahoma have a propane tank sitting outside, that they use for heating the home, and for the cook stove.

The only danger in using propane indoors is if you bring in a little bottle and you don't check it for leaks. That's the bottom line.

[aBootes]

Texans *hate* the idea of just sitting around waiting for the cavalry.

Personally, I have always thought that Texans ARE the cavalry...

[WxMan2000]

The winds should be responding shortly. I would not be surprised to see Rita make another run at sub-900 mb pressures.

[steveegg]

She's sure trying.

[GaltMeister]

I hate being doomed. Being doomed really sucks.

[Petronski]

Let me be more specific. He's not talking about a range designed for indoor use.

He's talking about a Coleman stove.

[Tuxedo]

I disagree that pressure/wind relationship is a myth. Rapidly circulating winds reduce the pressure inside - the faster the winds, the more the reduction... but... and this is important to note: the spread of the eye can also affect the other two readings. The tighter the eye, the closer the relationship agreement between pressure and wind speed (approximates a tornado). Katrina and Rita both have large eyes and the relationship evidently begins to break down. As the eye tightens though (which is indicated by the latest Vortex message, I expect pressure to drop more and wind speed to be found increasing. Not sure if it will regain Cat 5 status, but it stayed a Cat 5 long enough to build up a substantial water dome, and the pressure hasn't risen all that much, and seems to be on its way back down. Still about 36 hours out though so anything is possible.

[conservative in nyc]

John Gibson just had some woman from TX DOT on who listed lots of interstates with all outgoing lanes -- so WHY are we seeing all these traffic jams and minimal traffic the other direction?

Because Contraflow begins outside the city of Houston, where the Interstates narrow to two lanes in each direction. Most of the cameras they are showing on TV are in Houston proper.

I-45 Contraflow map from another thread, in a response by FReeper Pete:

[Ingtar]

Gas ranges have a vent to the outside. Propane stoves do not. This makes all the difference in the world. Propane stoves come with a warning not to use them in an enclosed space. Typical warning:

This appliance can produce carbon monoxide
which has no odor.
• Using it in an enclosed space can kill you.
• Never use this appliance in an enclosed space
such as a camper, tent, car or home.

[floriduh voter]

Geraldo. I'd put him out of my mind.

[SE Mom]

I typed too soon- saw the next post and "got it"...must be time to go outside and have a smoke and iced tea!

[tcrlaf]

*** lol....i betcha Sheehan is going more nutz just trying to catch up with Dubya****

Karl got the Dick Cheney to use the Double Super-Secret Weather Machine to create a news event that would black out the Hate America Rally Libs have planned for this weekend....

Talking heads will be too busy dodging flying sheet metal to cover it!!!!

CIA is setting even more charges on the New Orleans levees as we speak!!!
(sarc)

[Diddle E. Squat]

Turning off the A/C is an excellent suggestion. At speed that seems to give me about 5 mpg more, not sure the impact at a crawl, but it surely makes a diffence. If you get a chance, want to call in that suggestion to the radio stations? How are the stations doing with their coverage. Was rather ticked when leaving Tuesday nite that after 6 pm the only real info I could get was from Hugh Hewitt's NATIONAL SHOW taking Houston calls (1070 AM?), while 700, 740, and 950 were broadcasting meaningless crap. Couldn't have given a flying flip about Michael Savage.

Hang in there, if the track doesn't shift back west it sounds like the west side sustained winds shouldn't get much above 80 mph or so (according to Ch. 11.)




The Channel 11 news just said that the lower roads towards Corpus are fairly freeflowing and there is gas and even rooms available in Corpus. Galveston officials talking about their evac being via San Luis pass and down to Corpus.