Hurricane Rita Live Thread, Part IV

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

Whadda mean tough, kiddo??

2,941 posted on 09/22/2005 5:02:07 PM PDT by Howlin (Yeah, I'm a BushBot.....so what?)

Scanner crashed....

Small town, I think this is going to be a problem...

2,942 posted on 09/22/2005 5:02:13 PM PDT by tcrlaf

To: RoseofTexas; NautiNurse

7 pm advisory now up; only changes from the 4 pm are the location, outer bands hitting southern Louisiana, and the forecaster -

Hurricane Rita Intermediate Advisory Number 21a
Statement as of 7:00 PM CDT on September 22, 2005

 
...Rita continues west-northwestward...
...Outer rainbands spreading over southern Louisiana...

 
a Hurricane Warning is in effect from Port O'Connor Texas to Morgan
City Louisiana. A Hurricane Warning means that hurricane conditions
are expected within the warning area within the next 24 hours.
Preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to
completion.

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for the southeastern coast of
Louisiana east of Morgan City to the mouth of the mouth of the
Pearl River including metropolitan New Orleans and Lake
Pontchartrain....and from south of Port O'Connor to Port Mansfield
Texas. A Tropical Storm Warning means that tropical storm
conditions are expected within the warning area within the next 24
hours.

 
A tropical storm watch is in effect from south of Port Mansfield to
Brownsville Texas...and for the northeastern coast of Mexico from
Rio San Fernando northward to the Rio Grande. A tropical storm
watch means that tropical storm conditions are possible within the
watch area...generally within 36 hours.

 
For storm information specific to your area...including possible
inland watches and warnings...please monitor products issued
by your local weather office.

 
At 7 PM CDT...0000z...the center of Hurricane Rita was located near
latitude 26.0 north...longitude  89.9 west or about 350 miles...
565 km...east-southeast of Galveston Texas and about 290 miles...
465 km...southeast of Cameron Louisiana.

Rita is moving toward the west-northwest near 10 mph...17 km/hr. A
gradual turn toward the northwest is expected during the next 24
hours. On this track...the core of Rita will be approaching the
southwest Louisiana and the Upper Texas coast late Friday.

 
Maximum sustained winds are near 145 mph...230 km/hr...with higher
gusts. Rita is a extremely dangerous category four hurricane on the
Saffir-Simpson scale. Some fluctuations in intensity are likely
during the next 24 hours.

Hurricane force winds extend outward up to  60 miles... 95 km...
from the center...and tropical storm force winds extend outward up
to 205 miles...335 km.  Any tropical storm force winds in the New
Orleans area are expected to be confined to a few squalls
associated with quickly moving rainbands.  Shortly before 6 PM
CDT...NOAA buoy 42001 just south of the center of Rita reported a
10-minute average wind of 83 mph...134 km/hr with a gust to 112
mph...180 km/hr.

 
The latest minimum central pressure reported by an Air Force
hurricane hunter aircraft was 913 mb...26.96 inches.

 
Coastal storm surge flooding of 15 to 20 feet above normal tide
levels...along with large and dangerous battering waves...can be
expected near and to the east of where the center makes landfall.
Tides are currently running about 2 feet above normal along the
Louisiana...Mississippi and Alabama coasts in the areas affected by
Katrina. Tides in those areas will increase to 3 to 5 feet and be
accompanied by large waves...and residents there could experience
coastal flooding.

 
Rainfall accumulations of 8 to 12 inches with isolated maximum 15
inch totals are possible along the path of Rita over southeast Texas
and southwestern Louisiana as it moves inland. Based on the
forecast track...totals accumulations in excess of 25 inches are
possible over the next several days as the system slows down. In
addition...rainfall amounts of 3 to 5 inches are possible over
southeastern Louisiana including New Orleans.

 
Repeating the 7 PM CDT position...26.0 N... 89.9 W.  Movement
toward...west-northwest near 10 mph.  Maximum sustained winds...145
mph.  Minimum central pressure... 913 mb.

 
The next advisory will be issued by the National Hurricane Center at
10 PM CDT.

 
Forecaster Knabb

$$

2,943 posted on 09/22/2005 5:02:14 PM PDT by steveegg ($3.00 a gallon is the price you pay for ANWR! Start drilling or stop whining! - HT Falcon4.0)

Is it still weakening? How can that be...looks better than it has all day!

2,944 posted on 09/22/2005 5:02:25 PM PDT by rwfromkansas (http://www.xanga.com/home.aspx?user=rwfromkansas)

Unfortunately, it's beginning to look that way. Are these folks prepared to evacuate or have they already split?

2,945 posted on 09/22/2005 5:02:44 PM PDT by RoseofTexas

Are you talking about Isaac's Storm?....

I read the book....it's excellent....and History channel did it well...

...Believe it or not, Sean Astin (Samwise from Lord of the Rings) has bought the rights to the book for a movie!

2,946 posted on 09/22/2005 5:02:47 PM PDT by Guenevere (God bless our military!...and God bless the President of the United States!)

They dumped Wayne in Beaumont...he said the PD officers have no clue what is going on...

Now the Houston Mayor is on.....says the fuel under the State Plan was not there.

2,947 posted on 09/22/2005 5:02:55 PM PDT by BurbankKarl

Come on, are you surprised... Nagin said the strip clubs were open earlier, consider the sources.

2,948 posted on 09/22/2005 5:03:13 PM PDT by AliVeritas (Ignorance is a condition. Stupidity is a strategy.)

To: Robert A. Cook, PE

The official word on contra flow is that it starts at FM-1488 which is 20 miles north of this location and the point where I-45 north narrows to two lanes. However, callers to KPRC (on the internet) say that they have now moved the contra flow start further south. Whether that is official or not I don't know. Press conference now starting...

2,949 posted on 09/22/2005 5:03:21 PM PDT by CedarDave ("I can't swing a dead cat without hitting a reporter" -- Lt. Gen. Honoré)

2,951 posted on 09/22/2005 5:03:24 PM PDT by Howlin (Yeah, I'm a BushBot.....so what?)

Prayers, gab1279...check in when you can, OK???

2,952 posted on 09/22/2005 5:03:24 PM PDT by Brad’s Gramma (Lord, we need a Logan miracle for Simcha7 and Cowboy. Please.)

To: BearWash; Eaker

Keep in mind that Eaker is talking about propane ranges that are designed for indoor use, and are correctly set up to provide plenty of air into the air/fuel mix to ensure complete combustion. This is not necessarily the case with outdoor-type grills, and is why you should not bring such into the house (plus the hand-tightened connector on the outdoor grill might be slowly leaking propane gas). See my post 2881

2,953 posted on 09/22/2005 5:03:59 PM PDT by SauronOfMordor (Never try to teach a pig to sing -- it wastes your time and it annoys the pig)

...Believe it or not, Sean Astin (Samwise from Lord of the Rings) has bought the rights to the book for a movie!

I just hope they don't "Titanic-ize" it by putting in some hokey love story.

2,954 posted on 09/22/2005 5:04:03 PM PDT by dfwgator (Flower Mound, TX)

The Governor needs t get people to BLAST OPEN those cement walls dividing the North and South lanes so that some of the cars can utilize those UN-used lanes!!

OPEN THOSE LANES!!!

2,955 posted on 09/22/2005 5:04:16 PM PDT by Ann Archy (Abortion: The Human Sacrifice to the god of Convenience.)

NHC is late with the 7 PM advisory. Hmmmm. Might be waiting for new Recon info.

2,956 posted on 09/22/2005 5:04:22 PM PDT by commish ((Montgomery, AL) Freedom Tastes Sweetest to Those Who Have Fought to Preserve It)

I just happened to have on CNN and this guy Chad Meyers was pretty good.

2,957 posted on 09/22/2005 5:04:29 PM PDT by RDTF

To: Strategerist

Oooo! Come to West Texas, Rita. We need some rain!

2,958 posted on 09/22/2005 5:04:29 PM PDT by texpat72 (<><)

Forward movement still less than 10 mph.

2,959 posted on 09/22/2005 5:04:38 PM PDT by mware (Keeper of the I's)

Be careful Flyer, and keep the grill goin'
Spaghatti on the grill aint too bad

2,960 posted on 09/22/2005 5:04:40 PM PDT by Rightly Biased (<>< Like $3 a gallon gas? Thank an enviromentalist.)

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