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Posted on 09/22/2005 3:25:57 AM PDT by 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
Oh man! I wish you were kidding! Be safe!
Getting late...if you are in the flood prone zones identified get out. If not, stay put because you may get stranded on the road when the storm hits.
We are so far inland, that when one of these comes our way, we just get a good soaking rain. That's what I meant.
Amen!
Rita is still has Concentric Eyewalls. Until she settles down to one eye again she will stay around where she is at now.
Notice some slight verbage changes in this advisory. Instead of saying some weakening is expected as they have been saying all day, NHC is now saying "some flucuations". That is because once the ERC is completed there is a possibility that Rita's winds may come back up to match her Central Pressure.
Finishing up the eyewall replacement cycle. 125 knots in the NE quad is the highest I've seen in hours.
TWC just said the hurricance hunters reported 200mph at flight level.
It's reading the Southwest Freeway is under water.
(probably been posted already...)
Ditter they just interviewed a few folks on Fox that had a grandfather or someone that survived, while showing the original damage footage. I hope you got to see it.
Reporter "stuck on stupid" asks if state is responsible for fuel shortages. Mayor says there is a fuel shortage, state has agreed to provide it. Not the time for a blame game.
Speaking in Spanish...
Me too. I've been checking in sproradically today, when I could, but Rita and those in her path have been on my mind all day.
And I know there are a lot of Texas Freepers... God bless you!
And God bless everyone in this storm's path.
Ah, I heard she completed it earlier today...that was obviously premature.
LOL!!
That would require the locals to call the state for permission, and DOT, LBI, and BTAF requirements would have to be met. An Environmental Impact Statement would be required to assess the impact of the explosion on the endangered snotless swamp rat or somesuch...
Would take about 3 weeks to get it together, 400 man-hours of paperwork, government OK's, and then you'd have to pad the pockets of several people to actually get it done....
This IS Louisiana we're talking about...
Keep yourself as safe (and dry) as you can.
Blizzards aren't looking too bad right now.
You probably know this by heart....
http://gom.rigzone.com/rita.asp?Command=MAP
200 at flight level? That puts it back to a Cat Five at the surface I would say. I think it will stay around the 4/5 border most of the way in now. I'm still concerned about the westward wobble.
May God protect those in all of Texas and Longview. I lived on E. Primrose Lane off of Pine Tree and my grandparents rest in peace there.
Lake of the Pines might be a bit full, but in a few weeks:and I wish I were there fishing, many bluegill will be caught.
Pardon my personal post. Bless all those that will be affected by Rita.
I was smacked by Isadore, bitten by Katrina and heavily annoyed by Ivan in lower Alabama.
URNT12 KNHC 222032
VORTEX DATA MESSAGE
A. 22/20:20:10Z
B. 25 deg 49 min N
089 deg 22 min W
C. NA mb NA m
D. NA kt
E. NA deg nm
F. 221 deg 111 kt
G. 134 deg 010 nm
H. EXTRAP 913 mb
I. 10 C/ 3658 m
J. 16 C/ 3654 m
K. 11 C/ NA
L. CLOSED WALL
M. C17
N. 12345/NA
O. 0.02 / 1 nm
P. AF306 WX18A RITA01 OB 05
MAX FL WIND 122 KT NE QUAD 19:19:30 Z
Because of eye expansion, the temp dropped. Even so humidity also decreased (a little) to about 67%, winds have dropped dramatically (so I'm not inferring this as evidence of entrainment (merely a reduction in eyewall boundry layer mixing due).
Moreover, recent IR image is indicating she's gone asymetrical again.
The mayor of Galveston was just on with O'Reilly and the weather guy. They both said Galveston will not be the same after the storm hits. Mayor said that they just built a bunch of homes and condos only 150 feet from the water and that there are no sand dunes between for protection. He looked very worried. He made it sound like Galveston is very much in play for a direct hit.
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