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

[NautiNurse]

362

[#1CTYankee]

"I suspect that for most modern houses, the difference between 175mph and 150mph is academic"

Agreed, only those dome homes look like they can stand up to that kind of wind.

[AntiGuv]

If I'm not mistaken, Charley last year was also a relatively small storm.

[babaloo]

Thanks for the info comparing a Cat 5 to a tornado. This Midwesterner now has a better comprehension of what is going to hit. Prayers for all.

[AliVeritas]

Morning Steve, all.

[gov_bean_ counter]

Your mayor, your mayor on drugs.

[NautiNurse]

Wasn't Katrina a 5 when it hit land?

LOL - that was a nasty debate yesterday around here. Officially - today - the winds were in the high Cat 4 range. However, as we know, it took ten years for Andrew to be classified Cat 5, and Katrina certainly had Cat 5 storm surge.

I'm comfortable that Katrina will ultimately be classified Cat 5 at landfall.

[Babsig]

362

[Colorado Doug]

Went to Walmart yesterday . . . Austin tv said bottled water went in 4 minutes

Forget the water, I think that you are supposed to load up on Nikes and plasma TV sets.

Stay safe.

[SE Mom]

He was infuriating this morning- I heard him telling Imus the country is in deep trouble...blah..blah...last night he told BOR that HE (Trump) or some other smart businessman should be sent over to Saudi to read the riot act to the oil kings.

Unbelievable ego in a suit.

[NautiNurse]

Yoweser - TWC says storm surge in Galveston could be 50ft.

[mathluv]

E.D. and Steve just said the contra-flow on 45 will start in 1 hr and 17 min, followed by 10 (did not give a time frame).

[AntiGuv]

Keep in mind that there were two landfalls: Plaquemines Parish in Louisiana and Bay St Louis in Mississippi. So, there are two different strengths, depending. It is officially classified as a Cat 4 in Plaquemines and a Cat 3 on the MS coast.

[AliVeritas]

Let's just hope since Rita has been sustained for so long, that she will get some contrabands and die down some. I also worry about the tornado action that comes with her.

[AntiGuv]

Yoweser - TWC says storm surge in Galveston could be 50ft.

If so, then it's because of the water funneling into the Bay. I tried to get that point across yesterday. ;^)

[RedBloodedAmerican]

4.99

[AliVeritas]

Did he say how many evacuees were put up in his Trump Hotels, his home and the billions he gave for the effort so far?

[janetjanet998]

907 mb..up,some

[AliVeritas]

Really? With MS taking the zero hit?

[metmom]

Someone on a previous thread commented on how this was a hundred mile wide tornado. That's not so far off base.
This is the Fujita scale;
Zero (F0) Weak 40-72 mph
One (F1) Weak 73-112 mph
Two (F2) Strong 113-157 mph
Three (F3) Strong 158-206 mph
Four (F4) Violent 207-260 mph
Five (F5) Violent 260-318 mph


This storm is equivalent to an F3 tornado.
I hope people are listening THIS time. All the computer models shown on weather underground are VERY close in their predictions about landfall. There doesn't seem to be much room for change in this one. All those folks from NO must be getting a persecution complex by now. I hope they get out this time.