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New thread: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1489655/posts |
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
Didn't Dennis become a 5 and even make landfall as 4 or strong 3 but do little damage because, in part, it fell apart quickly? It was also moving forward at a nice clip.
wow - thanks for the pics! I've been wanting to see good pics of Plaquemines for two weeks now.
It turns north because of the Coriolis Effect. Everything in the northern hemisphere deflects to the right. Plus the prevaling soutwesterlies give it an added push.
Yup. I thought the same thing. I guess it's the Boy Scout in me, "Be Prepared".
Foreign mercenaries in New Orleans?
This article confirms a story told to us by another freeper during Katrina.
http://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1489216/posts
The thing with taking side/back roads is getting over bridges. They limit where you can go.
Thanks Diane. I lost it off my Favorites list.
I must say that I am totally humbled by this year's season. Here I thought I lived in Hurricane Alley, the peak of the season is behind us and we haven't had so much as a TS watch.
My prayers and respects to my FRiends in the continent.
My husband left Galveston 4-1/2 before the mandatory evacuation at about 1:30 yesteday afternoon ~ once across the causeway he took "side roads" ~ he took HWY 146 to Hwy 59 and at 8:00AM this morning he is still south of Lufkin!
It could even be more than that. A number of callers into the Bill Bennett morning show yesterday, in response to who should be Katrina clean-up czar, was Donald Trump. He, no doubt, has heard and could be showing his "wisdom" for the administration. I personally think that the Donald is greatly overrated, even though a lot of conservatives seem quite taken with him these days.
There are some Farm-to-Market roads around Houston that might work ... but they may be stacked up, too.
Rita is sucking in dry air. That's why she's weakening. There's lots of dry air in the direction she's moving...
I'm debating whether or not to leave. My parents aren't leaving until early tomorrow, so I will wait til late this afternoon to make up my mind. As of now, looks like Victoria will be spared the worst. Bugging out of here with a large dog and 2 cats will be no picnic. Don't want to do it if I don't absolutely have to.
Except in Shep Smith's bathtub. Then, all bets are off.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1474026/posts?page=35#35
Shep Smith: "The water level in New Orleans keeps rising, and nobody knows why."
Alberta's Child: "What is he, a freakin' moron? The water level keeps rising because the elevation of New Orleans is lower than the elevation of the adjacent waterways. Maybe Shep ought to go home and try to fill the north half of his bathtub to get an understanding of some very rudimentary principles of fluid mechanics."
ROTFLOL!
So glad I don't watch TV.
Well, when it hit Cat 5 yesterday, we cancelled our meeting in Big D. Thanks for the advice, though.
DirecTV is way better than cable, but I do miss 'local on the 8's'. You'd think that two huge companies like Weather Channel and DirecTV could work it out so we could get local weather!
Am watching this storm as it appears Rita will do directly over my sisters house :( She and her family left League City at 11:45 last night...going to be calling her soon to see what progress they've made heading to Trinity.
God bless them!
They also shut off the pumps, didn't they?
We tried doing this around 5 am. We are not even in the evacuation zone, we were just worried about riding out the storm. ALL of the back road are bumper to bumper too. It's absolutely horrifying. They tell us out in the suburbs to "ride it out".
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