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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
That 'cone' has certainly been moved eastward.
That's one of the routes they just recommended on local TV. They are supposed to be opening contra flows in this order -- I45, I290 and then I10. All the contraflows should be open after 10.
Good luck to your son and God bless.
Wow - please tell me what post # 1 says...
A most excellent site/model about impact on oil production, (offshore rigs) updated with NHC updates.
US Gulf of Mexico Oil and Gas Production Impact Estimate for AAL182005
http://hurricane.methaz.org/hurapak/AAL182005_gomex_oil.html
Where did you hear that?
They are, it is total gridlock.
I've never seen anything like this before.
Three of five gas staions were closed around where I work
and those still operating had long lines. The ATM had been bled dry at Stop-N-Go.
The man can't even figure out how to comb his hair and we're supposed to take his advise on anything?
Rita is NOT heading for NOLA. Please don't post crap like that and freak people out.
I dunno know about that...I saw The Donald on Donny Deutsche (Douche). It's a close tie!
Rita is NOT heading for New Orleans.
Looks like Karl Rove finally got the steering system right. /s
NHC was just on one of the news outlets saying that they believe Southwest Louisiana could be more under the gun than previously thought. Upper Texas Coast also under the gun.
Everybody has to do what they think is right. But if I were there now, I don't think I'd get on the roads right now. If the roads open up at all before 6pm tomorrow, you will still be able to get far away from the main storm before it hits. We are still over 24 hours from the storm.
Once they start opening the 2nd sets of lanes, that will double the number of people they can get out -- and when they first do it, unless they have a good plan to move people from the outbound to inbound lanes, leaving in those inbound lanes will be much quicker.
I wonder if people are lining up at the "entrances" now and waiting in their cars? I might try that as well, with the car turned off, if you even get 30 miles before you hit gridlock you've saved 5 hours of waiting.
Now, more controversal ideas. DON'T use your car air conditioning, unless you absolutely have to. At low speeds opening windows is much better. If there are any hills, and you are going under 5mph, shut off the engine on the downhills and roll. Even if a few cars cut in front of you, you will conserve gas if you can keep your engine off for more then 45 seconds or so (someone want to correct that time range).
If you have two cars and any good containers, siphon the gas (SIPHONING IS DANGEROUS AND SHOULD NOT BE ATTEMPTED) from one car and fill up the containers, and load them in the other car for your trip. No point running out of gas while another car is tanked up and ready to go. LEGALLY, you can only use approved containers. Some plastic will be damaged by gas, glass will not but if you break the glass the gas will spill.
SIPHONING GAS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND SHOULD NOT BE DONE -- I had a friend accidentally suck gas into his lungs and it was awful. If you are desparate, cut the gas line under the car and drain the gas that way.
Good luck....
I noted that shear as well. WHere is it coming from. I didn't see any potential for shear yesterday.
They're doing it in Texas within a few hours, actually.
Again - MISINFORMATION - Rita is NOT heading for New Orleans
Nobody is forecasting Rita heading for New Orleans. There has been some shift in the models eastward but not that far eastward.
Check out this link - audio and video feeds to local Texas and LA
http://www.weatherserver.net/hurricanecenter/
Oops, sorry. It's a monster, though!
BAD NEWS..she goes right over the heart of the oil/gas fields and New orleans get more surge into the lake and rain
They will be doing contra-flow today. They will stage each highway, one at a time.
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