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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
yeah, I think you are correct. I'm seeing other models that do indeed show the track slightly east of Galveston.
Still way too soon to be sure, however.
On a side note:
The ABC affiliate said the Houston Intercontinental is experiencing some flight delays.
One of the problems being that there have been many TSA employees calling in sick.
Sorry about that double post. My computer is acting up.
Is there a possibility that you could ride out the storm at your wife's hospital? If some of the staff evacuated, could they use volunteer help for some of the simple tasks? Keeping busy helps the time past faster. If IIUC, you aren't in the storm surge area and aren't along a bayou or in a flood zone area, yes?
Maps to doublecheck:
http://www.houstontx.gov/oem/c5ss.jpg
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/hgx/tropical/evac_map/gifs/
While I certainly don't want to encourage anyone who can evacuate to stay behind, for the essential personnel and their families who must stay keep in mind that even during the 1900 storm in Galveston, where we see the images of miles of debris wiped out by storm surge, more than 80% of the city's population SURVIVED even all that.
Also, the trend is still eastward. 6Z models were spread from a center of Galveston west to Matagorda and east to the LA border. 12Z models continue this eastward movement, spread from Galveston to Lake Charles, with an increasing cluster east of High Island.
http://euler.atmos.colostate.edu/~vigh/guidance/atlantic/early1.png
Can still move either way, but the odds of the worst case are still low. Not sugarcoating, but keeping perspective. Don't get too discouraged, still a long way to go with this.
huge NW jog now almost moving due NW the past hour
NOLA assumption from weather channel track line showing norhterly trend.
He did put in the caveat, that it may, and wasn't sure.
Either way everybody on the Texas gulf coast stay safe.
I will be praying for you and your children.
So are you saying it is almost complete, or still in the beginning stages. I am trying to understand why you are correcting me.
not good for lake charles area.
Thank you for confirming what I suspected! (your word is good enough for me) So, now I might ask, isn't it somewhat disconcerting that the storm is undergoing eyewall replacement yet is still a Category 5?
Greg Abbott addressing the price gouging. Ought to state that any case of price gouging will be tried before a Houston jury.
Sending prayers for you and your family. I hope you have been able to get a lot of supplies! Hang in there and be sure to check in when you can and let us know how you all are.
Randy Roach is light years ahead of Nagin.
No, I heard it on my XM radio (it was the Fox News feed). It was a woman who said she had never been off the island. She did not sound elderly, maybe 20 to 50 age... hard to tell on the radio. She was rambling about her feet "having concrete in them" and therefore she was unable to cross the bridge, even though she "wanted" to. Sadly, her apparent unwillingness to break her streak of never leaving the island may come to an end this weekend.
Oh, mercy...
Do you have a ping list for Galveston Houston? That is a do not miss slideshow. WOW
It's just been reported by the ABC affiliate from Houston that EXXON has decided to shut down their refinery at Port Arthur. (It was operating at a reduced capacity earlier)
There goes the gasoline.....
Don't have a Galveston ping list, and most everyone in that area has already bugged out.
Traffic has been a nightmare to say the least. My brother turned around after going 10 miles in 2 1/2 hours. After seeing the model go to the east more, NW Harris County will be out of the worst of it. The scariest thing was being in the dirty side of the hurricane and that was the forecast last night. Now it looks like it will go to the east. The weather forecaster said we could expect 70 mph sustained winds and a lot of rain. My house will be able to handle this. I went through Alicia and we had 55-65 mph winds in my part of town.
I am praying protection over my children.
It pains me to read posts like this....quite honestly, noone knows where this storm is going to hit...and this storm is the 3rd most powerful storm ever seen in the Atlantic basin....and houston is darn near ground zero.
You have over 24 hours before the first effects of this storm are felt. IMO, staying put is not the wisest decision. I feel for your children....
Ah of course.
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