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

[txhurl]

Just 25 miles east of High Island and it becomes a LA cane.

[AliVeritas]

Genius.

[Strategerist]

It's just a wave. It's not even an INVEST yet.

[dfwgator]

Is she crying yet?

[Alexis the Bengal Kitty]

That was last night. Hubby has gone twice in our neighborhood and no gas anywhere. He just left again to make a quick run to see if one of the corner stores had gotten any.

Just talked to him, he is coming back empty.

Luckily, I filled up yesterday morning and have about 3/4 of a tank left. I have a long commute across Houston for work.

[bwteim]

forgot /s tag

she is trying to do now what she should have done three or so week ago.

[Howlin]

One more time

Hurricane Rita Texan Freeper Sign In Thread

[bwteim]

No, not yet, but looking appropriately serious...
and giving good advice, like asking people to head North... as opposed to driving into the Gulf

[.cnI redruM]

Let's hope it stays that way. Sometimes these things look a lot worse on visual radar. I wish I could see a wind vector map on it.

[abb]

she's motivated, fer sure

[AnAmericanMother]

Old, old game in Haiti.

The confidence men would claim it was "the only place in the northern hemisphere that water runs down the drain the wrong way" and attribute it to voodoo ceremonies.

[blam]

"The decision to go or stay has passed for most people, and if you don't have supplies to last until help comes, whenever that might be, you're in trouble."

Yup. The power goes out, phone service goes and you suddenly feel very isolated and remember all the things you should have done. I've managed to plug all the gaps in my pre-post hurricane plans.

I was just down at the local quick-mart and the workmen there said they had just left the west end of Dauphin Island because water was beginning to come over...we've had a 5-20 mph breeze from the east for the 2nd day now. The west end of Dauphin Island lost about 200 houses during Katrina and it's not to uncommon for water to wash over that section during normal heavy storms.

[AliVeritas]

Thanks.

I was going to use that tagline. Great.

[BlueAngel]

Good luck to you! We also made it through Alicia with minimal damage. Part of our fence went down, but that was it.

[bwteim]

She really is. And watch her infamous press corps and supporters later play selected portions of these clips and pass them off as part of her Katrina preps.

[Dallas59]

My roommate just said that it may be contracting..getting stronger.

[advance_copy]

Has she figured out what day it is yet?

[Dog Gone]

I haven't seen that presentation yet. I'm trying to catch up on the thread. But I saw the link. I've done all the preparation I think I can at the stores. There's nothing left to buy.

The further the storm track shifts east, the better my odds.

But the hospital shelter still might be the best bet because of the tornados and the fact that it has a generator, and I don't.

[ContemptofCourt]

Well, while you are looking at the "black line," (which is just what the NHC says not to do, the new NAM just came out and predicts about 10" of rain for Houston. Good luck.

[numberonepal]

Conditions at 42001 as of
(9:50 am CDT)
1450 GMT on 09/22/2005:

Wind Direction (WDIR):	NNE ( 30 deg true )
Wind Speed (WSPD):	50.5 kts
Wind Gust (GST):	68.0 kts
Wave Height (WVHT):	34.1 ft
Dominant Wave Period (DPD):	14 sec
Average Period (APD):	10.3 sec
Mean Wave Direction (MWDIR):	E ( 89 deg true )
Atmospheric Pressure (PRES):	29.31 in
Air Temperature (ATMP):	79.3 °F
Water Temperature (WTMP):	84.0 °F
Dew Point (DEWP):	77.7 °F
Heat Index (HEAT):	84.4 °F

 

Continuous Winds

TIME (CDT)	WDIR	WSPD
9:50 am	NNE ( 33 deg )	50.3 kts
9:40 am	NNE ( 32 deg )	46.8 kts
9:30 am	NNE ( 32 deg )	45.5 kts
9:20 am	NNE ( 31 deg )	46.4 kts
9:10 am	NNE ( 33 deg )	49.1 kts
9:00 am	NNE ( 31 deg )	47.0 kts