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

[Sans-Culotte]

I'm in Houston, and have been "wishing" the hurricane elswhere. Even though it would be bad for whomever it might move to, nothing can be worse that it hitting as huge a city as Houston. All roads leading out of Houston are now parking lots.

[headsonpikes]

WOW!

That is one scary PowerPoint.

[Howlin]

I know that Rita is turning East, but it's been driving me crazy all morning that the local news has been talking ONLY about NO.

MSNBC/CNN/FOX: "Rita strengthens in the Gulf of Mexico; now back to our coverage of the greatest failure of the government of the United States of America in New Orleans."

[NautiNurse]

I'm glad you are keeping your options open. Godspeed.

[jeffers]

Strategerist
wrote:

"17-55 means the old eyewall is 17 nautical miles wide and the new eyewall is 55 nautical miles wide."

Where do you expect that to stabilize at? 40 mile diameter still a good number to work with?

[AliVeritas]

Oh brother.

[JFC]

460 miles SW of Galveston. 175 mph Predictions sitll hitting land from Galveston to Corpus as a 3 or 4 ... so this is STILL A MONSTER.....

[bwteim]

It is quite a shift and recall that earlier projections had cone extend to Brownsville. But again, just a half of a degree or so of shift in the eye itself, means that the coast gets impacted in terms of tens of miles in differences, perhaps.

[metmom]

The storm track from the Weather Underground predicts NW but it took a looking northerly jog. It appears to be more back on a northwestward motion again.

[txhurl]

If you look at a map from High Island east to Sabine Pass, there aren't any major road arteries, suggesting sparse inhabitation.

Haven't gotten around to the oil/gas map, so I don't know if it's worse or better now for that.

[Txsleuth]

bttt

[AliVeritas]

From the start I said west or NW.

[ContemptofCourt]

Worse...

[TonyInOhio]

Let's hope the weakening sticks!!

Amen to that!

I believe some weakening was forecast last evening, so hopefully we're seeing it underway.

[DallasMike]

This is current

Dang, you're right -- that's what I get for punching keys too quickly and uploading the wrong file. Thanks,

 

[sweet_diane]

"MSNBC/CNN/FOX: "Rita strengthens in the Gulf of Mexico; now back to our coverage of the greatest failure of the government of the United States of America in New Orleans."

And don't forget the "Bush lied, my husband died" ads FOX has been running.(and prolly the rest of the MSM too)

[Howlin]

CNN calling it ERC.

[LuLuLuLu]

You just nailed it.

Already on the conservative radio I shows I listen to, people are calling in with the most ignorant statements.

I've no idea of the racial make-up of Houston (and didn't about NO before Katrina) but apparently it's comprised of 100% Bush Republicans. So Houston will be saved.

/sarcasm

[SlowBoat407]

We've been wondering about just how many people are leaving Houston. We have a business gathering with someone from there and are almost certain that this mess means she's going to be too busy to even think about the event. That's our assumption, anyway.

[Howlin]

Oh, joy. Thanks for the information.