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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
Don't know the sponsor, was too busy running to the bathroom to lose my breakfast. (Actually, couldn't hear over my yelling at the TV and running for the remote)
Yes.
How many train stations are in Houston? It might be difficult to even get to the airport at this point. I would not want to be in the huge traffic jam trying to get out.
Look how much the track has bent north. My prediction, made yesterday, was that NOLA was on the bullseye again. I stand by my prediction. This storm will bend it's track north again until NOLA is the target.
winds down to 165, west edge looks lest strong........definitely weakening, perhaps an ERC.
Yes, at the top of this thread, under additional resources, there is a link.
Now this is criminal. KPLC-TV Lake Charles is streaming the Ellen Degeneres show with a Cat 5 hurricane on the way. They should have their FCC license pulled.
Unf***ingbelievable!!!
The people in the outright coastal areas had to leave, but it is looking logistically impossible for the rest of Houston to do likewise.
How long until the ERC completes?
"9000 people about to be flown from Houston and Beaumont.. to Lubbock, Amarillo, Abilene, El Paso....
I tried to tell you all long ago... GO WEST YOUNG MEN!"
Got a link on that?
I flew right over that sucker last night from JAX to IAH (Bush International - I love saying that). At the time I left JAX the skies to the south and west were nearly BLACK. Light to moderate chop at FL340 starting arond NOLA all the way in.
This was freaky... From the air I could see outbound traffic at a dead standstill for more than 50 miles. It was amazing. Folks on the airplane were gasping in shock. Some folks who live there were sobbing.
Once at the airport it was like a ghost town. I fly into IAH a LOT and last nights traffic was maybe 25% of normal. I took the last seat on the IAH-ONT leg and we saw the same scenes on departure.
I pray for those folks.
At the top of the Rita threads there is a link.
FWIW, I've offered the guest room and the rest of my large home in Allen, TX to any interested FReeper. I can accomodate six + a pet or two.
Per FOX weather guy- going through eyewall replacement now...slower movement means harder predictabilty...
You have GOT to be kidding.
Have you called them yet? What network affiliate?
(((sigh)))
Yep... I know...
Check my previous replies for details...
It's just about time for me to log-off, unplug the 'puter and stash it in an upper closet shelf.
(OTOH, maybe the insurance money will pay for replacement of the pathetic valuable antique. LOL!)
Anyone but hard core liberals have to be insulted by these ads. Do the creators believe otherwise?
Sir James Lighthill in Fluid Mechanics of Tropical Storms, Theoret. Comput. Fluid Dynamics (1998) 10: 3-21 describes a hurricane as a heat engine with the warm seawater at temperature 300 degrees Kelvin as the heat source, and the stratosphere at a temperature of 200 degees Kelvin as the heat sink. By this model one would expect the intensity to increase at night as the stratosphere cools and the sea surface temperture remains essentially the same since Carnot heat engine output is the temperature difference divided by the warm temperature.
The map in this link shows yesterday's projected path for Rita, so if you shift its path N-NE, she plows through many manned oil/gas platforms (grey spots on the map). Lord help us.
Houston floods.... I would hope the roads clear up and get people moving on the highways. 2 million people in 2 & 3 cars can not get out of Houston and invade populated areas like Dallas... in one way traffic.......... this is all gridlock areas all the time, and this evacutaion is going to make it worse...........
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