Hurricane Rita Live Thread, Part V

NHC - NOAA ^ | 22 September 2005 | NHC - NOAA

[NautiNurse]

Extremely dangerous Category Four Hurricane Rita continues to move toward landfall along the northwest Gulf of Mexico shoreline. Mandatory and voluntary evacuations continue across Texas and Louisiana coastal areas. Lake Charles LA is providing evacuations by bus for residents who have no transportation.

Traffic gridlock in the greater Houston area was compounded by gasoline stations without fuel, long lines at those stations still carrying fuel, and record breaking temperatures on the first day of autumn.

Offshore drilling platforms and rigs, as well as oil refineries, petrochemical and natural gas plants are in the path of the storm. Wave heights recorded by buoy have exceeded 38 feet. The refineries threatened by Hurricane Rita are on higher ground than those affected by flooding from Katrina. As a result, speculation abounds regarding future prices for winter heating fuel and gasoline.

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
KPLC-TV Lake Charles KPLC Streaming
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 IV
Hurricane Rita Live Thread, Part III
Hurricane Rita Live Thread, Part II
Hurricane Rita Live Thread, Part I
Tropical Storm Rita
Tropical Depression 18

[meyer]

And the looting begins....

Hopefully to be followed by the shooting soon....

[LA Woman3]

People in Jefferson Parish (Aaron Broussard's parish)are getting prerecorded phone calls from Blanco telling them to evacuate. Broussard is saying it is not true. And the madness continues....

[WhyisaTexasgirlinPA]

thanks for the update...I think

[RDTF]

LOL!

[McLynnan]

I wonder if they are at Hermann? If I remember correctly it has burn beds. Even some trauma centers don't have burn beds, so choices are limited for those patients. Praying all goes well for them. So strange to sit here in sunny, 100 degree weather waiting for hell to blow in.

[NormsRevenge]

Thanks!

[steveegg]

Uh-oh. We're climbing again, and that's not even historically the strongest quad.

[mother22wife21]

Amen to that. I appreciate your scanner updates. Stay safe.

[meyer]

I wonder how Brother Bush feels about Jeb Bush starting a panic about gas crisis in Florida.

What did Jeb say? Was he "starting a panic" or stating the truth?

[Right_in_Virginia]

I just heard on the Weather Channel that the storm may stall.

Good news?

[NautiNurse]

You deserve an honorary meteorology degree after this summer.

I'll settle for a nice long vacation, and at least six months before the next hurricane season.

;o)

[conservative in nyc]

If the Bay Oaks area is near the Johnson Space Center (there's a Bay Oaks Country Club there), it's 20-24 feet above sea level, except near the Horsepen River, which is 11 feet above sea level. The river flows into Clear Lake, which flows into Galveston Bay. So the area could be flooded by the storm surge, depending on where it makes landfall.

There's also a Bay Oaks Road on the shore of Galveston Bay in a town called Shoreacres. The road is at 10 feet in many places away from the shore. The area doesn't appear to have much of a seawall.

[cgk]

Air Emission Event Reports

For any who are interested.

[NormsRevenge]

Nuclear plants are built pretty darn solid, thanks goodness.

and Yes, Rita , the guards are armed and mean business.

[RummyChick]

It's on Drudge.

[fishntex]

I heard Colonel Hunt saying that during Katrina looters were coming in from out of town with organized attacks on high value places. He said they brought radios, cars, boats and gas. They were also heavily armed and fighting each other from what he said. I tend to believe the marine colonel. It could be happening right now in peoples homes and businesses.

[nwctwx]

Many models have a turn west after a slowdown over TX. This is a function of the heat ridge rebuilding. BAMM just does it sooner than the more reliable models.

[Michael Goldsberry]

burn unit (didn't hear what hospital)

I immediately think of Shriners.

[spectre]

I was wondering if anyone else would be concerned with this, LOL!

THE WORLD'S SIX DEALIEST VIRUSES!!...Hello..Galeveston, "we have a problem".

sw

[DAVEY CROCKETT]

I don't think I did anything.

You are a Charm on here and TM! I can't get to your weather site anymore I think it is because of my dial up. So I look for your update here.

I don't see how you get done all you do. LOL Hope graduate school is going well. Your mama should be real proud of you.