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

[brothers4thID]

Note significant convection rebuilding in SW quadrant.

[ncpatriot]

I agree. I use to smoke.

I wonder if the authorities checked all evacuees for lighters and cigs.

[Eaker]

Blaming smoking for these deaths is like blaming Bush for Rita.

It is shallow, stupid and never should have been postulated by the poster.

[brothers4thID]

Especially given the inital police reports that the brakes sparking caused the fire.

[jeffers]

A combination of rough seas and the operators running the tilt angle down as low as possible for maximum range?

Lots of bugs and birds fleeing the storm?

[steveegg]

Thanks, but I got the Vortex pretty well figured out. They don't decode dropsonde reports, which is what I can't figure out.

[mewzilla]

Well, FWIW, if those buses are carting around folks with O2, I hope the folks doing the driving are familiar with the safety rules for handling O2.

[JFC]

not my intention at all. I am sorry if I came across that way.

[steveegg]

Durn, and I missed it. Damn.

[Eaker]

Oxygen tanks are about a quarter inch of spun steel.

They do not explode.

Oxygen accelerates combustion, it does not explode.

[janetjanet998]

cameron LA..main street under 1 foot of water already

[conservativewasp]

Michael Moore and his crowd think all Republicans hate racists? I seriously doubt it. Your skin color comment was uncalled for, how dare you!

[johnb838]

My brother was a rabid anti. He got drunk and drove off a mountain leaving a 15 year old son behind.

[Types_with_Fist]

AP, Fox reporting 24 dead in the bus accident.

[steveegg]

Here's hoping they listened to the mandatory evac there.

[Types_with_Fist]

I should clarify (sorry) "The Bus Explosion," not a new "accident."

[bwteim]

Quick, timeout, let's defer all Gas discussions until after Rita... ;)

[dennisw]

It would be great if New Orleans got flooded again. The Federal Gubbermint just might cancel spending untold billions on rebuilding this low lying sin city. The taxpayer would get off the hook for this abomination.

I doubt anyone is in NOLA at this moment who would die from another flood, break in the levees. Save the Port of New Orleans build a bedroom suburb for the port workers to the North, on high ground.

New Orleans oyster po' boy

[johnb838]

My guess was somebody didn't load the oxygen containers in the cargo compartment well and they started moving around and maybe one got the head knocked off. Then when the brakes made a spark everything blowed up real good.

[johnb838]

My guess was somebody didn't load the oxygen containers in the cargo compartment well and they started moving around and maybe one got the head knocked off. Then when the brakes made a spark everything blowed up real good.