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Part VI: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1490045/posts |
Posted on 09/22/2005 5:44:09 PM PDT by 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
Water pouring into NO, 9th ward. Water 30 ft wide over, levee breached... water for blocks, waist high.
http://www.weatherserver.net/ritavideotexas.htm
Link to Nola logs
http://www.nola.com/newslogs/breakingtp/
"9th ward NO...his phone connection was really bad and they finally cut it off"
Man. My heart is back in my chest again. I was afraid you were talking about League City, where my house is.
Perry on Fox - buses running through Beaumont to pick up people for evacuating. Even evacuating people from the Lufkin area.
Thanks!
ROFL....Thanks for the first chuckle I've had all day...
LQ
My brother left his house Wednesday evening at 7:00, he arrived at his destination at 9:00 this morning. On a normal day, the trip takes him four hours.
Must be the same cops that have conveniently disapeared.
Thanks...
I'm listening to WWL (United Radio)...
It keeps breaking up though.
Tornado warning (not watch) box now up near New Orleans.
TWC said the New Orleans levee break is 45 or 50' wide. Also a bus accident near Dallas has killed up to 20 people.
It sounds so terrible. Imagine it. Did anyone run out of Oxygen during the 27 hours.
Wife's fine, thanks. Her gasoline wasn't siphoned in hospital parking lot last night. So she still has over a quarter tank left. I have over 3/4 of a tank, so we're in better shape than most.
No generator, so we're holding out hope that our part of town will retain power.
We're watching the storm track closely, as you can imagine, but if the eyewall comes ashore 60 miles or more east of us, I'm gonna have minimal damage I think. I hope.
Hey, I just remembered. If we lose power the garage door will remain locked. I gotta go unhook that from the electric opener and switch to manual. They woulda been a bad mistake!
Fox weather gal talking about Tornado watch being posted for large area, but we are talking about a specific Tornado WARNING near N.O. - just to make that clear.
Water rising in ninth ward at rate of three inches per minute
We had a tiny little beach house in the 60s in Gilchrest. One hurricane blew the roof off, but my dad found it and had it put back. I sold my mothers lot in Tidelands 5 years ago. It was second row from the ocean. I should have saved it. Itll probably be Ocean front after Rita.
The hotel owner was actually chuckling about how full the bus loaded with the loot the cops who "stayed" in his hotel was, and how loaded their black and whites were.
It was definitely surreal to watch that report!
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