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

[Frank_2001]

I agree. Excellent job!

[nwctwx]

I don't think the regions are all that different. The western GOM tends to be a bit warmer as a whole though. Many storms we see in the NE GOM are being ripped apart by troughs, and are turning N or NE. This seems to cause some general problems for storms. Now, sometimes we get them moving that direction on their own, but it's not as common most of the summer. The shallow water seems to matter most when storms are moving slow enough to upwell water fast.

[steveegg]

It is a good-looking picture, but it is anything but pretty.

[Dane]

Corpus Christi to Galveston is 180 miles.

[SouthTexas]

180 miles, give or take.

[LikeLight]

In Pennsylvania.

[nwctwx]

I hear some forecasts for upwards of 30" rain from the storm. Flooding is typically the big killer from tropical systems... definately not something to forget about.

[76834]

Am watching it:
For awhile it looked like Houston just might have dodged the bullet.
Maybe so, but maybe not.
No one really knows that this monster is likely to do.

[ARealMothersSonForever]

Eyewall Replacement Cycle.
My knowledge is limited. Check the previous threads, or some of the hurricane geeks (no offense intended)

[queenkathy]

Isn't that a very odd track for a hurricane? Thought they usually came in, hit the land, slowed down and dispersed, north...this looks like it will go sideways. Am I reading it right?

[Tuxedo]

Yeah... I saw that NN. We are very prone to flash floods here. Ground is far from saturated though. Temps have been over 100 past few days (including tomorrow).

[Teri0811]

"I went to the grocery store and the first three people I saw, had 4-5 cases of bottle water in their baskets...and the water aisle was empty."

That doesn't sound too bad; I buy that on a normal shopping trip and that's just to cover my kid.

[james_f_hall]

People hoarding gas. Rumors it will be $4-$5 by next week. That and with record heat and shutdown of nuke plants and impact of Rita on our power infrastructure, who knows what the power grid in Texas will do. It's pretty stable compared to Northeast or Northwest.

I figure I can donate what I probably won't need to local shelters. Yesterday it looked like Austin may get CAT1 / Tornadoes.

[Zacs Mom]

Yeah - my husband drove down to Galveston to get his aunt out. They left Galveston at about 1:30 yestday afternoon and arrived in Dallas today at about 3:45! .. imagine 26 hours to drive to from Galveston to Dallas!

[steveegg]

Hey hey! the gang's finally all here.

[numberonepal]

Said you would have to have an explosion to destroy the building and he was staying.

Dummy. 25 ft waves on top of a 10-15' storm surge won't do anything at all. /s

[SouthTexas]

That's a big part of the gasoline problem too, everyone was told to evac.

[Don'tMessWithTexas]

Just heard the meteorologist on KHOU in Houston a few minutes ago. He noted that while Rita was wobbling toward Beaumont/La. border area earlier in the day, Rita has stopped wobbling, leveled off and is now bearing down on Galveston again. It is too early to say that there is no threat to Galveston/Houston/Harris County.

[nwctwx]

Larry Cosgrove is very good. He has had a more difficult stretch this season with forecasts, but certainly worth listening to. FWIW, the other meteorologist responses to his post tended to agree with his assessment.

[LikeLight]

Officer asking what to do with animal . . . shelter (animal) in Beaumont is already closed . . . nobody has any advice for him . . .

Beaumont scanner