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

[LikeLight]

Disturbance is at "Iron Skillet" at Petro . . . black male threatening to bust down door . . .


(the criminal element is already at work - officers being sent on crime calls mixed with rescue calls)

Beaumont scanner

[Guenevere]

Could be.....he ate plenty of it in college and lean days.

[Dog Gone]

Rita will not make landfall in Texas.

We'll just fire the entire NHC and hire you. Or perhaps you'll do this for free, like right now?

Of course, we might expect a little more backup and some analysis to go with with the 100% certainty predictions you offer.

But the price was right.

[tcrlaf]

It's not the windspeed that will kill you....

It's the airborne Toyota Corolla that will...

[Skylab]

Gulf is not landfall. Those are points expected to be 65NM from eye.

I understand but if it the eye passes through those points it's gonna hit Western Louisiana. My point is Galveston and Houston are gonna be OK.

[Palladin]

I have a niece in Waco whose nursing home is receiving patients from Houston. They've converted their OT rooms to accommodate patient beds...30 at last count.

[steveegg]

Quickie update for those just tuning back in -

As of 7 pm:
- A Hurricane Warning was in effect from Port O'Connor, Texas to Morgan City, Louisiana, Tropical Storm Warnings were in effect for Morgan City to the Louisiana/Mississippi state line (this includes New Orleans and Lake Pontchartrain, though any tropical-storm winds there were expected to be confined to a few fast-moving squalls/rainbands) and from Port O'Connor to Port Mansfield, Texas, and a Tropical Storm Watch was in effect from Port Mansfield down through Brownsville, Texas through Rio San Fernando, Mexico.
- Katrina was centered near 26.0 north 89.9 west, or about 350 miles east-southeast of Galveston, Texas and about 290 miles southeast of Cameron, Louisiana
- Motion was to the west-northwest near 10 mph, with a gradual turn to the northwest over the next 24 hours and an approach to the southwest Louisiana/upper Texas coast by late Friday
- Maximum sustained winds were near 145 mph, with fluctuations in intensity likely in the next 24 hours. Hurricane force winds extended outward up to 60 miles from teh center and tropical storm winds extended outward up to 205 miles
- The minimum pressure was at 913 mb, but that has been updated to 915 mb as of 7:10 pm and an extrapolated 916 mb at 7:27 pm (I would not necessarily trust that last number).

[LikeLight]

Buses accepting "out of gas people with no pets only" . . .

Beaumont scanner

[LA Woman3]

Big news in Baton Rouge!



The Tigers and Vols will play at 6:30 Monday night on ESPN2 in Tiger Stadium. Full coverage Friday morning on NewsRadio 1150 WJBO.

[shield]

Promise to eat as much crow as you can swallow if he's right again like he was with Katrina?

Katrina that's one. I'd appreciate it if you'd cite some other examples.

I can cite plenty of forecast that Joe made that made him look like a fool. That's not my problem, he's just so over the top with his forecast and statements.

Do you realize that if Joe has his way we'll have to pay for all weather information including advisories from the NHC on the internet. Now he gets all those free services...but he's working hard to make sure we don't. And if we want them...we'll have to pay for them. That's pretty chicken chit to me.

[RDTF]

Bastardi on Fox now

[Capt. Tom]

If you look at the present ( Thursday 8PM EDT) forecasts for the Texas coast; Galveston seems to be in the highest wind area at forecast 115 mph. To the east of Galveston,toward Louisiana, Port Arthur and Sabine Pass are at 95 mph. To the west of Galveston Freeport is at 85 mph for max winds. - Tom

[Flyer]

What they need to do is ask locals not to use the highways.

This local knows to stay off the highways. I can't imagine anyone that is paying the least bit of attention would get out there if they didn't have to.

[LikeLight]

Clarification: Disturbance call and busting down door call are two separate incidents.

[james_f_hall]

This is pure speculation. But I think she goes back to a minimal 5 as the pressure definitely supports it. Depending on how fast she moves after the intensification she might hit at a high 4, if she slows down she will probably land at a low 4 or high 3.

[Michael Goldsberry]

LOL!

[nwctwx]

New Orleans sure looks like it's getting wet in this one.

Some squalls nearby there now. If the storm can keep jogging west, the main rain should stay south. Any rain will be too much though.

[Palladin]

Oh, Geez--not this again!

[kinghorse]

you don't know that. it's heading straight for Galveston.

[RDTF]

Have you ever lived in the North East? Maybe his manner is not one you feel comfortable with.