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

[Rte66]

And "Ding Dong Daddy" hails from thar.

[John Jamieson]

Too many gimmiecrats.

[Txsleuth]

I was flipping between 11 and 8----and they were showing all of the lines of cars in the gas stations...

What is up with people???? WE don't need to leave...just ride it out at home for the weekend....crazy, crazy...

Troy Dungan is predicting more of an East Texas big rain.

He also seems to think the hurricane will hit closer to LA than Bastardi on Fox....and says HE thinks it won't be too bad for Houston...

[jpsb]

I will hunker down tomorrow in a very very strong house. I will be OK, I worry more about the thousands stuck on the side of the road. The evac plan would have worked OK, but folks not in real danger like us on the water hit the road too, nothing to be done about it, it's a free country but I wish people would turn off the TV and think for themselves a bit.

[19th LA Inf]

Actually Dumas is in the Texas Panhandle and is pronounced "Doom-us"Yeah, I know, the song was supposed to be a joke.

[BurbankKarl]

There were a lot of calls for heat stroke today....

[Zechariah_8_13]

I actually don't know much about her, except I believe she never married, and left her house(?)to the state when she died. I know she was a philanthropist. What's the deal with Bayou Bend?

[CindyDawg]

I've been stuck in Houston traffic before. I'm really impressed with how well it's actually going.

[randita]

Ach, here in Psnnsylwania Dutch country chust about everyone knows the road to Paradise goes through Intercourse!

Somewhere in that neck of the woods is Blue Ball.

[Zacs Mom]

yeah..........

DOH! I also forgot about no posting large pics rule..... sorry, everyone!

[Strategerist]

I never look at the strike probabilities; they're really not that interesting and don't tell you anything that isn't in the track map. It's just putting the data in a different format.

[ekwd]

Sad to say, there is plenty of time for you to be proved wrong. And if you are....

[DrewsMum]

yea it has to be largest evac ever,,,Houston is 4th largest city i u.s.,,,,,when have chicago, new york or LA ever been evacuateD,,,,makes sense I guess,,,,

Have any of you heard of any looting in houston yet??

[BurbankKarl]

Max saying the deep hot water may strengthen Rita tonight... Expect Cat 4 by landfall...

[Spktyr]

[shrug] I can't be correct all the time. :)

[RoseyT]

"Red Cross opening 35 shelters in South East Texas."

Any idea where? Just curious. :)

[ladyjane]

"I'm a ding dong daddy from Dumas
And you oughta see me do my stuff."

Now I'm stuck with that song in my head

[Rte66]

Oops, sorry, newbie mistake. I didn't see your original post about the Ding Dong Daddy (from Dumas). (As opposed to Muleshoe).

[lightman]

Ja, and they all are in Leacock (you say it LAY-cock) Township!

[nanetteclaret]

A real gully-warsher.