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

[DonnerT]

And itt'l come down like a cow pi$$in on a flat rock!

[ekwd]

For what it's worth, Fox showed it as a Cat 1 as far north as Dallas. I have seen strong tropical storms reach as far north as Birmingham, 250 miles north of the Gulf.

[johnb838]

You mean like they're "locked and loaded and they know how to shoot to kill"?

I'm baggin'. I want to get as much sleep as I can. Doubt I'll get much when it starts howlin'.

[lainie]

What! Houston area or Galveston?

[SouthTexas]

Neighbor asked his brother, leaving Freeport, why he didn't go south on 35. Said he was told it was closed.

[jveritas]

I watched this interview and I think that O'Reilly wiped the floor with this left wing kook Donahue.

[jeffers]

Galveston's balanced on a razor blade right now.

So they get 15 feet of surge.

My money's on that concrete wall. You seen it?

It'll do a number on those waves too.

But...

The surge drops off very rapidly to the left of the eye's centerline.

Even a very slight wobble to the west will make things very different for Galveston.

Houston too.

[squarebarb]

I am in a little town in the Texas Hill Country 2 hours west of San Antonio and every motel and vacation cabin is taken, In our tiny town there was actually a line for gas at the only gas station.

Saw a lot of horse trailers between here and Kerrville, may have been people getting their horses out.

There is a big equestrian center at Katy (just west of Houston) with animals worth many thousands of dollars.

[montag813]

What a stupid remark

Nice.

[DrewsMum]

It would be a bad day for a looter in Texas, methinks.




uh, yea but i was kinda hoping some of those thugs from NO was trying it here in TX, just so we could show em how us texans differ from NO,,,,I mean if they did and a few of got shot then we've gotten some crooks off the street and saved the tax payers money, all with just a bullet or two

[jpsb]

You are 100% correct, make that 110% percent correct.

Just talked to a friend all day driving out of gas, car over heating and only made it to Conrow(sp). 16 hours plus drove maybe 50 miles, I tried to convince her to hang a while longer but TV is nothing but "We are all going to die". Things got to me a tad but happily I came to my senses and got off the damn highways and came home.

[publana]

<> ROFL I think everybody does. I've always gotten a kick out of the guy, though. My Dad, on the other hand, can't understand how he's still there.

[Syntyr]

"We must learn to hang tough, with snorkel in one hand and 12-gauge in the other, and damn the Cindies."

I am there with you. Got a 12 in one hand and my .357 with mag safe ammo in the other.

[squarebarb]

Sleep well, stay safe.

[steveegg]

Good night Zacs Mom. Have a restful sleep.

[BurbankKarl]

Houston FD just dispatched a shopping center fire

[jonrick46]

There are times when getting a back pack, some immediate supplies and pitching out onto the highway with thumbs out. There are lots of generous people willing to pick up a few extra riders that will help share the expense.

[steveegg]

Get what you can, and stay safe and on dry flooring.

[fatima]

Great picture jeffers.Helps me to understand it better.

[Spktyr]

Essentially, yes. As I read it, you are no longer limited to nighttime engagement of people on your property without permission and if you are on patrol of your neighborhood with other citizens, you can shoot in defense of property in general, not just yours or your neighbors'.