Hurricane Rita Live Thread, Part VI

NHC - NOAA ^ | 23 September 2005 | NHC - NOAA

[NautiNurse]

Dangerous Hurricane Rita is expected to make landfall in the northeast Gulf of Mexico within 24 hours. Tornados have spawned in Louisiana. Water is filling the Ninth Ward of New Orleans again. A bus carrying elderly evacuees was gutted by fire this morning outside Dallas, with multiple fatalities. Television crews have positioned their hurricane reporters throughout the region to attain maximum drama effects. Whoooooa.

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
Jefferson Co TX NWS Weather
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:

Lake Charles Long Range Radar Still image, with loop link
Houston/Galveston Long Range Radar Still image, with loop link
Lake Charles Experimental Radar Outages and Delays May Occur

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)

KHOU-TV/DT Houston
KPRC-TV/DT Houston
KTRK-TV/DT Houston
KTRH-AM Houston
KPLC-TV/DT Lake Charles/Lafayette
KSLA-TV/DT Shreveport

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
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 V
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

[umbagi]

More on Austin gasoline situation: Mrs. U just got back from returning the second truck we'd borrowed, and she had no trouble finding gas to fill it first, and she paid the same as we did yesterday morning.

There may be empty tanks near I35, but fuel is available in Austin.

[AntiGuv]

Yes, that is definitely a possibility. It might even be a probability. Since a couple days now many of the computer models show the storm's forward motion stalling and then rotating around the area, presumably dumping a couple feet of rain (a la Floyd).

[KingKongCobra]

"Technically he is nonpartisan. But he is a Democrat."

Some perspective for non-Texans. A white male Texas democrat generally falls about at the Zell Miller level politically. Phil Gramm used to be one. Then again, so did I prior to 1980.

[johnb838]

Not really.

[JFC]

Hey I am in the 2nd most conservative city in the nation... LUBBOCK, TX... so you can't get buy with acting around here... we know your family bloodlines....

[Jrabbit]

Fox weather person has just about ruled out a Galveston landfall. (unless it jogs)

Focusing on NO....will it even rain in Houston? Dallas won't get any, it seems. sigh

[John Jamieson]

MSM always reshowing old pictures while they spout yesterdays news. All photos need date and time.

[Starter]

I'm still a few hundred posts behind, so bear with me if you've already heard this but the Denver media was telling us yesterday that the Pres will be in state on Friday, visiting Northern Command and watching hurricane recovery efforts. This isn't a cave, it's pre-planned.

[nomorelurker]

One or two of the models have shown that but are not with the consensus of run straight up East Tx.

[Moose4]

Wow. What are the odds that Baton Rouge could literally dodge two bullets in less than a month?

}:-)4

[fatnotlazy]

The Mayor has been emphasizing that a surprizing number of times.


***

Good. Too bad Mayor Noggin didn't do that in NO. Might have saved a few more lives.

[ARealMothersSonForever]

I sure hope the law was not in a big hurry to squelch that well deserved @sskicking. And he was right in assuming those idiots would have been beat to death.

[Steve_Seattle]

"It's because of the eternal "Some"."

If I had $10 for every story that Dan Rather started out with "The Bush administration announced today that [new policy] . . . but some say [negative CBS spin], I'd have as much money as Dan Rather.

[BurbankKarl]

Lower 9th Ward Breech is pretty large....Parish road is impassible...

[Txsleuth]

I know what you mean...

I find myself feeling a LITTLE teensy bit disappointed in the forecast because we AREN'T forcasted to get much, if any rain....

but then, I feel guilty about thinking that way....

I don't like feeling guilty so I think I will turn on the sprinklers full force this weekend, instead.

[steveegg]

Dunno who exactly has been off on their landfall timing. When I've been saying time, I've been centering my guesses at 6 am Saturday and leaving myself a couple hours each way.

I'm sticking with that and my landfall prediciton of just west of Port Arthur, and tightening up my timing to 5-7 am.

Over on TWC, Mike Bettes has moved inland from Port Arthur to the hospital in Beaumont, which he's saying is the high spot in town.

[dirtboy]

Dallas won't get any, it seems. sigh

I'm afraid NE Texas could make up the rainfall deficit on Sunday. And get that much on Monday. As well as Tuesday. And Wednesday.

The system is currently forecast to stall over Texarkana for four days. And seeing how large its circulation is, you will probably get a good amount of rain. If it drifts back over the metroplex, you will get a lot more rain than you want.

[mware]

Hmmmmm, some weather reported just said it is going to stall because there is no front to move the storm out of the area.

I suggest that the Judiciary nominating committee that voted on Roberts be sent to Texas ASAP.

They have enough hot air to blow the damn thing all the way to the Arctic Circle.

[Tuxedo]

Definitely looking like a Louisiana strike moreso than Texas when you look at the satellite loops. Turning more northerly now and forward speed is increasing. Seems that Texas will get the drier side of this one. If the other forecasts that have it stalling and/or retreating come to fruition, then we'll see what Texas gets.

[johnb838]

The reason we got hurt by Allison so bad was that it would come ashore, flood the crap out of one area of the city, then go back out to sea, reload, restrengthen, and then come ashore again and flood a new area or reflood an old one. This went on for five days. I have a feeling this one is going to be a huge rainmaker. Don't know what is going to happen with the wind.