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

[dfwgator]

Looks like Collin County is getting a few sprinkles on the radar.

[Txsleuth]

IF I ever get to Klute...I will be sure and eat at his restaurant...what a neat thing to do.

[Txsleuth]

Thanks---I doubted that I would sleep much...now I can watch...

I just do not like to venture over to CNN if I can help it...lol

[abb]

i see more north than west....may be my tired, old eyes...or a wobble...

opinions from everyone else?

[Zacs Mom]

lol - I spend a good part of each making sure I don't lose my newly planted pomegranate tree - I have heavy shade, lots of large trees and it is one of my few plants that is in the sun - it dries out so fast and I'd just like to get it through this season so it can establish.

[txroadkill]

Hey, don't stress about it, I live in Texas so when I get my $2000 FEMA card I'll cover your bill....I am getting a FEMA card right???

[tazman3]

It's already started. Gas prices going up in Georgia. Not from a shortage, but the panic that we might be short IMHO.
Is this nonsense happening elsewhere?
"Georgia MSM starting another gas panic" BUMP

Ref: Sonny Purdue closing Schools Monday-Tuesday to save school bus gas (diesel)

[RDTF]

It's great. Good idea - He's probably thinkin the food is gonna go bad anyway.

[don-o]

I just tried it, and got in faster than ever. Have you cleaned your cache today? :o)

No, Ma'am.

(Hangs head and walks off shamefacedly.)

Say, are you on call, at all for this one? I heard on local radio today (in upper east Tenn) call was out for medicals to go, prepared to sef support for three days.

[Types_with_Fist]

Thank you both.

WFTR,
When I was on the phone with friends in Houma they told me they weren't getting the winds very bad. But I've noticed on infrared loop that they've since had several of the red bands of the storm, so I've been concerned.

[nhoward14]

Whose radar are you looking at? NWS looks like it is washed out with "ground clutter".

[Abigail Adams]

Some yokel arrested in Galveston after jumping into the water with a surfboard. (Local NBC affiliate.) Dude!

[abb]

http://www.srh.noaa.gov/ridge/lix_N0Z_lp.shtml

[nevergore]

Never sprinkle on the radar.....it can fry your twinkie.....

I learned that while studying for my EE....

NeverGore :^)

[WFTR]

It's good to hear from a neighbor. We're still getting good drainage, and that's the best news of all. The Amite has only risen a foot or so at Port Vincent, and it's far below flood stage.

[RoseofTexas]

For some strange reason Shep aka FOX DRAMA QUEEN has been STUCK ON STUPID lately!

[nhoward14]

That is not radar of Collin County, TX!

[RDTF]

LOL! careful - I remember a S-load of folks that got arrested months after 9-11 because they took money from a malfunctioning ATM

[abb]

sure ain't...wat's ur opinon?

[dfwgator]

I went to the WFAA radar, you can see some rain tracking counter-clockwise over Collin and Denton County, so I assume it's an extreme outer band of Rita.