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

[uncbob]

8-12 inches expected in Houston. 20 inches expected in Beaumont. 50 mph winds in Beaumont already per reporter on the scene now speaking on KFI. Storm surge could be 15 ft. Levees 8-10 ft high.

Here in the Philadelphia suburbs we had a Microburst about 10 years ago that dropped 10 inches in an hour Guy drowned in his basement

[txroadkill]

Yeah, we keep declaring that it's looter season and never find any looters. :-P

Do I have to have a looter tag? 'Cause if so I got to run to the Wal-Mart real quick.

[conservative in nyc]

Parts of Jones Village may be in a 500-year floodplain, according to this map:

http://www.houstontx.gov/category5.jpg

It won't get hit by any storm surge, since it is 100 feet or more above sea level and well inland. There are two small streams in the area that can cause localized flooding, though.

[BurbankKarl]

The feeds are dropping one by one...


http://www.vistagroupusa.com/storm.jpg

[antivenom]

To have a pissing contest???? Did I win?

[steveegg]

Typical Weasley, and for once BOR's bulliness paid off :-)

[rwfromkansas]

What are those signs about?

[SouthTexas]

I know the media will try and highlight everything that went wrong in the past two or three days, it already started earlier on CNN. That said, I think Texas has shown by example, just exactly how to function in an emergency situation.

I better stop now. ;)

Thanks again.

[cake_crumb]

TY ;-)

[Eaker]

Yer not bad with a camera!

For a chick.........

A cute chick too!

Don't ping my wife!

[Sender]

I tried to adopt a Belgian Malinois last year from the Humane Society but they said this particular one would be a bad choice around small children, because it had been rather severely police-trained. So I got a Husky-Shepherd mix instead.

[BurbankKarl]

They are the phone number to call them, and their email address...they are taking reports from people...

just debunked a report the refinery blew up.

[Spktyr]

Fortunately, no. No tag or license needed for looter.

No bag limit, either.

[Battle Hymn of the Republic]

Geraldo is nuts

[RDTF]

They finally zoomed in and I can tell now it's the website and their phone number

[ValerieUSA]

[NautiNurse]

Those station folks are rocking! Incredible improv.

[meyer]

Yeah, we keep declaring that it's looter season and never find any looters. :-P

they're more elusive than a 12-point buck. Try a tree stand near the local pawn shop.

[ARealMothersSonForever]

I believe we are approaching a quorum on federalizing Louisana. The district of Louisana. I like the ring. Even better than East Texas.

[rwfromkansas]

Definitely looks quite sick on radar. Really quite bad.

Hopefully it will weaken enough.